Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters

Take your next trip with Atlas Obscura!

Our small-group adventures are inspired by our Atlas of the world's most fascinating places, the stories behind them, and the people who bring them to life.

Visit Adventures
Trips Highlight
Central Asia yurt night stars
Uzbekistan • 15 days, 14 nights
Central Asia Road Trip: Backroads & Bazaars
from
Caucasus - Geghard Monastery, Armenia
Armenia • 15 days, 14 nights
Caucasus Road Trip: Azerbaijan, Georgia & Armenia
from
View all trips
Top Destinations
Latest Places
Most Popular Places Random Place Lists Itineraries
Add a Place
Download the App
Top Destinations
View All Destinations »

Countries

  • Australia
  • Canada
  • China
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan

Cities

  • Amsterdam
  • Barcelona
  • Beijing
  • Berlin
  • Boston
  • Budapest
  • Chicago
  • London
  • Los Angeles
  • Mexico City
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Paris
  • Philadelphia
  • Rome
  • San Francisco
  • Seattle
  • Stockholm
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vienna
  • Washington, D.C.
Latest Places
View All Places »
Midas Tümülüsü (Tumulus MM)
The Devil's Column
Weightlifting Hall of Fame
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
Latest Places to Eat & Drink
View All Places to Eat »
The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.
Gedhawa
At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.
Nai Mong Hoi Thod
In this deceptively simple dish, top-quality ingredients are paramount.
Kor Panich
Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.
Rung Rueang
Pasties are an Upper Michigan tradition dating back to mining days.
Lehto’s Pasties
Recent Stories
All Stories Video Podcast
Most Recent Stories
View All Stories »
For Aguilar-Carrasco, nature is a powerful reminder of the interconnectedness of all life.
How Can National Parks Be Made Accessible to All? AO Wants to Know.
2 days ago
Podcast: Finding ‘The Great Gatsby’ in Louisville
3 days ago
Here’s which treats you can safely lug home without risking a fine.
Dear Atlas: What International Food Can I Legally Bring Into the U.S.?
4 days ago
Cely’s map is not only accurate, but captures the unique characteristics of Congaree’s trees and waterways.
How One Biologist Drew a Hyper-Accurate, Ranger-Approved Map of Congaree National Park
6 days ago

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Malaysia Miri Niah Caves

Niah Caves

One of the largest caverns in the world has a maw large enough to stack cathedrals in.

Miri, Malaysia

Added By
heatherdoodle
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
Niah Caves   Starlightchild/cc by-sa 3.0
Niah Caves   Starlightchild/cc by-sa 3.0
Niah Caves.   Michael Elleray/cc by 2.0
  BspSlp / Atlas Obscura User
  BspSlp / Atlas Obscura User
  BspSlp / Atlas Obscura User
The caves.   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  BspSlp / Atlas Obscura User
The caves.   Max Cortesi / Atlas Obscura User
  BspSlp / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

One of Borneo's many and varied natural wonders, the Niah Caves are a system of colossal underground chambers large enough to fit a couple of Notre Dame Cathedrals stacked on top of one another. They also contain some of the earliest human remains ever found in Malaysia.

The initial excavations into the Niah caves began in 1950s and '60s when evidence of human habitation in the caves was found, including cave paintings and remains. The remains were found to be a staggering 40,000 years old, meaning the natural caves have been fascinating homo sapiens from cavemen to the camera-happy tourists of today. The cave paintings were found to only be around 1,200 years old, making them nonetheless interesting, but paling in comparison to the ancient bones. 

Today, the caves are a popular tourist site owing to their awe-inspiring size and natural beauty. The entrance to the main "Great Cave" alone is dozens of meters tall, inviting metaphorical measures such as how many churches or other huge structures could fit in it. No matter how you describe the caves, it is likely that it will be tinged with a sense of wonder.   

Related Tags

Caves Subterranean Natural Wonders Ecosystems Nature

Know Before You Go

Before entering the caves, you need to visit the Niah National Park office to purchase a ticket. The caves are about a 40-minute walk from the office. Because the caves are dark and slippery, bring a flashlight and sensible walking shoes.

Atlas Obscura Adventures

Wild Borneo: Secrets of an Ancient Rainforest

Orangutans, fishing villages & untouched beauty in the Borneo Rainforest.

Book Now

Community Contributors

Added By

heatherdoodle

Edited By

EricGrundhauser, Max Cortesi, Kerry Wolfe, BspSlp

  • EricGrundhauser
  • Max Cortesi
  • Kerry Wolfe
  • BspSlp

Published

September 26, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.sarawakforestry.com/htm/snp-np-niah.html
  • http://www.abc.net.au/science/slab/niahcave/history.htm
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niah_National_Park
Niah Caves
4107
Miri, 98200
Malaysia
3.831212, 113.753913
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Billionth Barrel Monument

Seria, Brunei

miles away

The Pinnacles of Gunung Mulu

Marudi, Malaysia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Malaysia

Malaysia

Asia

Places 56
Stories 18

Nearby Places

Billionth Barrel Monument

Seria, Brunei

miles away

The Pinnacles of Gunung Mulu

Marudi, Malaysia

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Malaysia

Malaysia

Asia

Places 56
Stories 18

Related Places

  • Avshalom Cave.

    Israel

    Avshalom Cave

    This amazing ancient cave was kept secret for seven years to protect it from the public.

  • The 100,000 Soldiers.

    Mialet, France

    100,000 Soldiers of Trabuc Caves

    This army of concretions is an unexplained geological phenomenon unlike anything else in the world.

  • Nearly every inch is lined with speleothems.

    Sonora, Texas

    Caverns of Sonora

    A Texas cave network is home to some of the world's most spectacular-looking and bizarrely named mineral formations.

  • The Friouato Caves

    Taza Province, Morocco

    Friouato Caves

    The true depths of these stunning Moroccan caves are unknown.

  • Cape Flattery

    Neah Bay, Washington

    Cape Flattery

    At the most northwestern point of the contiguous United States lies a trail leading through an ancient forest to stunning cliff-side vistas and massive oceanside caves.

  • Grutas del Palacio

    Flores, Uruguay

    Grutas del Palacio

    This wonderful rock formation constitutes the first geopark in Uruguay.

  • Benagil Caves

    Lagoa, Portugal

    Benagil Caves

    Perhaps the most spectacular grotto along the Algarve coastline.

  • Chinhoyi Caves

    Chinhoyi, Zimbabwe

    Chinhoyi Caves

    The stunningly blue waters of these beautiful caves also have a violent past.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.