A Challenging Garden of Eden Valley Walk

I managed to do the Garden of Eden Valley Walk when I was at the Mulu National Park in May. Missed it when I first visited the park in January 2014 because all the spots were filled.

The Garden of Eden Valley Walk begins at the Deer Cave which is one of the showcaves at the Mulu National Park.

View of the Deer Cave from the bat observatory place. At dusk almost every day (depending on the weather), millions of bats fly out from the Deer Cave in search of food. They emerge from the mouth of the cave in unique aerial formations that would put any air force pilot to shame. Such is the beauty of nature.

Entrance to Deer Cave:

There are signages outside the cave to provide visitors with some background:

We saw a magnificent spiderweb at the entrance of the cave:

Another beautiful work of art by Mother Nature.

The Deer Cave is one mother of a cave as you can see from this pic:

Compare the size of the person in the pic with the largest cave passage in the world.

After walking on the wooden platforms (as you can see in the photo above), we soon reached the other end/entrance of the Deer Cave. This was where the real adventure began.

There were huge boulders and rocks that blocked it:

The faint white stripe on the left of the pic is a stream of water pouring from the roof of the cave. Apparently you can only see it during the rainy season. I call it, 'Beam Me Up, Scotty' from the Star Trek television series (go figure). During this trek I had the opportunity to stand underneath that stream of water!

To get to the other side we had to climb over and under rocks and boulders, using ropes and going on all fours.

The Deer Cave is home to millions of bats. So be prepared to enounter guano (bat shit) everywhere. Yucks.

Some of the rocks were covered in moss which made it extremely slippery. So a good pair of shoes is vital. I still swear by my Adidas Kampung!

Snapping photos during the trek was difficult. Due to the nature of the trek, we had to have our hands free at all times, and all items had to be kept in the waterproof backpack. So it was cumbersome to open the backpack, take out the camera, snap a pic and put the camera back into the backpack. And do it all over again for the next pic. 

There was a river that ran inside the cave:

The river looks like there's hardly any water in it. But on our way back the water had risen dramatically because it was raining. I didn't want to climb on the slippery moss covered rocks so I tried taking a short cut by swimming across the river. In the end I had to be rescued by LvH because the water was too deep.

After all the climbing and scrambling in the cave, we crossed the boulders and were out in the open at the other end of the Deer Cave:

Washing hands in the river, especially to get rid of the guano.

The weather didn't look too good by the time we got out from the cave. Rain was on the horizon.

Christian our guide had briefed us that if it rains we will not venture too far because it would be difficult to get back, especially when the water levels rise in the rivers.

Indeed, our next challenge was river crossing:

 Water levels were low and the river was relatively easy to cross. But there were some areas where the water was thigh level and strong currents. In situations like that all of us had to hold hands to cross the river. Unity is strength.

After crossing the river we started trekking through the forest. And then it began to drizzle.

Some of the paths were steep and slippery and the group that we were in were relatively young and fit. Luckily this old lady could keep up.

We saw some interesting flora and fauna along the trek like this blue mushroom:

First time seeing a blue mushroom. It was so pretty. 

Soon we reached a waterfall where we stopped for lunch.

Each of us were given a packed lunch of fried rice and banana as part of the Garden of Eden package tour. The food was distributed just before the trek at the Park HQ and we had to carry it all the way which is another reason to bring a waterproof bag. Just imagine arriving at the lunch place hungry and tired, and your fried rice is wet and soggy ...

After lunch Christian our guide said the weather was not good and we had to turn back. So we turned back and did the whole thing all over again in reverse.

All in all the Garden of Eden Valley Walk was a relatively challenging one. I told LvH that this was the real thing compared to the Tongariro Crossing trek he did in New Zealand. I think the spirits of Mulu must have been smiling at me for waxing lyrical about their home.

Here are a few tips if you wish to do the Garden of Eden Valley Walk:

• This trek involves a combination of physical activities, i.e. simple rope climbing, crossing rivers, trekking through the forest, swimming (if the water level rose), going on all fours over rocks and boulders, etc. Be prepared to get yourself dirty and wet.

