PORTFOLIO

Being one of Kuala Lumpur’s most iconic sites to visit we decided we had to go on our trip. The Batu caves are home to Hindu temples that are just a mere 272 colourful steps away. Although the limestone hill and its many caves would have been known by the local people, it was in the 1800s when an American ‘discovered’ them and built the first temple there for the Tamil Hindus and the deity Murugan. It is still a temple where people come to worship and give offerings but instead of having to scale the cliff there are now the many steps up to the top which were actually wooden before the new vivid ones. At the base off the steps there is a giant statue of Murugan painted in gold which you can actually see from the observation deck binoculars of the KL Tower.

To get there we decided to get a grab. There are public transport options with frequent trains and some buses but because of the time we were going and the route we’d have to take from our accommodation we thought a car was the easiest route for us. It was really cheap first thing in the morning as well and by the time we were leaving it had crept up a bit. Entrance is free to the caves so that also helped us make the decision as it didn’t eat into our budget too much.

We arrived at Batu Caves at 8:30am and although we weren’t the only people there it was quiet enough to enjoy the area before the crowds came. At the base there are a lot of pigeons and monkeys who all desperately want food but because of the smaller crowd it didn’t feel too overwhelming or scary if you don’t like the animals. There are some shops and temples at the bottom and a gate to pass through where if you aren’t wearing appropriate clothing they will rent out a sarong to you. We made sure before we went that I had covered my shoulders and knees and Ash had his shoulders covered but it is mainly women who need to cover up. Apart from your clothes I would say the only advice on clothing I’d give is to wear comfortable shoes that grip. There’s 272 stairs to climb and as we found out during our time there, it rains quite a lot in Malaysia, so you wouldn’t want to slip all the way down. There is ‘rain’ inside the caves but not enough that you’d need a raincoat or umbrella, just avoid the puddles and you’ll avoid the rain. 

Honestly, the stairs aren’t too bad, there’s plenty of stopping points along the edges and if you get there before the crowds you can take all the time in the world to go up them. It was quite busy when we were going down but even then, people are taking photos or waiting for others or avoiding the monkeys that it moves pretty slow. The view of Kuala Lumpur at the top is so worth it. The monkeys on the stairs didn’t seem to bother people too much but they will sit on the banisters and railings so watch out if you are carrying a plastic bag. I didn’t see any steal anything that wasn’t food but I’d still keep a good grip of your belongings.

Once inside the cave has three main areas. You enter into a small landing with a shrine, some stalls with offerings and the steps that lead down into the biggest section. This are is so massive it’s hard to describe, the ceiling is so high and the temple inside is beautiful. With it being so dark, the lights on the temple make all the colours stand out . Watch out for the few chickens in here, you fin yourself looking up a lot so you don’t want to trip over them. There are then just a couple more statins to reach the final part of the caves. 

This area has a big opening in the ceiling so it’s much brighter and it is where most of the monkeys are. They spent a lot of time pinching the offerings from inside the temple and from visitors then they’d run back up behind the railings. I loved the monkeys and it meant I could practice taking some photos, which is why there’s a lot of monkey pictures. A little warning though that the priests will shoo them away, sometimes with firecrackers that made us jump when they let them off. 

Someone was flying a drone in the caves so I can only presume they are allowed here, although they can be noisy and it is a religious site so I wouldn’t bring one that’s too big and loud. There are plenty of places for pictures though with the stairs being the main one but also with the stalactites inside. We spent ages inside, taking it all in and then it was a boys birthday so he started giving out mangoes to the visitors and monkeys.

It’s a magnificent place and as long as you are early enough it is also peaceful. There’s so much to take in but being in the cave you forget that you are in a capital city. I will includeAsh’s video below which might help show the size of the caves and how busy it got. I’d definitely recommend going to Batu Caves and going up to the top if you are able to, if not there is still a lot to see at the base.