The Best Show Caves in Asia

River caves by boat

Several of the Asian caves are river tunnels, and the visit is a boat trip. At Kong Lor Cave in Laos a boatman takes up to three passengers by motorboat through the 7.5 km cave, most of it pitch dark, to a village rest stop and back. At Phong Nha Cave in Vietnam the boats cut their engines and drift in. Paddle boats go up the Puerto Princesa Underground River in the Philippines, Tham Lod in Thailand uses a bamboo raft, and a longboat runs to Clearwater Cave at Mulu Caves in Malaysia. High water stops some of these trips: Phong Nha can close to boats, and two of Tham Lod's three caves shut in the rainy season.

Guides and torches

The three Thai caves are visited with a local guide and a hand-held light. At Tham Lod the guide carries a lantern. At Tham Klang near Ao Luek a family guide leads visitors with helmets and headlamps. At Phu Pha Phet Cave visitors rent a flashlight, climb about 300 steps and crawl through a narrow entrance, and tours are often in Thai only.

Walking alone

Other caves are laid out for walking without a guide. Paradise Cave in Vietnam has a wooden boardwalk of about 1 km. Borra Caves in India and the dry tours of Gua Tempurung in Malaysia have stairways under electric light. Japan's two caves are also self-guided: Ryūsendō in Iwaizumi has lit paths past blue underground lakes, and Hoshino Cave on Minamidaito lends a tablet or audio guide.

Heat underground

A cave stays close to the average yearly temperature of the ground above it, so caves in hot climates are warm. Gua Tempurung and Hoshino Cave are both hot and humid, and visitors to Hoshino are told to bring a towel. Ryūsendō is about 10°C.