Hidden Earth 2025

Jungles, Tin Mines, and Marble Caves: Exploring Peninsular Malaysia’s Forgotten Underground

45 minute Lecture|Joerg Dreybrodt

Abstract

In February 2025, a Malaysian-Swiss caving expedition ventured into the rarely explored karst regions of northern Peninsular Malaysia. The team uncovered a remarkable diversity of caves—from marble caves nestled on tropical islands to colonial-era tin mines reminiscent of Indiana Jones adventures, and massive daylight chambers towering over 100 meters high in isolated karst hills.

More than 11 km of cave passages were surveyed, with Gua Baba emerging as the longest cave at 3.5 km. This success was made possible through a collaborative effort involving State Park rangers, climbers, and local cave enthusiasts, joining an international team from Malaysia, Switzerland, Japan, Germany, and Vietnam.

This talk will present an overview of key areas explored—Langkawi, Perlis, and Baling—and offer a glimpse into the exciting potential of future expeditions.