Gua Kelam or Cave of Darkness in Perlis

My favourite: This looks like a wall painting

After shopping at Padang Besar, we were on our way to our next stop, Gua Kelam, the famous limestone cave in Perlis. Gua Kelam is one of the limestone's cave in Nakawan Range and they are about 500 million years old (older than the dinosaurs). The cave was an old tin mine. The name Gua Kelam was given by the miners to describe the dark cave. (quoted from Perlis State Park brochure and Perlis Forestry website)

Picnic site in front of the cave entrance

Gua Kelam entrance

The Selamat Datang signboard

It started to drizzle when we reached the entrance of the cave. We quickly bought our ticket which cost only RM 1 per adult. It was way much cheaper than the Guilin limestone caves that we went to in China. 

Our blue tickets

There was no guide to provide any explanation on the stalagmite and stalactite structures and they were not labelled at all. We just needed to exercise our powerful imagination.

The dark entrance leading to the colourful inside.

This looks creepy. Do you see alien faces? Or am I too imaginative? 

Nice combination of colours in the cave

Now, the cave was brighter and more colourful as compared to a decade ago when I was here. The colourful spotlights illuminating the certain structures of the stalactites and stalagmites made them more interesting and easier to photograph in the dark cave.

This is also my favourite. There is a platform for visitors to take photo here.

Electric blue stalactites

Stalactites resembling broccoli

The walkway in the cave was a steel railing and wooden plank hanging bridge. Since it was a rainy season, we could see and hear very well the gushing water in the river below us. It sounded scary and the bridge was shaking a little (which was normal) whenever people walked past one another.

The walkway which is the hanging bridge

When we came to the end of the cave, we reached a place called Secret Garden. The garden with a river, picnic sites and gazebos looked very relaxing and secretive. That may be why it was called Secret Garden. If you did not enter Gua Kelam, you would not reach this picnic area.

Secret Garden signboard

A picture of tranquility

After we finished exploring the place, we had to walk back to the entrance as that was also the exit. By the way, the washrooms were located in the picnic sites at Secret Garden.

The trees in Secret Garden

Later, I learned that there were two Gua Kelam. The one that we visited was the first one and the trail was shorter. The second Gua Kelam had a longer trail and the entrance was the first stop before the carpark. Unfortunately, the tram was under maintenance (as at 24 Dec, 2012). Visitors could still go into the cave but with a guide. The fee to hire a guide was RM 40 (10 people in a group). The second Gua Kelam linked to the first one and I was told that the stalagmites and stalactites were even more beautiful. We did not go to the second one as it was late and the place was closing.

Direction to get here:

From the North-South Highway, take the Alor Setar Utara exit and follow the signboards to Kangar. Or exit via Changlun and take the Changlun-Kuala Perlis Highway to Kangar. Then, follow the signboard to Gua Kelam / Kaki Bukit / Wang Kelian from Kangar.

Things you might be interested:

On the way from Padang Besar to Gua Kelam, we stopped by an ostrich farm and took some photos. Free admission to the farm so you can see many like-minded people like me taking the chance to snap some photos of the three ostriches in the farm. 

This ostrich is posing for my camera :)

Other than ostriches, the farm also reared ponies. (If you driving from Padang Besar, look out for this farm on your left.)

The signboard about ostrich egg hatching process

Ponies grazing in the fields