• I cannot emphasise enough on having a good pair of covered shoes. The best shoe for this type of trek is Adidas Kampung which you can borrow from the Park HQ. The shop at the Park HQ also sells the shoes at RM15 a pair.

• Since you will get wet during the trek, having a waterproof backpack is important, unless you want to sacrifice your stuff especially electronic items like camera and mobile phone.

• You need to have some form of fitness in order to complete the trek, let alone enjoy it. Otherwise you'll be left behind or the rest of the people in the group may get annoyed at you for slowing them down. 

• Since the Garden of Eden Valley Walk passes the Deer Cave, you don't need to book a separate tour to the Deer Cave anymore. Otherwise you'll be visiting the cave twice.

Fastlane to Lagang Cave

After a second trip to the Mulu National Park in May, Lagang has become my favourite cave of them all.

- I visited the cave under the Fastlane tour (RM65 per person) by registering at the park HQ.

The sun was shining brightly when we gathered at the park jetty with Christian our guide.

After donning lifejackets, we got into the boat:

Remember to quickly sit down once you get into the boat. This is to lower your centre of grativy and to avoid the boat from overturning.

The water level was high after a few days of constant rain:

Christian assured me that there were no crocodiles lurking beneath the waters. The only thing we need to be careful of are the monitor lizards!

After about 15 minutes boat ride, we arrived at the jetty and we started our short walk into the forest:

Soon we arrived at the entrance of Lagang Cave. 

One of the things I like about this Fastlane tour to Lagang Cave is that we were the only humans around. There were no other tour groups. 

Unlike the other caves in Mulu, i.e. Deer Cave, Lang Cave, Clearwater Cave and Wind Cave where there were many people, we had the whole of Lagang Cave to ourselves. But then again, the caves that I mentioned are showcaves, which explains the large number of tourists.

Lagang Cave has a variety of nice formations protruding from the ground and the ceiling. 

Some of them looked like as if though some alien life is breeding inside and waiting to burst out (I should really stop watching all those alien movies):

This formation looks like a snake or hand coming down from the ceiling:

Does this formation remind you of a famous ancient monument located in Cambodia?:

Some parts of the cave had low ceilings. So if you're super tall, watch out for your head:

Christian did a good job in explaining about the cave and the animals that dwell within its walls (now I sound like a horror movie): 

I particularly like the story of the volcanic ash where many, many, many years ago (not too sure how long ago), there was a volcanic eruption on what is now the Phillipines. 

The eruption was so great that volcanic ash were spewn high up into the atmosphere and blocked out the sun for God knows how long.

I'm not sure whether this was the eruption that wiped out the dinosaurs but the volcanic ash reached far and wide to the Mulu caves and settled into what we can see as a white layer in the earth today.

Here's a close up shot of the volcanic ash: 

From this layer of volcanic ash, geologists are able to study the age of the cave and the history of planet earth.

This website states that the caves in Mulu are between 40 - 60 million years old.

So if you visit any cave in the Mulu National Park, you can safely say that you have literally walked in a monument that is even older than the pyramids of Egypt!

And sometimes you just have to let that sink in for a bit.

There was one point in the tour when Christian gathered all of us together and told us to switch off our flashlights and headlamps for a minute, just to give us an idea of how dark the cave is.

Some of us gasped in surprise because we were in complete darkness. 

Under normal circumstance, you would still be able to see some light when you close your eyes. But this time our eyes were wide open and yet we were in total and complete darkness.

The cave was silent and we could only hear the sound of the bats fluttering their wings. There was a certain calmness and stillness in the thick, black atmosphere.

No rock formations were destroyed in the opening of Lagang Cave for tourist.

To ensure that nothing is destroyed, the wooden walkways were built around the rock formations: 

 Looks like a headstone in a Muslim cemetery.

As I mentioned, Lagang Cave also has creatures that make the cave their home (now it doesn't sound like a horror movie).

We saw a few hunstmen spider ...

Pic by LvH

... and bats of course ...

Pic by LvH

Christian told us that snakes also live in the cave. But we didn't encounter any (thank God!). 

However we did stumble upon a snake skin that had been shed by a racer snake: 

We also saw a tiny white crab scurrying into a hole in the small river bed. The crab was white in colour because it does not get any sunlight in the cave.

