Ipoh Echo featured the six-mile tunnel in Issue 16, 2006 (the year Ipoh Echo was founded). Not much has been written about it since then and it has been mostly forgotten. Situated in what is now the Sunway development, back then the tunnel was accessible by anyone. It was free so all you need is an adventurous spirit and the courage to take a leap of faith. Jan Stuivenberg from Stuif.com shared his experience on caving in the tunnel before the land was bought over by Sunway. According to him, it was a challenge entering the tunnel, one had to swim across a swampy lotus pond for a few hundred metres.
The lake in front of Needle Rock is now replaced by a walkway which leads to their adventure park in Lost World of Tambun. (photo by Jan from http://www.stuif.com/6miles.html)
Upon reaching the tunnel, one had to cross this muddy swamp back in the day. (photo by Jan from http://www.stuif.com/6miles.html)
Now, you still have to cross a swamp but it can be done without swimming, thanks to Lost World. You can now float across the swamp by holding onto a rope but be careful with the mud underneath, it will “swallow” you alive if you attempt to walk on it instead of choosing to stay afloat.
This old mining tunnel is 700m long, and is partly man-made, excavated by the tin miners for mining and was used in the early 1900s. People also believe that it was once used by terrorists as a hideout when they stored their food supply at the dry area and used the overhead platform to shoot incoming enemies.
The tunnel is flooded for most of its length, the water level varies depending on the rainfall. During my visit, the water was at my shoulder length but fear not, you’ll be in your life “saving” jacket throughout the whole journey. You’ll be walking in the water, sharing your lane with haruan fish and some other living things in the water which I had a hard time seeing unless you shine your torch in the water all the time.
Make sure you bring a laserbeam-like torchlight and a see-through waterproof phone pouch to get the most out of this 2-hour journey in the dark.
You can expect to encounter red-eyed frogs, crystals, artifacts left by tin miners, rare cave formations, flying bats, rocks full of “stars”, (stone markings and red paint done by tin miners), waterfall in the tunnel, also straws of stalactites on the ceiling. Be reminded to handle these stalactites gently like a baby as they are legitimately a baby, with the potential to grow into giant stalactites in the future. Then you will arrive at a midsection where there are piles of neatly cut rocks being stacked on both sides of the passage. Please refrain from exercising your admiration by moving them as the whole stack of rocks would fall just because one rock is being displaced. The line-up is believed to be the work of tin miners but the purpose for these piles are unknown.
(Above) Photo by Jan from http://www.stuif.com/6miles.html
Left behind artifacts. You will also see piles of rocks which are neatly stacked up by the tin miners.
Stone markings done by hands
Rocks full of stars, dazzling in the dark. If you couldn’t afford a diamond yet, dazzle her here…
Straws of stalactites on the ceiling
Crystals
Soon you will be arriving at a wang (means ground not money) surrounded by hills, full of greens and flowers. Then comes the harrowing trek back, as how you come is how you go, another two-hour return trip is ahead of you. You are advised to wear aqua shoes for better grip and feel at the sole as the passage in the tunnel is paved with uneven slippery rocks, and there were times when I had flashing scenes of me getting carried onto the ambulance stretcher. It was a very good reminder to proceed with care and no haste.
For booking: Call 05-5428888 or email to lostworldoftambun@sunway.com.my Lost World of Tambun No.1, Persiaran Lagun Sunway 1, Sunway City Ipoh, 31150 Ipoh, Perak.Vivien Lian
