MIRI, Oct 5 — Niah National Park’s Great Cave has reopened with a new access trail offering visitors fresh views of its limestone and rainforest landscapes.

Miri MP and Deputy Minister of Tourism, Arts and Culture Chiew Choon Man said the reopening marked an important step towards strengthening Niah as a sustainable heritage tourism destination.

The new route was built after severe floods damaged the original walkway in 2025, requiring access between Traders’ Cave and the Great Cave to be rerouted.

Chiew said the 600-metre trail had also created an unexpected attraction for visitors.

“Having personally walked the route, I believe this has unexpectedly created another attraction in its own right.

“Visitors are presented with new perspectives of the surrounding limestone massif, rainforest and mountain landscape, including open scenic views that were previously not part of the usual experience,” he said in a press statement.

He said the reopening was particularly significant as the Great Cave forms part of the archaeological heritage of Niah National Park’s Caves Complex, inscribed on the Unesco World Heritage List in 2024.

Chiew said Niah brings together tens of thousands of years of human history, archaeology, indigenous cultural traditions, rainforest biodiversity and monumental limestone landscapes.

He stressed that spending on infrastructure at the park should be seen as a long-term investment in both sustainable tourism and heritage conservation.

Chiew said the next priority was to restore access to the Painted Cave, which remains closed due to soil erosion affecting sections of its walkway.

He said technical, engineering and heritage impact assessments would be needed before a safe permanent solution could be determined.

One longer-term option, he said, is to extend a branch from the new trail towards the Painted Cave, potentially creating a circular route linking Traders’ Cave, Great Cave and Painted Cave.

“A preliminary estimate for such an extension was between RM2 million and RM3 million, subject to the final design and technical requirements,” he said, noting its potential to become one of northern Sarawak’s most important tourism products.

“With the Visit Malaysia 2026–2027 campaign, the reopening of the Great Cave comes at an important time,” he said.

Chiew expressed appreciation to Sarawak Forestry Corporation, the Sarawak government, Sarawak Museum, Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture Sarawak and other agencies involved in the restoration and reopening works. — The Borneo Post