Location: |
JL. Raya Paciran, Paciran, Kabupaten Lamongan, Jawa Timur 62264.
(-6.868466, 112.361999) |
Open: |
All year daily 8:30-16:30. [2023] |
Fee: |
Weekday:
Adults IDR 35,000, Children (-85cm) free. Weekend: Adults IDR 45,000, Children (-85cm) free. [2023] |
Classification: | Karst Cave |
Light: | Incandescent Coloured Light |
Dimension: | Ar=3.5 ha. |
Guided tours: | L=350 m. |
Photography: | no, official photographs sold |
Accessibility: | no |
Bibliography: | |
Address: | Maharani Zoo dan Goa, JL. Raya Paciran, Paciran, Kabupaten Lamongan, Jawa Timur 62264, Tel: +62-322-666555. E-mail: E-mail: |
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info. |
10-MAR-1994 | show cave inaugurated by the Regent Lamongan. |
JUL-2014 | Maharani Zoo complex expanded from 2.8 ha to 3.5 ha. |
Maharani Zoo dan Goa (Maharani Zoo & Cave) covers an area of 3.5 hectares and is an animal park containing a variety of animals, a collection of rare animals such as orangutans, wallabies, giraffes, sun bears, white tigers and white lions. There is also a Museum and Animal Gallery with collections of fossils from endangered animals such as whales and white bears. Special is the section with various albino animals such as snakes, rats, and kangaroos and the bird park with species from various countries around the world. But we actually listed this site because it also has a show cave called Goa Maharani (Empress Cave). This is actually the only show cave inside a zoo we know of.
Quite funny is the fact that "keindahan goa maharani sebanding dengan goa Mamonth yang berada di America Serikat serta goa Calsbad di Perancis" ("the beauty of Maharani Cave is comparable to Mamonth Cave in the United States and Calsbad Cave in France"). We can only guess they talk about Mammoth Cave and Carlsbad Cave, which are actually both in the U.S.A.
The cave is a horizontal cave passage which is quite spacious and well decorated with stalagmites and stalactites. It is located only 500 meters from the Java Sea. The cave is lighted with coloured light, but fortunately there are only a few coloured lamps, the rest are white. The development is modern and the cave is in general well lighted. The tours are self-guided and there is calm music played inside the cave, which is intended to intensify the impression of the calm atmosphere and the slowly dripping dropstones. Due to the hot and humid climate outside the cave is also quite warm and humid, for this reason fans were installed for the visitors. Gua Insectarium (Insectarium Cave) seems to a zoo for insects located inside a cave passage.
According to legend the wife of Pak Sunyoto dreamed of seeing the light of colourful flowers guarded by two giant crowned dragons. On the next day Pak Sunyoto, who was foreman in a limestone quarry, discovered the cave entrance.
To commemorate the dream of the two dragons, there are today two dragon statues and two garuda birds at the entrance to Maharani cave. They guard the entrance and are called Paksi Tatsaka. The dream is said to be the reason why the cave is called Goa Maharani (Empress Cave), though we have no idea why. Probably because the dragons were wearing crowns. There are also human guards who make sure that visitors do not take bags or other stuff into the cave. There are free luggage compartments at the entrance, also vendors who sell booklets about the cave. Taking pictures is not allowed but there are official photographers in the cave which sell the souvenir photos on paper.