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About Me

David Hogan Jr
David is an easy going, friendly person with happy thoughts and ever ready to travel. Together with Lilian, a former copywriter, they manage Malaysia Asia as a team. Working from home and occasionally out of town for special projects, they use their free time to document and photograph places of interest in Malaysia and around Asia.

Islands, Beaches, Tribes, Rainforest, Eco-Tourism, Culture and Heritage make travel the main reason for them. To contact us, please email: juniorhogan [at] gmail.com
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17 February, 2010

Chulia Street Penang

Author: David Jr
| Posted at: 11:12 PM |

Filed Under:
blogsherpa,
Malaysia - Hotels,
Malaysia - Penang,
UNESCO Sites

Chulia Street Penang

Chulia Street in Penang is no doubt a backpacker, flashpacker or the general travelers favourite must-visit place while holidaying in the Pearl Of The Orient called Penang. Chulia Street has for many years been a truly nostalgic place with lots of memories and one of the important stopovers for many travelers heading up to Thailand via Penang.
Chulia Street Penang - Main street view
Chulia Street is also located within the core zone of the recently awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site of Penang. The street was apparently named during the rule of Sir Francis Light in the 1800s when Penang was known as the Prince of Wales Island. There were four original four streets of George Town and they were Beach Street, Light Street, Pitt Street (now Masjid Kapitan Keling Street) and Chulia Street.
Chulia Street Penang - Multi purpose store
Chulia Street still maintains the old charm with many pre-war buildings dominating both sides of the street while a number of guest houses and hotels stand out with bright signages hoping to attract the backpackers and travelers. Various shops cater to the tourist by offering everything travel related from buying second hand books to renting out motorbikes, internet cafes to instant laundries.
Money changers along Chulia Street
Chulia Street also offers a number of money changers or foreign currency exchange services while visa arrangements to Thailand are a popular sight along the entire street. If you are looking for a good deal, it would be best to take your time and check with the various services offered here as one can easily walk the entire street in under an hour. Visa Runners, see end of posting.
Chulia Street Penang - Stardust Guesthouse
My memories of Chulia Street go back about 10-15 years when I remember the street being popular with Antique Shops selling all sorts of curios and collectibles while the old style hotels looked pretty much grand during their heyday. These days, backpacker guest houses are the popular choice of lodging as you see a number of them throughout the street offering you amazing lodging deals.
Reggae Club at Chulia Street Penang
Gone are many of the original coffee shops and restaurants that once served a packed floor. These days, younger generation cafes, bars and bistros are mushrooming along Chulia Street or Lebuh Chulia in Malay. Even Bob Marley is not spared as a Reggae Club is located along this street catering to the backpackers who frequent places like these nowadays.
Chulia Street Penang - Tourist Guest House
Tourist guesthouses who double as Internet cafes and everything else are the norm here as competition is pretty much stiff. Prices are reasonable while lodging is very basic but guaranteeing you a place in the heart of town withing walking distances to most attractions in and around Georgetown.
Chulia Street Penang - Nam Wah Hotel and Bar
As I walk pass one of the old hotels called Nam Wah Hotel and Bar, it is now sealed shut. Probably due to the lack of business, the place once looked like a mini mansion with grand doorways in a stand alone building surrounded by intricate carved walls. I wonder why no one wanted to take over this beautiful nostalgic place. Well, before you know it, it could happen on my next visit there.
Chulia Street Penang - HKB and Monaliza BBQ Cafe
Just next door, one old remaining popular drinking spot called the Hong Kong Bar (HKB) is still open and at 3pm in the scorching afternoon, a bunch of travelers are seen having a good time with some cold beer. The place is quite well known with the RAR (Royal Australian Regiment), RAF/RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) personnel.
Hong Kong Bar (HKB) in Chulia Street Penang
The Hong Kong Bar is also filled with photographs, plaques, badges, lifebuoys and tons of photographs from the good old days of the HKB as it is is still referred to since the sixties and seventies. Tragic hit this place when a fire burnt it to the ground in the early morning of Sept 14, 2004 where all the memorabilia collected throughout the years gone but the place is back in action now. If you are or were one of the regulars here, you could take a look at this site discussing about the Hong Kong Bar.
