If you’re looking to get out of Kuala Lumpur for part of the day then consider the Batu Caves which can be found 13km northwest of the city. Nestled against lush tropical hills, the series of three caves are guarded by a giant 43m high Murga statue which is respectfully given the title of tallest in the world. Stand next to it and you’ll agree!
Getting there
Catch the number 11 bus from Chinatown next to Bangkok Bank, sit back and enjoy the forty-five minute ride at a reasonable cost of RM 2. Ask the driver to let you know when you get to your stop. Once off the bus it’s easy to find the caves, just look out for the highly decorated Hindu sculpture over the main entrance.
The caves
The caves, considered to be a leading Hindu shrine, are the scene of an annual festival called Thaipusam held at the end of January or early February. During just three days, well over a million worshippers visit the caves. Many carry out acts of penance to fulfill their vows made to the deity, Lord Muruga. Worshippers leave with pierced cheeks or tongues, often done with the Kavadi, a decorated wire used to penetrate the skin.
The most prestigious of these caves and the one where the festival takes place is the Temple Cave. It can be reached with an ascent of 272 steps, a nice workout for the calves! It’s a surprise to find the roof of this particular cave is 100m high as the view from the outside doesn’t give you the sense it would be that big. Long stalactites hang down throughout the cave, dripping refreshing water upon those needing to cool off from the intense humidity.
The cave is light enough not to need a flashlight and there’s no clambering over rocks in this particular cave, but you might want to wear flip flops as there’s quite a lot of puddle water inside. Once you reach the back of the cave, there’s one more set of stairs to climb and then you stand before an ornate, colorful, Hindu shrine. Small butter candles are alight, the air is still and people are quiet, well most of the time! I’ve been told by others who visited, “the monkeys will get you if you eat food.” Try not to be the one who rustles a bag or takes a bite out of some tempting food or you may not make it out of there! On our visit sadly there was no sign of them. This area of the cave is almost circular as you cast your eyes upwards to the daylight opening high above you. Trees and foliage lean precariously over the edge above, other plants and trees grow in places that seem impossible, constantly being fed dripping water from the dark jagged limestone rocks.
There are other caves here, but these are run by organized trips and will mean donning a hard hat. For us we were satisfied with the temple cave, a quick wander over to the Koi carp pond and to taste some of the Indian sweets on sale by the street vendors.
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on February 6th, 2009 
