Niah National Park was inhabited by humans since 40 millennia ago, thus, the Niah Great Cave is rich with 40,000 years of unwritten history. This cave is one of the Southeast Asian’s sites where the earliest human remains were discovered; prompting a rethinking of human dispersal hypotheses.
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history
In 1855, the notable Victorian naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, who co-discovered evolution as a principle of speciation with Charles Darwin, travelled to Borneo to examine and collect shells, insects, birds, and the orangutan. He acknowledged it as a potential site for the discovery of important hominin fossils to Charles Darwin and this followed suit with a futile site excavation by the British archaeologists.
culture
The Penan community have been participating in the bird’s nest and guano harvesting at Niah National Park; and currently, they are actively involved in the Niah Swiftlet conservation program.
nature
The world’s largest and most spectacular cave entrance can be found at the West-Mouth of Niah which spans over 60 meters in height and 250 meters in its width. There are eight caves located within the Niah-Subis limestone massif; while the four well-known caves are the Great Cave, Moon Cave, Painted Cave and Trader’s Cave. Niah is blessed with significant natural habitat with many undiscovered flora and fauna species.
travel
Accessibility is one of the salient point for Niah National Park. It is reachable via a 1.5-hour ride from Miri via the Coastal Road, the Pan-Borneo Highway or by river. Attractions such as the Caves at Niah National Park are conveniently accessible by wooden walkways and stairs.