Chulia Street Penang - Jim's Place
A number of new info-bars are also popping up in Chulia Street and one of them I saw was called Jim's Place - Reggae and Rock Cafe. These are the current generation backpacker or flashpacker outlets catering to the modern travelers who want information quick and easy at a budget price.
Chulia Street Penang - Motor Bike Rentals
Apart from the regular bars, hotels and guesthouses, you would find one or two really useful shops that cater to almost everything. One popular place is called H.S.Sam, a bookstore by name but offers various types of travel services which include buying and selling novels, travel books, renting bicycles and motorcycles or motor bikes, selling stationary, currency exchange, visa arrangements and even travel tickets. It is also quite hard to miss his store when you pass by. Please check about the procedures on renting a motor bike in Penang if you plan to do so.
Hawker pushing his mobile stall along Chulia Street
At the end of the day, Chulia Street will always remain a popular place for travelers from all over which includes the visa runners. For the locals, Chulia Street is one of the popular places that offer various local hawker and coffee shop delicacies. Something that the travelers would also explore. Hawker carts are seen parked in front of stores with a good mix of inter-racial selections of local food and cakes. There is a famous Chicken Rice stall located along Chulia Street too if you want to give it a try.Popular amenities like 7-11, laundry services, travel agencies, home grown businesses and so on are also available along this famous street. Somehow whenever I visit Penang Island, I will make it a point to at least drive by Chulia Street to see how it has improved over the years. One of my favourite places, Vincent Hair Saloon is a must stop-must-take-picture place. Trust me, you will never see another place with an amazing facade anywhere like this.For more historical information on Chulia Street PenangHistory information from Wikipedia on PenangWikipedia Street Names of PenangWikitravel info on PenangFor your added information, below are some of the hotels and guesthouse information and also the famous Visa Run Website.Banana Guest House355/357/359 Chulia Street 10000 PenangTelephone: 04-2626171Rooms Rates RM18-100 (US$9-29)Facilities: Wifi, Cafe/Restaurant, Car Park, Air Condition, Hot Water, LaundryEmail: info@banananewguesthouse.comBanana Guesthouse WebsiteBlue Diamond Hotel422, Leboh Chulia ?10200 Georgetown, ?Penang?Telephone: 04-2611089Rooms: 40Room Rates RM20-45 (US$6.50-13)Facilities: Cafe/Restaurant, Car Park, Air Condition, Hot Water, LaundryCrystal Guesthouse294-294A Lebuh Chulia 10200 PenangTelephone: 04-263 8068 Fax: 04-261 3599email: crystalguesthouse@hotmail.comCrystal Guesthouse WebsiteDay and Night Backpackers319 Lebuh Chulia 10200 PenangTelephone: 04-262 5645Room Rates: RM20 (US$5.80)E & A Budget Hotel380 Chulia Street 10200 PenangTelephone: 04-2621311Room Rates: RM25-45 (USD$7.30-13.30)Eastern Hotel?509, Chulia Street ?10200 Penang?Telephone: 04-2614597 Fax: 04-2610008?Rooms: 21Room Rates RM25-35 (US$7-10)Facilities: Air Condition, Hot WaterE-mail: mailto:hctravel@tm.net.my">hctravel@tm.net.myHang Chow Hotel?511, Chulia Street ?10200 Georgetown PenangTelephone: 04-2610810Rooms: 13Room Rates RM30-50 (US$9-15)Hotel Hong Ping?273, Lebuh Chulia ?10200 PenangTelephone: 04-2625243 Fax: 04-2623270Rooms: 58Room Rates RM59-80? (US$17-24)Facilities: TV, Car Park, Credit Card, Air Condition, Hot WaterIsland City Hotel456 Lebuh Chulia 10200 PenangTel: 04-261 0770Room Rates: RM35-50 (US$10.30-14.50)Jim's Place431 Chulia Street 10200 PenangTelephone: +6016 6536963 +6017 4460644Mobile: +60 16 653 6963Email: blackangel90@hotmail.comJim's Place WebsiteNewasakin Rumah Tumpangan35/36 Chulia Street 10200 PenangTelephone: 04-2630406Room Rates: RM35-40 (US$10.30-11.80)Facilities: Very basicOlive Spring Hotel?300 – 302 Chulia Street? 10200 PenangTel: (604) 261 4641Rooms: 16Room Rates: RM7-22 (US$2-8.50)Facilities: Restaurant, Ticketing to Thailand, IndonesiaPin Seng Hotel82 Love Lane 10200 Penang (very near Chulia Street)Tel: 04-261 9004Room Rates: RM20 (US$5.80)Stardust Guesthouse370-D, Chulia Street, 10200 PenangTelephone: 04 2635723Room Rates: RM23-35 (US$6.70-10.30)Email: admin@stardustguesthouse.comStardust Guesthouse WebsiteSwiss Hotel (Oasiss hotel)431-F, Chulia Street? 10200 PenangTelephone: 04-2620133? / 04-262 2345Rooms: 24Room Rates RM30 (US$9)Facilities: Car ParkTourist Guesthouse425/427/429 Chulia Street 10200 PenangTelephone: 04 261 6425Room Rates: RM20-25 (US$5.90-7.30)Email: touristguesthouse@hotmail.comIf you currently run a guesthouse or budget motel who is not listed here, please do email me so I can add you into the list above.And finally, for those who want more information about the Penang Visa Run where information on everything you need to know about travelling from Thailand to Malaysia and getting a new Thai Visa.
Chulia Street Penang Map

