Deer Cave

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Deer Cave is reached by following a three kilometre plankwalk which passes through peat swamp, alluvial flats and limestone outcrops. There is much to see on the way to the cave, including some superb rainforest, jungle streams and an ancient Penan burial cave.

When you reach the cave entrance you are left in no doubt that you are about to enter the largest cave passage in the world. Deer Cave is simply huge - it is just over 2 kilometres in length and never less than 90 metres high and wide. The main chamber, which is partially lit by sunlight, is 174 metres wide and 122 metres high. This is the area where deer used to shelter so the local Penan and Berawan people named the cave Gua Payauor Gua Rusa (Deer Cave).

A path leads into the cave and winds its way around, following the natural contours of the cave floor. Although the path is lit, a flashlight is useful for examining the guano-covered cave floor and its population of insects. The path eventually leads to the Garden of Eden where a hole in the cave roof lets in a shaft of light which allows the rich green vegetation to thrive. Another feature is the famous profile of Abraham Lincoln, which guards the southern entrance of the cave.

Not surprisingly, Deer Cave is home to many species of bats. Between 5 and 7 pm, if the weather is fine, visitors may be treated to the spectacular sight of a black cloud of free-tailed bats emerging from the entrance of the cave to go in search of food. Originally, this cloud was thought to contain hundreds of thousands of bats but a recent study suggests that the figure is well over a million.

A visit to Deer Cave is usually combined with one to Lang's Cave, whose entrance is a short distance away from that of Deer Cave. Lang's Cave is the smallest of the show caves but its rock formations are well worth seeing. These are made all the more attractive by the strategically positioned spotlights which highlight stalactites and stalagmites. As the cave is relatively small and well-lit, it offers good opportunites to see some of its inhabitants such as bats, swiftlets and even cave-dwelling snakes.

Rafflesia

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Rafflesia is a genus of parasitic flowering plants. It was discovered in the Indonesian rain forest by an Indonesian guide working for Dr.Joseph Arnold in 1818, and named after Sir Thomas Sir Thomas Raffles, the leader of the expedition. It contains approximately 27 species (including four incompletely characterized species as recognized by Meijer 1997), all found in southeastern Asia, on the Malay Peninsula , Borneo,Sumatra , and the Philippines. The plant has no stems, leaves or true roots. It is an endoparasite of vines in the genus Tetrastigma (Vitaceae), spreading its root-like haustoria inside the tissue of the vine. The only part of the plant that can be seen outside the host vine is the five-petaled flower. In some species, such as Rafflesia arnoldii, the flower may be over 100 centimetres (39 in) in diameter, and weigh up to 10 kilograms (22 lb). Even the smallest species, R. manillana, has 20 cm diameter flowers. The flowers look and smell like rotting flesh, hence its local names which translate to "corpse flower" or "meat flower" (but see below). The vile smell that the flower gives off attracts insects such as flies and carrion beetles, which transport pollen from male to female flowers. Little is known about seed dispersal. However, tree shrews and other forest mammals apparently eat the fruits and disperse the seeds. Rafflesia is an official state flower of Indonesia, also Sabah state in Malaysia, as well as for the Surat Thani Province , Thailand.

The name "corpse flower" applied to Rafflesia is confusing because this common name also refers to the Titan Arum (Amorphophallus titanum) of the family Araceae. Moreover, because Amorphophallus has the world's largest unbranched inflorescence, it is sometimes mistakenly credited as having the world's largest flower. Both Rafflesia and Amorphophallus are flowering plants, but they are still distantly related. Rafflesia arnoldii has the largest single flower of any flowering plant, at least when one judges this by weight. Amorphophallus titanum has the largest unbranchedinflorescence, while the Talipot palm (Corypha umbraculifera) forms the largest branched inflorescence, containing thousands of flowers; this plant is monocarpic, meaning that individuals die after flowering.

Tanjung Datu National Park

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This National Park is located in the Kuching Division, at the westernmost tip of Sarawak near the Indonesian border. Gazette in 1994, it is Sarawak's latest addition to its string of National Parks and also the smallest, covering an area of only 1,379 hectares. Situated in a mountainous region whose steep ranges almost hug the shore, the area features swift flowing rivers whose crystal clear waters bear no traces of pollution. Its shoreline comprise some of Sarawak's most beautiful beaches with sparkling sand and seas of aquamarine glittering in the sun. The existence of a coral shore also sets it apart
from the other coastal areas of Sarawak.

The Pinnacles Of Gunung Api

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Take up the challenge to view the pinnacles, located in a shallow valley 1,200 meters above sea level. The adventure begins with an exciting 2-hour boat trip over rapids. On days when the water level gets low, be prepared to help shove the boats over the rock strewn rapids. A 3-4 hour trek through virgin forests brings you to a park hut on the bank of the Melinau river where you stop for the night. The next morning begins with a4-hourclimb, up 1000 meters via a steep path to a viewing point overlooking the pinnacles. The smooth razor edged pinnacles measure 20 meters wide at the base and 45 meters in height. Separated by deep fissures and low bushy mountain forest, they present a spectacular sight when viewed from above.

Tidal Bore at Batang Lupar

Surfing Benak Batang Lupar [Sri Aman]

Sarawak Layered Cakes

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It is a tradition in Sarawak, Malaysia to serve Sarawak Layered Cakes on special occasions. In the Malay language they known as Kek Lapis Sarawak, Kek Lapis Moden Sarawak, Kek Sarawak or Kek Lapis. They are often baked for religious or cultural celebrations such as Eid ul-Fitr, Christmas, Deepavali, birthdays and weddings.

People in Malaysia practice an open house on festival day. A unique feature of Sarawak's open houses is the modern layered cakes.

The Bornean Orangutan

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The Bornean Orangutan, Pongo pygmaeus, is a species of orangutan native to the island of Borneo. Together with the slightly smaller Sumatran Orangutan, it belongs to the only genus of great apes native to Asia.

The Bornean Orangutan has a life span of about 35 to 40 years in the wild; in captivity it can live to be 60. A survey of wild orangutans found that males are typically 75 kg (165 lb), ranging from 50–90 kg (110-199 lb), and 1.2-1.4 m (4-4.7 ft) long; females averaging 38.5 kg (82 lb), ranging from 30–50 kg (66-110 lb), and 1-1.2 m (3.3–4 ft) long.

Articles copy from Wikipedia