Malaysia is a very diverse country and I previously did a post about my journey through the western part of the country, which mainly focused around my time in Kuala Lumpur. However, there are also many amazing natural wonders in Malaysia which includes the Batu Caves.
Part 1
The Batu Caves are located in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia and are basically split into two parts; the bigger and more open cave and the smaller more enclosed cave. Outside the bigger one is a giant golden statue of the Hindu deity Murugan which stands 140 ft. tall (42.7m) making it the tallest Murugan statue in the world. There are also copious amounts of monkeys all over the place here; you have to be careful because they will come up and snatch anything they can out of your hands. I saw one little girl lose a couple apple slices (I think) to one of these little thieves. They’re friendly though, they just got really sticky fingers!
There are many other smaller statue-like structures to see around here that are very colorful. There is also a temple for prayer here as well and if you want to check it out, shoes are (of course) prohibited. Another thing to check out is the pond that is highly populated with koi fish. Plenty of small shops around as well, but I felt no need to visit these as the experience I was about to have exploring the Batu Caves is what I really came here for!
After spending a moment to admire the statue and watch the monkeys run around, it’s time to head up the stairs to the cave. The climb to the top is no easy task, there are just under 280 steps leading up to the top. But once you get there it’s completely worth it, the large interior is stunning and the size is surreal! There are some merchants attempting to sell their wares to foreigners, but they are easy to ignore and walk past if you wish to. I can assure you the prices are usually triple compared to those you’ll find in normal stores in Kuala Lumpur.
As you venture through the cave you’ll eventually come across another temple inside that many people are visiting as it’s considered a rather sacred spot. I will admit that I didn’t want to stay too long due to the extremely high humidity that you’ll encounter in here. It’s very damp and after just hiking up the excruciating staircase in the hot Malaysian sun you’ll be able to wring out your shirt almost instantly.
Upon leaving you’ll of course have to head back down the long staircase, but you’ll get a great view out over the area from the top. It’s a bit of a way from Kuala Lumpur, so no shots of the city skyline are available from here.
Part 2
After finishing up at the first of the Batu Caves and making our way down the stairs among the countless monkeys, we headed over to the 2nd part. Before entering the cave you’re greeted by another giant statue, this time it’s a slightly different figure and I was and still am unable to find out it’s name. It’s a bit odd to begin with in my opinion, but what really shocked me was the part where this being is tearing open its chest to reveal two small people inside.
As you make your way to the 2nd of the Batu Caves you’ll pass by a chariot pulled by several horses in small pond with many fountains. There is another smaller deity statue you’ll pass by before entering into a very dark tunnel which opens up into the cavern inside. You’ll find that along the lower walls inside is a story played out by an innumerable amount of small statues. I didn’t pay much attention to the story as I did the natural wonders around me.
After you go deep enough you’ll come across a staircase the scales along the side of one of the walls leading up to a suspicious looking stone in a dome-like area; getting too close is prohibited. You also get a pretty good view of the lower part of the cave from here. While it’s not very deep of a cave it’s pretty amazing to witness and reaches pretty high up. After this the two fellow travelers I was with and myself headed out to grab some good Indian food and this is where my other article picks up from which you can find here.
If you decide to visit Malaysia I highly recommend checking out the Batu Caves, but like all popular attractions, make sure you arrive early to avoid big crowds. Thanks for reading and don’t forget to check out my other post on Malaysia. Check back soon for my article on my time in Cambodia!