The white crab reminded me of the pale looking Chinese girls back in Malaysia who refuses to go into the sun because they are afraid of becoming dark skinned. Go get a tan, you pussies!

If I go back to Mulu National Park, I'll attempt to do the Lagang Cave tour which is relatively more physically challenging. God willing ...

Visiting the Temples of Bagan

The ancient city of Bagan in the country of Myanmar had fascinated me with its sea of temples doting the landscape.

After seeing breathtaking pictures of Bagan's temples in magazines and on the internet, I made it a point to make a trip there one day. 

The trip materialised in July last year during the long Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays (cheers to long weekend public holidays!) and here's an account of my experience there.

All visitors entering the ancient city must purchase a Bagan Archaeological Zone ticket:

You can opt to pay USD 15 or Euro 15 or even in Burmese Kyat. I paid in US Dollar because it had the best exchange rate against the Malaysian Ringgit at that time.

We stayed in New Bagan where the cheaper accommodations are located.

Since New Bagan is located approximately 5km from the temples which are located in Old Bagan, we chartered an air-conditioned van to take us around the temples.

We could have opted to rent a bicycle instead to explore the temples. But the area was huge and we were too lazy to navigate our way around. Moreover it was too hot to cycle in the heat.

(Note: We visited the cities of Yangon and Bagan in July which is the rainy season in Myanmar. However we encountered heavy rain in Yangon only. Bagan had a dry and humid weather in July)

The temples in Bagan come in different shapes and sizes:

We visited between 7 - 8 temples that day. I can't remember the exact number because by the time we hit the third temple, everything began to look the same, if you know what I mean.

No footwear is allowed inside the temples. So we had to leave them at the entrance. You may wear your socks, though. The temple floors had animal faeces, mud and dirt. So be prepared to get your feet icky and dirty.

Since you'll be visiting a few temples in a day, better to wear slippers/sandals for easy removal.

Leave your expensive footwear at home in case they get stolen when you leave them outside the temples.

The pink slippers were mine :-) I was glad I had a different coloured pair because I could spot them easily in a pile of dark coloured slippers.

There were water containers outside each temple like this: 

Anyone in need of a drink could dip the steel mug into the clay vessel, drink the water and put the mug back for the next person to use. Not hygienic in my opinion ...

Some of the temples had narrow stairs like this:

You may not want to squeeze your way into small, tight stairs like this if you're horizontally challenged or even claustrophobic. Climbing up the stairs is also another tiring affair for the unfit.

Most of the temples were built like a box with 4 sides. There were statues of Buddha on each side.

We met a young artist in one of temple:

The poor boy painted in the temple to support his family. 

We bought a painting each to support his efforts. He was delighted as we were his first customers for the day.

I like the energy of the 5 dancers depicted in this painting. The young artist had skillfully captured their beauty with gold paint on a piece of white, cotton cloth. I got the glittering painting framed when I got back to Kuala Lumpur. The frame was more expensive than the painting. And this photo cannot do justice to its beauty. You have to see the painting with your own eyes. 

Towards late evening the driver brought us to the final temple for the day to view the sunset, i.e. Shwesandaw Temple.

(That's the convenience of having a driver as he will be able to bring us to the right temple for the sunset and at the appropriate time. If we had gone gallivanting on our own on bicycles, we would have to do sufficient research beforehand and navigate ourselves around the huge place. We would also need the luxury of time which we didn't have.)

We arrived early at the temple and climbed to the top of the temple to 'chop' a strategic spot to view the sunset.

Not long after, other tour buses and more tourists started arriving in droves.

This is the view from top of the Shwesandaw Temple:

Temples of various shapes and sizes dot the landscape as far as the eye can see. I like to think that it were aliens from outer space who built these temples as co-ordinates to guide their way to Planet Earth. 

The sunset was relatively dramatic that day:

Photo could have been better if I had a better camera.

People climbing down after the sunset has gone. The climb up was not easy as each step was steep and higher than a normal step. Many travellers had to stop half way to catch their breath before continuing their climb to the top.


Our trip to Bagan was about temple, temples and more temples. I call it a 'temple fix'.

Now that I can finally tick Bagan off my list, we vowed not to visit another temple again for a long time.