Gua Batu Maloi - Nature Water Theme Park

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GUA BATU MALOI is a ‘cave’ created by an ancient avalanche of rocks upon a stream, and it is one of Malaysia’s most unique ‘water theme parks’. Want to walk, crawl and float through it? Well, let’s go.

                   

            The bucolic welcome arch to Gua Batu Maloi

Situated in Negeri Sembilan’s Gunung Tampin Forest Reserve, it is not a conventional cave but more like a huge pile of giant granite boulders that tumbled down from the mountains over a stream. The result is a kind of water theme park inside a cave!

After getting to Tampin town via the North-South Highway, just head towards Kuala Pilah through a beautiful forested road past the tail end of the Titiwangsa mountain range before arriving at Pekan Air Mawang.

Then turn left and drive through kampung roads covered with “landmines” (cow droppings!) before arriving at Gua Batu Maloi.  It takes a 15-minute walk through the jungle towards the cave entrance.

A lazy stream flowed alongside the trail – the same one that flows through the cave. To get to the cave, one need to cross the vertical face of a huge boulder by stepping on some thick roots, while holding on to a rope so you wouldn’t fall off.

Beautiful ferns and moss grew on the gigantic boulders at the cave entrance. Huge roots from the trees above grew downwards and clung majestically to the rocks. The rays of the morning sun streaming between the trees made the place look magical.

Then disappear into the cracks between the huge boulders and plunged into the cold water from the stream in the cave. The smell of guano permeated the air. Continue to wade and crawl through holes so small that it seemed impossible that anyone could actually go through them.

Some parts of the cave had only inches of space between the surface of the water and the top of the cave! We have to lie on our backs and push outselves through those small gaps, with our nose just barely above the water, to get to the other side. Some people may have to be assisted out of these tunnels by having their legs pulled by the others!

There is a part of the cave that is really narrow, where we have to crawl on hands and knees. Soon, we encounter a huge submerged rock. There is no way across, except to crawl on our bellies!

Sitting on a rock with torches switched off, it is very relaxing to listen to the gurgling stream as the water flowed swiftly below our feet.

We then come across another narrow but sandy part of the cave where we have to literally dig our way through like giant nesting turtles! Who needs a spa when you can get sandy body “scrubs” (which were actually hardened bat poo!), “aromatherapy” (the “wonderful” bat guano scent) and even natural “Jacuzzis”?

The place is like a water theme park, but this natural version was much more fun and exciting. After a few hours of climbing, crawling and stretching over many waterfalls and tunnels, we emerge to the outside world.  What a wonderful workout!