View Larger Map

~ David Jr*Pictures taken with Nikon D60 with standard lens

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03 February, 2010

Sandakan War Memorial Park Sabah Borneo

Author: David Jr
| Posted at: 3:10 AM |

Filed Under:
blogsherpa,
Malaysia - Sabah,
Malaysia - War Memorial

Sandakan War Memorial Park Sabah Borneo

Sandakan War Memorial or Sandakan Memorial Park is located in the outskirts of Sandakan, Sabah Borneo. The site is just next to the actual POW (Prisoners of War) camp which was set up during the World War Two Japanese Occupation from 1942 to 1945 which witnessed the death of 2400 Australian and British POW held by the Japanese here. This war memorial was officially opened on the 15th February 1999 and the memorial park is dedicated to the men who lost their lives in the Borneo Death Marches during the Second World War.On my trip to Sandakan in Dec 2009 to visit and document places of interest, I made it a point to stop over here for a visit as I had also visited the Kundasang War Memorial a couple of years back. Getting to the Sandakan War Memorial Park was quite easy as it is located 11 kilometers from Sandakan town and my tour guide - Ben, had arranged for this on a last minute request from me.
Sandakan Memorial Park
As we arrived at the Sandakan War Memorial Park at about 5pm just as it was about to close and as we walked in, we saw a number of locals there who utilized this park for their evening walks and exercise. A beautiful pond filled with water lilies will be the first thing you see you once you step inside.
Walkways throughout the Sandakan Memorial Park
Well manicured lawns and concrete pathways show that the place has been looked after with much care. It was an easy walk through the park but do bring mosquito repellent in case.
Sandakan Memorial Park informationIn 1942, 2700 British and Australian soldiers were transported from Singapore to Sandakan and set to work building an airstrip. By early 1945 many had died, but the surviving 1800 Australians and 600 British troops were force-marched to Ranau by the Japanese, where they were to start work on a new project.Just six soldiers, all Australian, survived the 240-kilometre march through mud and jungle in which two of the six escaped into the jungle during the second march in June 1945. Assisted by local people, they were eventually picked by Allied units. The other four escaped from Ranau in July and again, with the help of local people, were fed and hidden from the Japanese until the end of the War. A total of 2,428 Australians and British POWs died at Sandakan, Ranau or on the Death Marches.

