Batu Caves are one of the most popular tourist attractions in Malaysia, visited by 1.5 million people every year. It is not only the most revered Indian shrine outside of India, but also a true natural wonder. Batu Caves are located 13 km from the center of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. How to get to this attraction, what clothes to choose and what should you pay attention to first? See the answers in this article.
Historical background
Batu caves were formed naturally and have been greatly transformed over the 400 million years of their existence. Initially, they were inhabited by representatives of the Besisi tribe, and the caves themselves were high limestone rocks. Over time, under the influence of water currents and other natural factors, rocks were washed out and peculiar through holes were formed in the mountains.
The forest hid the caves from human eyes until the early 18th century. At this time, they came across an Indian Tambus merchant Pillai, traveling in Malaysia, and it was he who became the founder of the temple dedicated to the god of war Murugan. The truly famous Batu caves were made by the American naturalist Gornedey, who described them in one of his works of 1878.
14 years later, this place began to hold a Tamil festival for pilgrims from all over the world, and in 1920 tourists were given access to the highest cave, adding a long staircase with 272 steps to its entrance. In 2018, the staircase was completely renovated. It was repainted in rainbow colors, creating an impressive visual effect.
Just like millions of years ago, today Batu is also affected by nature, which makes some caves unsafe and closed to the public. If you want to see Malaysia as it was before our era, be sure to visit this unusual attraction.
Interesting fact! The Caves owe their name to the nearby river of the same name.
Top 15 attractions in all of Malaysia — what to see for tourists
Structure
Batu Caves occupy an area of over 2.5 km2 on the map of Kuala Lumpur. This is a complex of thirty hills of different sizes with deep internal formations, at the entrance to which you are greeted by a golden almost 43-meter statue of Murugan.
In the highest mountain of Batu (over 100 meters) is the most visited temple cave in Malaysia and the whole world in general, where every day not only curious tourists from distant countries come, but also faithful pilgrims.
Important! Entrance to the Batu Temple Cave (Kuala Lumpur) is allowed only in appropriate clothing – covering the shoulders and legs above the knee.
Next in size, but at the same time the longest (2 km), is a Dark cave located at a height of 204 steps. It fully justifies its name, as the sun’s rays never penetrate inside through its strong walls. The tour in the Dark Batu Cave is sometimes interrupted by bats or awkward tourists who do not see one of the many bizarre columns and partitions behind the flashlight. But don’t worry – all travelers who want to walk through the dark corridors are given helmets without fail, so you can not only see unusual dungeons with magical stalactites, but also remember them.
The last major cave and temple of Batu is the cave of the main character of the ancient Indian epic Ramayana. On its walls, a detailed biography of Rama is written with a description of his exploits, principles and stages of life, and statues of various sizes are installed on special stands with beautiful lighting.
If the caves described above were mostly created by nature, then Vallurval Kottam is a kind of art gallery with real works of art. Several statues of Hindu gods are kept here, the walls are decorated with frescoes and quotes from the collection of aphorisms “Tirukkurala” – one of the main books for residents of Malaysia.
In general, it will take you about 4-5 hours to visit the four open caves of Batu without a road.
- You can only enter the Temple Room for free,
- a ticket to the Dark One costs 35 ringgit per person (25 ringgit for a child),
- to the Gallery and Rama’s cave – ten and five ringgit respectively.
The complex is open from 6: 30 am to 8: 30 pm.
On a note! What else to see in Kuala Lumpur is described on this page with photos.
How to get to the caves
The attraction is located near the capital of Malaysia, so to get here from other cities, you need to make at least one transfer. Batu Caves can be reached directly from Kuala Lumpur by:
- The KTM train. The most convenient and cheap way. Departure point-Kuala Lumpur Central Transport Hub, KL Sentral station. You can only buy a ticket at the ticket office by saying that you are going to Batu Caves station. The price is 2.5 ringgit. Trains run from 6: 56 to 22: 46. The journey takes about 40 minutes, from the final station to the caves can be reached on foot in a couple of minutes.
- Kuala Lumpur-Batu Caves tour. It leaves the Puduraya Bus Terminal every half hour from 7: 30 to 18: 30 and goes to the final 45 minutes.
- Taxi. The cost of travel from the center according to the meter is about 70 ringgit. It is better to make an agreement with the driver in advance about the trip back, since in Batu itself taxi prices are two or three times higher.
If it is not so difficult to get to the Caves on your own, then there may be problems with the road back. First, stock up on coins, since the vending machines at the station where you can buy tickets do not accept bills or cards. Secondly, you will need a lot of patience to wait for a long queue of tourists who can not understand such a complex mechanism and purchase a token. Third, we advise you to take a taxi or walk to a nearby station and then take a bus or train safely there.
Please note! Malaysia is a Muslim country, so there are certain rules even on public transport. For example, most subways and commuter trains in Kuala Lumpur have a pink carriage designed exclusively for Muslim women. You can also not smoke, eat, drink, transport pets, or even hug in public transport. Violators will be fined in large amounts.
Read it before your trip
- Visit Batu Complex in the early morning, immediately after opening. After 12, it is very hot and crowded, and the smells from garbage and “clean” pilgrims spread as fast as possible.
- Be sure to visit the temples located at the foot of the hills – Hindus often walk there in beautiful national costumes and perform unusual rituals.
- Hide your food bags. Monkeys don’t care what time you had breakfast – “a tourist’s borscht tastes better.” Although they are used to human presence, exercise caution and it would be best to stay away from these playful creatures.
- Do not chase a trip to the caves if you have already visited similar places in Georgia, Thailand or Vietnam. The caves of Malaysia look much the same, although larger in size.
- If you come to Malaysia and Kuala Lumpur in January, it is better to refrain from going to the caves. It is at this time that the Taipusam festival is held here, leaving behind huge piles of garbage.
- To survive such a journey, choose open shoes that sit firmly on the foot. Choose your clothes according to the weather, but do not forget that when it is +30°C outside, it is much colder in the caves.
- Take water and food with you. There are no shops nearby, and the few cafes located in the nearest areas of Kuala Lumpur are not very clean and have a varied menu.
- Don’t wear your favorite or expensive clothes for a walk around the complex – the caves are damp and dripping from the ceiling.
Batu Caves (Malaysia) – a truly unusual attraction that reveals the secrets of nature, and a unique chance to see the untouched nature and beauty of Kuala Lumpur. Have a good trip!
