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CAVE STATISTICS FOR MALAYSIA & SOUTH EAST ASIA

Introduction

The caves of Peninsular Malaysia hold no records in terms of length or depth, unlike those in East Malaysia. The caves in Mulu National Park in Sarawak are large and long, and include record holders like Clearwater Cave, the longest in Southeast Asia, and 10th longest in the world at 151 km (2007). Sarawak Chamber in Gua Nasib Bagus is the world’s largest underground chamber. Api Chamber in White Rock Cave, Gunung Benarat may be the world's 8th largest underground void (Descent 189, 2006). In contrast, the longest cave in Peninsula Malaysia is a mere 4.8 km. However these are all mere babies compared to the world’s longest, Mammoth Cave in Kentucky, USA, which is 579 km.

The longest cave in the Indian subcontinent is Krem Liat Prah/Um Im/Labbit in Meghalaya, India, 30.957 km (March 2008).

The world’s deepest cave is in Georgia (USSR), and is 2190m deep (Aug 2007). Malaysia’s deepest cave, Gua Kulit Siput (Sarawak) is 465m.

Gunung Api in Mulu, at 5750 ft, is the highest limestone mountain between north Thailand and New Guinea.

Longest caves of south east Asia

CAVE PLACE km SOURCE
1 Gua Air Jernih Malaysia 151 BCRA exp 2007
2 Cobweb System Malaysia 50.5 BCRA 1.07
3 Phong Nha Vietnam 44.5 NSS 12.05
4 Terikan system Malaysia 32.57 BCRA 2005
5 Tham Nam Non Laos 25 ~ Mouret 2007
6 Salukkan Kallang –Tanette Indonesia 25 ~ Deharveng, Ko
7 Green Cathedral system Malaysia 26.97 Gulden 12.05
8 St Paul’s Cave Philippines 21.0 IC 13
9 Hang Khe Ry Vietnam 18.9 IC 25 1999
10 Luweng Jaran system Indonesia 18.0 IC 1992
11 Benarat-Moon system Malaysia 16.43 BCRA 2005
12 Cobra-Cloud/Bridge Cave Malaysia 16.124 BCRA 2005
13 Hang Vom Vietnam 15.05 IC 25
14 Tham Phra Wang Daeng Thailand 13.634 D.Smart 2000
15 Tham Mae Lana Thailand 12.60 Canberra SS 1986
16 Nam Hinboun Laos 12.40 IC 25 1999

Longest caves of Peninsular Malaysia

CAVE STATE length m SURVEY DATE
1 Gua Tempurung Perak 4800 1995/7
2 Gua Kelam 2 Perlis 3748 1992/96
3 Gua Baba / Lo Po Sang Perlis 2900 1999
4 Dark Cave Selangor 2000+
5 Foh Thye Wang Ulu Perlis 2117 1996
6 Gua Puncak Lanno Perak 1584 2001
7 Gua Selari Perak 1309 2001
8 Gua Kandu Perak 1100 2001
9 Gua Anak Tempurung Perak 1100 2001
10 Gua Selatan Pahang 1070 ~ 1990
11 Gua Lanno Perak 985 1999, 2001
12 Kong Fook Ngam Perak 792 2001

Compiled December 2005. Updated Feb 2007. © Liz Price 2005

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© Liz Price 2007