Perak: Exploring the caves of Gua Tempurung

If you are a nature lover, you might have heard about Gua Tempurung before. Located in Gopeng, Perak or about 2 hours away from the Malaysia’s capital city of Kuala Lumpur is the largest natural limestone cave in Peninsular Malaysia that stretches over 1.8 kilometres. It is a perfect place to explore the beauty of nature even if you are new to caving activities. Although Gua Tempurung may not be as big as Gua Niah in Sarawak, it is just perfect for the beginners!

 Photo credit: @srbshh

What makes Gua Tempurung one of the most popular tourist spots in Perak is that being a 400 million years old cave makes it unique and in its own class. Plus, is made up of five huge domes resembling the coconut shells and that was how they got the name for Gua Tempurung as it means ‘coconut shell’ in English. Each dome is different than one another in terms of the formations, temperature, and water levels. The cave was also used by the communist back in the days during colonialism of Malaysia as their hideout.

How to get to Gua Tempurung

If you’re coming from Kuala Lumpur, head for PLUS North-South Highway and exit at Gopeng interchange. There will be several signs that will help to get you to Kampar (and then, Gua Tempurung). To save you some time, book a flight to Perak and rent a car to get around Perak.

Different tours in Gua Tempurung

There are four types of tours available here.

Tour 1: Golden Flowstone

 Photo credit: @3dwin.ong

Gua Tempurung tour 1 is an easy level and is nothing more than a walk up several hundred steps into the cave. In this tour, you get to enjoy the beautiful view of the massive cave, the Golden Flowstone, stalagmites and stalactites of the cave as well as some images on the cave wall such as seahorses, dolphin, and many more. This package takes up about 40 minutes and is suitable for families and young children. The last entry for this tour is at 4 pm.

Tour 2: Top Of The World

 Photo credit: @winsolam_91

This tour takes a longer time to finish, around 1 hour and 40 minutes. You will have to walk more than 640 steps to arrive at platform five, which is the highest place in Gua Tempurung. You will walk past the wind tunnel where you can feel the cool breeze blowing in your face. On the way to the last point a.k.a the top of the world, you will also get to see various caverns. It is so mesmerising to see colourful lights from sunshine being reflected on the cave walls. It’s so beautiful that you surely don’t want to miss the chance to take some Instaworthy photos! This level is pretty basic for most people, so do manage your expectations carefully. You need to gather at least 5 people to start this trip, and the last entry is at 3 pm.

Tour 3: Top Of The Word and Short River Adventure

 Photo credit: @johnnyhopkins25

Tour 3 is where things start to get a little challenging. The 2.4 kilometres route will keep you active for two hours while seeing the Golden Flowstone and climbing to the Top Of The World. Be prepared to get wet on this tour as you need to walk through the underground river. To complete the trip, you have to crawl through holes and slide down between stones before seeing the greenery outside. There has to be at least 8 people to embark on this trip. The last entry is at 12 pm.

Tour 4: Grand Tour

 Photo credit: @kee_obsessedred

The grand tour is the complete journey of the cave, with 3.8 kilometres for you to conquer in around 3 hours. This is definitely the most physically challenging of all the packages. You will be walking in water that reaches chest level, crawling through a tunnel, climbing walls, and sliding down slippery stones. The underground adventure is something you need to experience yourself to see how beautiful it is. You’ll see stalagmites, formations on the walls and many other magical wonders of nature. The last entry is at 11 am with a minimum of 8 persons. This Gua Tempurung package is not recommended for children — plan your trip well!

 Photo credit: @pangsoon1027

After a whole day of caving activity, sure you need some rest and spend time wandering around the town rather than going straight back home. Grand Kampar Hotel located in Bandar Baru Kampar is just 15km away from Gua Tempurung, making it a perfect spot before you continue exploring the area nearby. Its strategic location gives you easy access to plenty of shops and restaurants.

What you need to bring

First and foremost, don’t bring too many things with you during the caving activity. The essential items you need to have are torchlight, appropriate attire, sports shoes, some water, and some snacks as you may get hungry during the tour. For tour 3 and 4 you’ll need to bring extra clothes and towel to change after the wet session. A waterproof bag and camera are highly recommended to avoid your belongings from getting wet.

Gua Tempurung is indeed an adventure you need to discover while in Perak. It’s exciting, challenging and memorable! It’s never too late to push yourself to the limit and witness the beauty of the nature in Perak.

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