The Big Tree
As you start walking into the Sandakan War Memorial Park, you will come across numerous plaques and notices which are dedicated to this place. Stop and read them as they will tell you in detail about what happened at each of the spots.
Sandakan War Memorial
A polished granite memorial is located within the original boundary of the POW camp. Near the memorial stood the famous ‘big tree’ and the camp guardhouse. Also beside the big tree was the ‘cage’ in which many prisoners suffered brutal punishments during the Japanese occupation in Borneo.
Sandakan War Memorial plaque

WWII Boiler at the Sandakan Memorial Park
Remains of a World War Two boiler are seen along the walk around the park. Walking around the park would take you about 45 minutes to an hour as it goes one big round where you will see remnants of the camp that are scattered around the grounds of the park along your walk.
WWII Excavator on display at the park
A World War Two excavator is also on display along the park walk. Aside from the two items here, there are a number of other remains of the original POW camp here. One was a kitchen area and there was a water storage unit just next to the mini museum.
A map of the Death March Route
A statement which was published Dec 16th 2008 - Australian Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Alan Griffin ranks the Sandakan Memorial Park as one of the very best among the memorials built to remember fallen Australian soldiers that he has visited.
“I have been to a lot of memorials around the world and this centre ranks one of the very best. I am very pleased with what I have seen here,” Griffin told reporters after his visit to the Sandakan Memorial Park in Taman Rimba yesterday.
Griffin said he had heard so much about the memorial park and wanted to come and see for himself to enable him to improve his understanding of what took place here.

Sandakan War Memorial Commemorative Pavilion
Located within the park is a small museum or commemorative pavilion where the inside is filled with wall mounted displays of documented accounts of the prisoners' lives at the camp plus text panels, maps and photographs that tell the story of the Sandakan POW camp and the ‘death marches’ to Ranau.
Details of the death camp mounted on the walls

Death Camp model at Sandakan War Memorial Park
A intricate model of the actual POW camp is also displayed in one section of the mini museum showing you details of the actual camp.
The Sandakan atrocity story

The six Australian soldiers that survived the POW Camp at Sandakan

Memorial book for the soldiers
On exiting the mini museum, we saw a book dedicated to all the soldiers who lost their lives here. Pictures of soldiers with notes from loved ones were attached to the many pages of this memorial book. Informative flyers are also available here so check with the attendant if you cannot find any.
A map of all the POW Camps throughout Asia
Finally, an official Anzac Day Ceremony is held here every year in memory of the Australian, British and New Zealanders who suffered and died in this area. Please check with your local travel agents if you are interested in this. Also, to commemorate those who died and suffered the terrible atrocities, relatives and friends in Australia have initiated August 15 as the Sandakan Memorial Day.
Address for Sandakan War Memorial Park:Sandakan Memorial ParkMile 8, Jalan Labuk Utara,Taman Rimba, Sandakan,Sabah MalaysiaContact information: Sandakan Municipal Council Contact Person : Catherin Chua Telephone : +60 89 275400, 224026, 013 8869668 Fax : +60 89 274659, 272112 Opening hours for the Sandakan War Memorial Park: 9am to 5pm DailyEntrance Fee: FreeGetting to the Sandakan War Memorial Park:Taxi from town - About RM30 (US$8.80) both ways including waiting time. Takes about 15 minutes drive there and do negotiate.
Self Drive - Rent a car and get directions there.
By Bus - Take a "Batu 8" bus to the Esso petrol station at the airport roundabout, then walk along Jalan Rimba for five to ten minutes until you see the park.
Optionally you can arrange for a tour here with one of the local tour companies in Sandakan town.

