BAU: After a tiring walk and climb exploring the popular Fairy Cave here, be sure to visit two stalls nearby to quench your thirst with fresh coconut and sugarcane juice.
One of the stalls is operated by former penghulu, Dihoi Nyaweng, and another stall by Lipik Sarau.
Dihoi’s stall is well-known for fresh coconut juice while Lipik offers sugarcane juice, ‘lemang’ and ‘buah petai’.
Both stalls are well patronised since starting business on March 5 this year, the same day the Fairy Cave was reopened to visitors after going through a two-year upgrading.
Besides selling fresh coconut and sugarcane juice, Dihoi and Lipik’s stalls also sell a variety of Bidayuh cuisine.
Customers at Dihoi’s stall will be amazed at the 67-year-old former soldier’s skill in removing the coconut flesh using only a plastic knife.
Dihoi is fluent in Bidayuh, Iban, Malay and Chinese. Helping him are his wife, daughter and son-in-law. His daughter Sinah, 43, who looks after the shop full-time, said sales of food and drinks have been good, especially on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays.
Dihoi said the number of visitors to the tourist spot would go up, especially during the weekends and public holidays, thus causing a shortage of parking space.
“The number is in the hundreds during the weekends and public holidays. Our food and drinks sales are also very good on these days,” he said, adding that on Sundays and public holidays, he could sell up to 150 of his coconuts a day at RM6 each.
According to Dihoi, sales on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays would go above RM1,000.
Both outlets and the Fairy Cave are closed on Mondays for general cleaning.
The Sarawak Forestry in its website mentioned that the entrance fee is RM1 per person and visiting hours are from 9am till 4pm daily from Tuesdays to Sundays and public holidays.
Visitors must wear proper shoes and no slippers are allowed. Those who did not bring along proper shoes can rent a pair for just RM4 from the Fairy Cave management office.
To get to the main cave area, visitors can now walk up the concrete steps and there are also plankwalks to help visitors explore.
Fairy Cave is one of the main attractions in the Bau area besides the nearby Wind Cave, about 40km from Kuching city.
The cave was named after a stalagmite which is said to resemble a Chinese deity. The site covers around 56 hectares and is popular among local climbers.
The facelift involved upgrading the visitors centre by building a new ticketing counter, briefing room, toilets, parking space and upgrading the existing staircase to the cave; and upgrading the walking path, viewing deck and trail to the summit.
Still in progress are the upgrading of the existing event area, stage and concrete slab across the stream; preparing the site for restaurant and cafe and to build 10 community stalls, cooperative office and wiring at the Fairy Cave Recreation Site and Fairy Cave Nature Park.
Following the upgrading work, the place is now becoming Bau’s prime tourist attraction.
