ITB Berlin News #3

ADVENTURE I NATURE I
Celebrating 20 years World Heritage status
Mulu underlines legacy from the past, being lived today, set to be
passed-on to future generations
In November 2020, Mulu National Park
celebrates the 20 th anniversary of its being
named one of only 20 World Heritage sites
in the world that qualify for a total of four
key world heritage criteria. Mulu boasts
superlative beauty – mountains, combined
with huge river systems, a tropical
rainforest and huge caves. The earth’s
history and geo features are evident in the
gigantic caves and the Pinnacles. Visitors
appreciate the biodiversity and ecological
processes when adventure trekking or just
strolling along the botany trails.
© 2018 Jorg Sundermann
Melinau river sunset
at Mulu Marriott Resort
Deer Cave, Mulu
National Park
“REVEALED” IN THE 1970’S
The mystery and magic
of Borneo has lured the
cream of the scientific
world since it was first
discovered. In 1978,
the Royal Geographical
Society launched one
of the biggest multidisciplinary
expeditions
to Mulu. Prior to this, the
Sarawak Government,
recognising the special
qualities of Mulu, had
gazetted it a National Park
in 1974. The magic caught
on in 2000, and Mulu
was declared an iconic
UNESCO World Heritage
Area, and at 55,000
hectares, also the state’s
biggest National Park.
Gunung Mulu National
Park is now the most
intensively studied area
of tropical karst in the
world. Dominated by
Gunung Mulu, a 2,377m
sandstone pinnacle
(the second highest
mountain in Sarawak),
the area is exceptionally
scenic, with rainforestcovered
mountains,
wild rivers in deeplyincised
canyons, sheer
limestone pinnacles, long
underground passages
and immense caves.
CAVES: THE WORLD’S BIGGEST
In terms of total volume, Mulu
boasts having the biggest cave
system in the world. At least 295
km of explored caves include
the Sarawak Chamber - the
largest known cave chamber
in the world at 600 m by 415 m
and 80 m high. With a volume
of 12 million cubic meters and
an unsupported roof span of
300 m, this chamber dwarfs
any other large chamber so
far discovered. Deer Cave at
120 to 150 m in diameter is
the largest cave passage in the
world known at the present
time and the Clearwater
Cave System holds the world
record as the longest cave in
Asia at 110 km of mapped and
explored passages. The caves
show classic underground
geomorphological features
which reveal an evolutionary
history of more than 1.5 million
years.
Both above and below ground
the Park has a wide range of
endemic animals and plants in
seventeen vegetation zones.
The caves house millions
of swiftlets and bats and
provide outstanding scientific
opportunities to study the
origins of cave fauna.
14 SMART GUIDE www.sarawaktourism.com