Fairy Cave in Bau is an impressive nature reserve just about 40 minutes from Kuching. It is located in Krokong, Bau.
It is just beside Wind Cave, in which combined, create the Wind Cave and Fairy Cave Nature Reserve.
The cave is said to be over 1,000,000 years old and it has seen a few renovations towards how the public can access the cave. The most recent renovation saw the stairs repaired and the surroundings for public use improved.
Hollywood movie, Edge of the World, was partially shot in this cave.
Legend
KajoMag describes that Fairy Cave got its name from local legends in regards to the stalactites and stalagmites in the cave.
According to the legend, a poor boy from a nearby big Bidayuh kampung known as Kampung Kapur, located near Fairy Cave once peeped in on a Gawai celebration which was held in a house.
This made the homeowner unhappy, who then decided to give the boy sugarcane waste by telling him there was pork inside.
Happily, the boy returned home and presented the gift to share with his mother which found nothing but sugarcane waste. The mother was humiliated and began plotting her revenge on the proud village folks.
She took a cat, put it in a beautiful dress and threw the cat into the middle of her neighbour’s Gawai celebration to the surprise of its attendees.
The attendees just laugh at the sight of a cat in a dress but their laughter brought on a storm, with all the villagers turning into stone when the storm faded away.
These villagers are said to have become the stalagmites and stalactites inside Fairy Cave.
Aside from the Bidayuh legend, the Chinese community also believed the cave to be the home of Chinese gods and goddesses, with some rock formations named after Chinese deities such as Kuan Yin, the goddess of Mercy.
What to expect
The cave opens up to reveal a large collapsed cave with several more flights of steps in varying steepness to area’s of interest.
You can enjoy touching and seeing stalactites and stalagmites, see 14 species of bats, some very rare palms, including Arenga pinnata (called Inyok in the local Bidayuh language), Arenga undulatifolia (Opip in Bidayuh) and the gigantic Calamus ornatus (Wi jelayan in Bidayuh), squirrels, swiftlets and 12 distinct species of snail. It is highly advisable to bring a torch although you may not need one as light does pass through the cave and recent upgrades have brighten up the pathway.
Some photos of the cave can be seen below.
Operating hours & entrance fees
Fairy Cave opening hours are as follows:
- Opens: 9AM to 4PM, Tuesdays to Sunday, Including Public Holidays
- Close: Monday
As for entry fees, you will be charged as seen below:
- Sarawakian: RM1
- Foreigners: RM5
Where is Fairy Cave, Bau
I highly advice you to book ride (rent a car or bike) to go here as public transportation in this area is quite scarce. In fact, Fairy Cave is also quite far from Bau Town, so it’s going to be a long walk if you don’t have your ride prepared for a journey home.
It’s also good to book a tour to Fairy Cave.
Anyway, just to give you an idea of how far the cave is, the map heading there is seen below.
Hotels near Fairy Cave, Bau
Due to Bau’s proximity to Kuching, there’s not many hotels in the town. The nearest you can book online is the Tasik Biru Roxy Resort which just recently opened.
Else, you can opt to stay in Kuching City and arrange a visit to Fairy Cave on a day trip.
Conclusion
The renovation of the facilities at Fairy Cave allow better experience to enjoy the cave.
While this is no match for caves in Mulu, Fairy Cave is still an interesting destination worth to check out.