TOURS: There are various tours that are dedicated to the Death March Track in Sandakan which are organised by local and Australian tour companies. Below are some of them if you are interested.

Sandakan-Ranau 11D/10N Challenge Tour (Malaysia)

Sandakan Trek 2D/1N (Malaysia)

Sandakan Death March - Cycling Tour by TYK Adventure Tour (Malaysia)

Lynette Ramsay Silver Tours (Australia)
Kokoda Spirit (Australia)
Wild Spirit Adventures (Australia)
World Discovery Tours (Australia)
Away We Go Tours (Australia)
For more information on the Sandakan War Memorial Park, I have compiled a few links below;Sabah Tourism Sandakan Memorial Park

Sandakan Death Marches - Digger History

Windows to Sandakan - ABC-Compass Video
Wikipedia - Sandakan Death Marches
Sandakan War Memorial by JourneyMalaysia
Sandakan-Ranau Death March Route Map (Lest We Forget)
Lest We Forget - The Sandakan Death March by Lynette Silver and Tham Yau Kong

Borneo Prisoners Of War (POW) Relatives Association of Western Australia

Links to other sites that include Borneo POW
Official website for Sabah Tourism

Read my other Sandakan, Sabah Borneo articles on;Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary
Rainforest Discovery Centre RDC Overview

Rainforest Discovery Nature Trail RDC Sabah
Canopy Walk at Rainforest Discovery Centre RDC Sabah
Agnes Keith House and Museum in Sandakan
Kinabatangan Sukau River in Saban Borneo
Kinabatangan River Night Cruise (Birders Paradise)
Kinabatangan River Morning Cruise (Pure Nature)

Gomantong Caves Bird Nest Harvesting Sabah
~ David Jr*Pictures were taken with a Nikon D60, Lens: 18-105mm

18
comments

31 January, 2010

Gomantong Caves Sandakan Sabah

Author: David Jr
| Posted at: 9:07 PM |

Filed Under:
blogsherpa,
Malaysia - Caves,
Malaysia - Eco Tourism,
Malaysia - Sabah

Gomantong Caves Sandakan Sabah

Gomantong Caves in Sandakan, Sabah Borneo - One of the renown caves for birds nest harvesting and located at Gomantong Hill in the lower Kinabatangan area or Gomantong Rainforest Reserve. Consisting of two cave complexes which are Black Cave (Simud Hitam) and White Cave (Simud Putih), these caves have been harvested for the prized birds nest for many years even till today.
Roadside entrance arch to Gomantong Caves
Visiting the Gomantong Caves are quite easy as the caves are located about two hours from Sandakan town by car or van. Tour companies offer various packages to visiting the Gomantong Caves so you can customise your visit or if you rent a car, you can self drive to the caves. On my recent trip here in Dec 2009, I visited the entire Sukau-Kinabatangan area for the rich Eco-Tourism offered here and it was made possible with the assistance of Sabah Tourism.
Gomantong Cave information
On arrival at the Gomantong Caves main entrance arch, there was another five minute drive in to the visitor center where you purchase your tickets. Nothing stood out there as there were only two buildings visible. No caves sighted and I asked my nature guide - Ben, "where are the Gomantong Caves?" He simply smiled and told me that we needed to take a small trek inside.
Start of the wooden walkway to the caves
And so our Gomantong Cave journey began. A wooden walkway at the back of the ticket building leads into the rainforest while everything around is covered in greenery and nothing in sight ahead of you.
Rainforest views along the way
Ben claims that this wooden platform above the rainforest floor was actually one of the initial treks that he created many years ago during his heyday of nature guiding here. Ben also states that the original path was another way from the old ticket office and he used to take his guests through this path as it was more interesting. The time it takes to reach the cave area is about a 5 minute walk along here.
Enjoyable rainforest walking to the caves
Judging from the walk we had, it was rather interesting with many things pointed out along the way. But on the return back through this walkway, there were more interesting items spotted so read about this further in in article.
Rare sighting of a Red Leaf Monkey
Once we reached the clearing to the main cave entrance, there was a small commotion up ahead where a number of guests were excitedly pointing up. Ben then turned around and asked me to hurry up and get to where the action was. Apparently, something rare was sighted.....
Red Leaf Monkey looking at me
It was orange brown from a distance and immediately my camera went into action with maximum zoom. "What kind of monkey was that?" I asked Ben and with a big smile on his face he replied that it was the Maroon Langur or Red Leaf Monkey. He also expressed that I was very lucky to have seen this u at the cave entrance as they rarely come this close. Without hesitation, my camera was snapping away and I got the video out as well since this was indeed a rare sighting.
Red Leaf Monkey outside Gomantong Caves
Red Leaf Monkey, Maroon Langur, Maroon Leaf Monkey or Presbytis rubicunda as they are called and also some other local names which I forgot. Well, for more detailed information you can also read about this unique primate here from the Forestry Department site.
Entrance to Gomantong CavesThe Gomantong main cave entrance of Simud Hitam (Black Cave). A walkway leads into the caves and the strong smell of bat guano starts to get strong as you get closer.

