On our second day at the Blue Mountains, we headed to the Jenolan Caves, about 1.5 hours drive from Katoomba.
We did some research on the various cave tour options before we went, and decided on the Orient Cave instead of the (supposedly) more popular Lucas Cave.
A few tips to note when visiting the Jenolan Caves:
– Do factor more time than you think you need for the drive. The last part of the drive (approximately 10 kilometers) is slow-going, as the roads are very narrow and windy.
– If possible, have your meals before or after your visit somewhere else. The deli on-site is not great, nor is it cheap.
– If you know which tour you want to go for, call ahead to book. There are limited number of spaces for each tour.
– Factor in ample time after your paid cave tour to explore the free Devil’s Coach House Cave and Nettle Caves.
As we were forewarned about the last part of the drive, we built in a huge buffer and arrived with plenty of time to spare before our tour of the Orient Cave was scheduled to start, and had time to wander around the vicinity.
Random snaps while waiting for the tour to begin.
At the designated time, our guide rounded everyone up for the tour, and off we went. The Orient Cave tour starts with a 100-step climb to the Binoomea Cut entrance.
We were informed by our guide that in the days before the Binoomea Cut entrance was built, the Orient Cave was the most inaccessible cave at the Jenolan Caves. Fortunately for us, that has changed, and viewing the Orient Cave is a breeze!
The Orient Cave comprises of 4 chambers – entrance chamber, Persian chamber, Egyptian chamber and Indian chamber. The limestone and minerals formation in the chambers are so gorgeous I don’t think words can do it justice. So, I’m just going to let the photos speak for themselves instead of identifying the proper scientific/geographical names for these formations (and in any case, I can’t even if I wanted to – was too busy gawking to pay attention to our guide!).
Shawl formations.
Cone-shaped formations – little ones, big ones, and ginormous ones!
<img src="https://morselsofpleasure.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/20140601-085008-31808780.jpg"
And these look like corals.
Iconic Jenolan Caves image – it’s apparently the logo on the rangers’ shirts.
Underground city.
The tour duration was only about 1.5 hours, and all too soon, it was over. Although our tour ticket entitled us to a free audio-guided tour of the Devil’s Coach House and Nettle Cave that we could have explored on our own, we did not have time for that, as it was past lunch hour (we were starving!), and we wanted to leave the Jenolan Caves early enough so that we arrive back at Katoomba before sunset.
Although I am not generally into nature, I would highly recommend the Jenolan Caves – I, for one, would love to return, and this time, I will make sure I spend an entire day exploring the caves!
Morsels of Pleasure 
