These caverns may be off the beaten track to most people, but they’re a major way-point for some 50,000 bats. Their egress and entrance, a massed cloud of skittering airborne mammalian tooth, fur, flap and claw, is a sight to behold (there's guano galore). Luckily, the caves were donated to the World Wildlife Fund in 1995 with the proviso that they never be developed.
The entrance is a 1km hike from the road, ending with a clamber up a narrow rocky path. Beyond the tight entrance you’ll pass into a large gallery full of stalactites and a huge chamber with a dramatically arched ceiling; in rainy season you can hear the roar of the Martha Brae River flowing deep underground.
You’ll need a local guide, who can usually be found at Dango’s shop at the end of the road. It’s emblazoned with the epithet ‘Jah love is a burning flame’; here you’ll likely find cave wardens Martell or Franklyn ‘Dango’ Taylor. One of them will lead the way with a flashlight or bamboo torch to visit Rat Bat Cave and the Royal Flat Chamber. Depending on how deep into the cave you wish to go and the size of your group, figure on around US$40 per person.
