One of the most majestic white marble and limestone massif in Malaysia is Gunung Tempurung. Concealed within is an intricate system of caves of various dimensions honeycombed inside the limstone hills. These caves are actually breathtaking galleries of stalagmites, stalactites, columns and other amazing rock formations.

Gua Tempurung is the main attraction here. The cave meanders under the limestone hill and forms a tunnel of wondrous and endless rock formations that run nearly 1.9km in length from east to west.

Gua Tempurung has its own treasure trove of brilliant fishes living free in the river that flows at the base of the hills, which normally nest in caves and cliff surfaces.

The subterranean stream that meanders under the limestone hills is a special attraction in itself.

When the rains come, the stream turns into a churning river of froth, the rewards visitors with a taste of Indiana Jones-style adventure trekking.

The cave follows a direct course through a mountain called Gunung Gajah-Tempurung range which is south of Ipoh towards Gopeng and Kampar.

One of the larger cave systems which is found in the scenic limestone hills of Perak, Gua Tempurung impresses with the beauty of its majestic columns of marble inside its huge caverns honeycombed with smaller caves of different dimensions.

Today, walkways and platforms have been built within some parts of the cave, making excursions into the caves a breeze. Normal white light is used so that the original and pure state of the exhibits is retained. Visitors are now able to appreciate these wonders of nature in a comfortable, yet unobtrusive environment.

Look closely at the rocks and you will find closed communities of microscopic life-forms which depend on food brought in by bats and birds to the cave.

Each cave carries its own legend, and Gua Tempurung is no exception.

It is said the Lee Meng, the notorious communist courier, once used the cave as a hideout. The fact that her name appears on one of the walls deep inside the cave certainly seems to support this story.

Another story speaks of the cave being used by the Japanese as a prison as evident by a gate or horizontal steel bars.

But many believe the cave ws used as a hideout for the terrorists during World War II and the Emergency.

The cave is divided into several sections, the lower cave passage is called the Molesworth Allen Tunnel, named in honour of the botanist, Betty Molestwroth Allen.

At the end of this tunnel, the cave opens up to Alam Cavern, the largest of the three major caverns, which is more than 130 metres in width and towers 75 metres high.

In Tin Miners' Cavern, the cave splits into two levels, the upper about eight metres above the stream and bears the scars of early alluvial activity. The other passage follows the stream.

The Gergasi Cavern is the last of the cave sections. It is named Gergasi because it holds a huge column, which is some 15 metres in height and 17 metres in length. The column stands sentinel-like at the end of hte chamber, like a giant genie guarding its treasure.

At the end of the trip visitor is rewarded with a rainbow of colours from sunshine reflected off the cave walls.