Video of Gomantong Cave entrance

Inside the Gomantong Caves
Once inside, you will notice that the wooden walkway goes around the main cave in a circular direction exiting the same way you entered. The Gomantong Caves also measure about 30 meters wide and about 100 meters high.
Cave crabs in Gomantong
As you walk along the wooden walkway which is slightly above the cave ground, you will come across a cave stream in the beginning. If you look closely in the water, you will see small crabs which dwell here. Fascinating to know that crabs are available in caves considering that I always thought that crabs belonged to the sea.
Cockroaches on the wooden handrail
Another highlight which I was pre-warned about was the cockroaches that live in the caves. Cockroaches? I smiled, what are a few roaches going to do as I am not afraid of them but when I got it deeper along the walkway, I must have seen thousands of them. On the walkway, the ground and even the handrails of the walkway. I would warn those scared of these things - Do not visit this place if you have a major fear of roaches.
Video of Gomantong Caves inside

Bamboo Piatau
When I walked deeper inside, the shouting of the Birds Nest Harvesters were getting louder. There were two groups doing the harvesting and there must have been about 20 to 30 of them there.
Video of Gomantong Caves and Birds Nest Harvesting

Birds Nest Harvest workers waiting for orders
Apparently, the Birds Nest Harvesting here at the Gomantong Caves are regulated by the Wildlife Department to avoid over-exploitation of this. The collection is only done twice a year and licenses are issued to collectors. Each group takes turns to do their harvesting and ant any one time, only two groups are allowed to do so.
Ropes used for Birds Nest Harvesting in Gomantong CavesIn total, there are about 25 limestone caves that are home to the swifts but only two have high number of the bird nest which are Gua Gomantong and Gua Madai in Lahad Datu.

View from below
As the Birds Nest can fetch up to US$12,500 a kilogram, this dangerous skill involves the gatherer to climb up a hundred meters to the ceiling of the cave using ropes and rattan ladders. I witnessed this amazing feat by one of the climbers while the entire entourage waited down below to help steer the bamboo platform up there.
Video of Birds Nest Harvesting in Gomantong Caves

