Whilst standing inside a cave, the smell of incense lingers from the Hindu temple to my right. A troop of monkeys linger on the cave wall to my left and the sun seeps into the cave from the hole in the roof. I’m just 13kms from the heart of Kuala Lumpur in the Batu Caves. Inside the Batu Cave is one of the most famous Hindu shrines outside of India.
The limestone forming the Batu Caves in Malaysia is suggested to be 400 million years old. The entrances to a few caves were used as shelter by the indigenous Temuan people. Now it shelters flocks of tourists every day from the Kuala Lumpur changeable weather.
The 272 concrete steps up to the Batu Caves, KL does nothing to put off all the tourists. The beauty of the Hindu shrine does nothing to put off some of these visitors from dropping their rubbish. The place really was littered. It was so sad to see some of the monkeys chewing on the plastic carrier bags.
However once taking some time to let the next influx of crowds pass and taking the time to stand at peace in front of the shrine whilst Hindus hold a service, you could feel the uniqueness of the Batu Caves. The limestone hill also houses a number of other caves and shrines.
You can also rock climb here as the Batu Caves have over 160 climbing routes. It is free to do if you have your own equipment.
Since visiting the caves in 2017, the steps up to the Batu caves in Malaysia have been painted making the whole experience a more colourful one. On my return to Kuala Lumpur at the beginning of 2019, I revisited the caves. The litter was a lot less and the photos were even better. Check out the difference in the photos below:
Have you visited any shrines in amazing places? Where have you been in Kuala Lumpur? Please comment below. Don’t forget to subscribe (It’s free!) to my blog for more posts like this and interesting travel tips.
Tips for Visiting Batu Caves
1/ The caves are free to enter but some of the surrounding caves and shrines vary in price to enter.
2/ Do not enter with food, or if you do, keep an eye out for the monkey who will do a grab and run for anything they fancy.
3/ The best way to get to the Batu Caves is by train. It is clearly marked at stations around KL Sentral and costs RM4 for a return. You can also take bus 11/11d from Bangkok Bank terminus or U6 from Titiwangsa.
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I’ve always been utterly fascinated y the Batu Caves. You’re current posts on Kuala Lumpur is making me feel like I missed so much, because I did! The Shrine looks so beautiful and colorful. Well worth the 272 steps up the way up. Even if you do have to dodge a monkey or two.
Kuala Lumpur is on my travel bucket list since long. Batu caves attract me more being an Indian and Hindu. The number of steps however seem tiring. I have observed fearless monkeys littering the temple premises in many religious places. However, it is sad to see them eat plastic waste.
When I visited the Batu Caves, there was a Hindu festival so it was CROWDED as you can imagine. I did enjoy my time there and was in awe by the inside of the cave. It was quite a climb though, but totally worth it!
I’m glad you got beyond the crowds and litter (so sad to hear of people irresponsibility and ignorance) and found peace in the beauty of the place.
Whilst I was in Japan there were many shrines and temples from being tucked away in shopping streets to the pilgrimage trail on the mountain tops.
I’ve always been fascinated by Batu Caves. Being an Indian and Hindu, I’ve always been amused by how our people who migrated there generations ago, still follow the religion & keep the traditions alive!!
When I visited Batu Caves one of the monkeys wanted my empty 7up bottle and tried to snatch it from my hands. I didn’t want to give it to him because I feel like plastic and wild animals don’t mix, but he just sat on my foot and would not move until I gave in.
I didn’t find the main cave to be that interesting, but did pay to go inside some of the smaller surrounding ones which were filled with reconstructed scenes from the Hindu holy book. There was a huge statue of what I assume to be a God lying down with a bunch of smaller people around him which reminded me so much of Gulliver’s Travels!
I’ve been to Kuala Lumpur and white water ragged there but not to the caves. The caves look fantastic and my girls would adore the monkeys. Great tip to be aware of their cheeky behaviour though!
I remember visiting Batu Caves, I took the bus option you mentioned which stops right in front. I had actually forgotten about the monkeys but yes, keep your food safe. I remember seeing lots of Indian babies covered in makeup when I was there which was great for photography.