A trip to the Batu Caves, Malaysia

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When you are traveling to Malaysia, the chances are pretty high that at one point or another you end up staying in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is an amazing city with loads of shopping possibilities, great food, sightseeing attractions and a fun nightlife.

If you are looking for a day activity to escape the big city life for a little bit, then I would recommend a trip to the Batu Caves located in Gombak, Selangor. Just a short train ride away from Kuala Lumpur and an activity that should definitely be included in your Malaysia itinerary.

Why visit the Batu Caves?

First of all the large Hindu statue in front of the entrance is pretty impressive. Secondly all those steps are a great workout, but most importantly, those caves are pretty awesome in general. I have never seen anything like it.

While Kuala Lumpur is a great spot for Instagram tours, also the Batu Caves offer some incredible photo locations.

I know when traveling around South-East Asia you encounter multiple temples and religious monuments, but I have not come across any caves yet. Getting to the temples is cheap and easy and getting into the main cave is free, unless you want to do a tour or visit any of the attractions around.

And on top of all of that, if you are a fan of monkeys then you get to see a lot of cute little monkeys hanging around the Batu caves.

How to get to the Batu Caves?

The Batu Caves can easily be reached from Kuala Lumpur Sentral by train. If you are staying far away from the main station just get a metro to KL Sentral, where you will switch to the train. Most metro connections pass the railway station.

Get a ticket for the KTM Komuter by typing in your final destination which will be Batu Caves. The ticket is 2MYR (ca. €0.50) one way.

When I was there in December, the trains departed around every hour. But I believe during high season the train leaves more frequently.

After you checked when the next train will be arriving, head to Platform 3, where the train will depart. Use your train ticket to go through the electronic barriers.

It is approximately 8 stops to the Batu caves and will take around 30 minutes. By arrival, just follow the crowds to the exit of the station and you will already see the huge Hindu statue.

You have arrived at the caves.

The Batu Caves

The temple complex consists of three main caves and a few smaller ones. To reach the highest cave, which is called Tiger Cave, you have to climb a total of 272 steps, which is pretty exhausting. Especially in the heat!

Inside you will find various religious statues and shrines.

What to consider when visiting the Batu Caves?

Since it is a religious monument you should make sure to wear appropriate clothing. Shoulders and knees need to be covered. I forgot about it though, so for around 5MYR I could rent a big scarf to make sure my knees were covered, so I could enter the caves.

It also gets really hot in Malaysia so bring enough to drink and also some snacks, unless you want to buy them overpriced.

Be careful with any crisps or anything with plastic as the monkeys might take it.

Have you been to Malaysia before and are you considering going at some point?

Hope you are all having a lovely day,

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