Harvesters at work in Gomantong
So if you do visit Gomantong Caves and see the harvesters at work, spend some time to se ehow they do it. It is absolutely amazing to watch them at work and the WWF describes the Gomantong Caves as the best managed edible birds nest in the world too. There are four swift species in Sabah which spawn the white nest (Collocalia Fuciphagus), black nest (Collocalia Maximus), moss-like nest (Collocalia vanikorensis) and white-bellied birds (Collocalia Esulenta). Only the white and black bird nest are edible and have high nutritional and medicinal value.
Lianas growing freely at Gomantong
As we exited the caves and headed back to the main building, we took the rainforest path again and this time, I saw some jungle highways known as Lianas. Branches that twist and grow around trees and from tree to tree. some of them as thick as my thigh too.
A Borneo Pigmy Squirrel is spotted
At one point on our walk back, Ben stopped and was looking as if he has lost something near one of the trees. I asked Ben and he casually told me that this tree was home to the Borneo Pygmy Squirrel (Exilisciurus concinnus) which is the smallest squirrel in the world. Well, I had to see it to believe him as he had a smile on his face when he mentioned this. Eventually after a few minutes of waiting, the little squirrel appeared and I was absolutely amazed with the size of it.
One of the strange snails the size of a golf ball
Another unique critter Ben pointed out to me was the strange snail the size of a gold ball eating away on one of the leaves. The rainforest here has quite a number of insects, reptiles, birds and animals so when you visit Gomantong Caves, be on the lookout for these.
Lookout security tower outside the caves
Finally on our way out, Ben pointed up to the Gomantong Hills and I noticed a couple of huts located there. They were guard houses to keep poachers or thieves from entering the caves. How interesting I thought. A security post way up on the hills, this was something new to me.
Caves in Sabah map
There are a number of caves in Sabah and if you are into caving and exploring them, check out the forestry department in Sabah Parks.My conclusion to visiting Gomantong Caves in Sabah - Unless you are interested in nature and how birds nests are harvested, make a visit here. Otherwise it could be an experience worth telling everyone if you had no clue what to expect when you got here. Visiting the Kinabatangan-Sukau area would include the Gomantong Cave visit so check with your guide.
Best times to visit Gomantong Caves:The Gomantong-Kinabatangan region can be visited all year round, though it is often flooded during the wettest part of the year in December and January.
The best time to visit the Gomantong Caves are during the Birds Nest Collection during February and August and in the late afternoon till evenings.
Getting to Gomantong Caves:
Airasia or Malaysia Airlines flies to Sandakan from Kuala Lumpur and from there, engage a tour company for your cave visit.
Taxi is available from Sandakan and prices vary according to distances.
A bus leaves Sandakan town for Sukau at RM17.00 (US$5) per trip. However, you will only be dropped at the junction and from there it is another 6km (3.7 miles) to the cave. Getting back will be another issue so I would avoid this if possible.
Various tour operators around Sandakan and Sabah offer packages to Gomantong and Kinabatangan so you might want this option instead.
GPS Coordinates to Gomantong Caves are - 5° 33' 0" North, 118° 6' 0" East
General Tips for Gomantong Caves:A general note that the caves are full of Guano (Bat Poo) and it smells.
To avoid this, use smelling salts or perfume sprayed on a towel or handkerchief.
Proper covered shoes are recommended as the floor can get slippery. Avoid sandals or open faced shoes and for the fashionable - no high heels please!
For the photo lovers, cave photography is no easy task. Flashing will not work so you will need a tripod and custom settings to achieve beautiful pictures inside. Check with your camera-pro friends about this.
Admission / Entrance fees to Gomantong Caves:MyKad Holders - RM5.00 (Below 18 yrs - RM2.00)
Others - RM30 (US$8.80) and below 12 yrs - RM15 (US$4.40)
Camera Equipment Charges;DSLR Camera, Compact Camera, Video Camera - RM10 each (US$2.90)Gomantong Caves from the Sabah Tourism WebsiteMore information on Gomantong Caves on WikipediaOfficial website for Sabah Tourism

Map to Gomantong Caves Sabah

View Gomantong Caves, Sandakan Sabah in a larger map

Read my other Sandakan, Sabah articles on;Sepilok Orangutan Sanctuary
Rainforest Discovery Centre RDC Overview

Kinabatangan River Morning Cruise (Pure Nature)
~ David Jr*Pictures were taken with a Nikon D60, Lens: 18-105mm

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