Batu Caves Temple

Guarded by a giant golden statue, with the cacophonous yells of monkeys, you’ll find the Batu Caves temple looking down upon Kuala Lumpur. Weathered and rugged limestone hills steeply climb upwards, adorned with festoons of jungle foliage, giving way to one of the most popular Hindu shrines in the world outside of India.

Upon coming to Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves was one of – if not the – top thing that we wanted to see. The caves are very easy to access. You can take the metro directly to the town of Gombak where the shrine resides for RM 4.40 (~$1.50) from KL Sentral Station. However, we had to take an Uber to the caves, as we were in Petaling Jaya which did not have rail access. This was not an issue though – it was cheap, quick, and efficient.

Upon arriving at the caves, you will first notice the golden statue of Lord Murugan. It towers above you at the entrance to the long staircase. Which brings me to the second thing you’ll notice immediately – the stairs. There are 272 concrete steps bringing you to the cave complex within the hill.

The Batu Caves are an active religious site, and you should come dressed appropriately. This means wearing shirt sleeves and covered knees for me, and to cover shoulders and legs for women. If you don’t meet these requirements, you cannot enter – however there are usually attendants at the base of the stairs renting out sarongs for only a few RM each. Actually entering the cave complex itself is free.

We began our climb in the late morning under the surprisingly warm January sun. We took our time climbing the stairs, but it only took ten or fifteen minutes to reach the first landing. Along the way, we took time to admire the jungle and local inhabitants of the caves – namely monkeys.

The monkeys keep their distance mostly, but as we’ve learned in other locations, they are wildly unpredictable, curious, and will take a swipe at any opportunity. On the way up, we saw a baby monkey had managed to swipe an entire ice cream cone.

Dark Cave

We took our first stop at the landing of Dark Cave. The Dark Cave is an undeveloped part of the cave complex, which offers tours. There is a 45 minute guided tour for RM 35 (~$10) running every 20 minutes. For larger groups and advanced notice, you can book a 3-4 hour tour, further exploring the cave complex for around RM 80 (~$22) a person.

We didn’t take the tour because we didn’t have closed-toe shoes. If you have the time and opportunity it is a great tour though. The caves are home to the rarest spider in the world, endemic geckos, and other fauna found only here. The 2 km complex exhibits a wide range of geological formations with stalagmites, stalactites, cave curtains, flowstones, cave pearls and scallops, and other features. Instead of taking the tour, we read the informative plaques at the entrance to the cave and watched the antics of the monkeys – very entertaining.

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Temple Cave

After a half hour, we continued up the last third of the stairs to the shrine. When you arrive at the top of the stairs you will find a large landing opening to a large cave atrium. You will actually need to descend more steps into the main “room” which houses several small shrines.

Various vendors will sell you trinkets, drinks, and other items while up here. Keep in mind that the drinks in the shrine are more expensive than at the base because everything must be carried up by hand – no elevator or wheel-chair access here.

Proceed further into the cave and you find another shrine in the back. Here the roof gives way and light enters the cave. This allows the cave to feel more open and inviting than many other cave complexes you may encounter.

Batu Caves is actually a rather recent development. The caves are estimated to be 400 million years old and have been used by the indigenous Temuan people for centuries. Modern day usage of the caves began in 1860 with Chinese settlers excavating guano for fertilizer. The caves then became famous after being recorded by colonial authorities and the American Naturalist, William Hornaday in 1878.

An Indian trader named Pillai was inspired by the ‘vel’-shaped entrance to the cave. In 1890 he founded the Sri Mahamariamman Temple within the cave. Wooden steps to the temple were originally put in, but concrete steps were placed in 1920 to accommodate the heavy number of visitors.

Thaipusam

The Batu Caves serves as the premier place to be outside of India for the Hindu holiday of Thaipusam. We are still kicking ourselves for not visiting the temple during the holiday (we were in Kuala Lumpur during it).

The festival begins in the early morning hours and features devotees walking several kilometers from the city. During their march, kavadi bearers pierce themselves will metal skewers, and elaborate shoulder carriers (Kavadi), as a display of their devotion. Priests tend to the devotees sprinkling consecrated ash over the flesh of the participants.

This display is made to offer milk to Lord Murugan, the god of war within Hinduism – though he also features prominently within some sects of Buddhism in Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India as well.

Photo courtesy of nina.bruja

While the display can come off as extreme and macabre, the surreal experience is viewed as a purifying bringing good luck in the coming year.

The festival is extremely crowded, attracting over a million visitors on the day (which takes place in late January or early February.

Other Attractions In Batu Caves

At the base of the stairs, there are two other cave temples: the Art Gallery Cave and Museum Cave. Both feature Hindu statues and paintings. For those interested in the history and lore of Murugan and other Hindu teachings, these are excellent places to check out – though not free like the cave temple.

There are numerous shops and stalls surrounding the entrance to the complex selling souvenirs, clothes, food, and drink.

I enjoyed my first of many coconuts on our travels here. Briana also managed to grab some vegetarian food easily and for a very reasonable price.

We really enjoyed the Batu caves and recommend it to anyone visiting Kuala Lumpur. It’s a great activity for most anyone, especially families and active adults.

Things To Keep In Mind At Batu Caves

This is an active religious site – and as such, you should dress and act respectful and modest
The complex – is large and will take several hours to properly explore
The temple – requires strenuous physical activity as there is no elevator or wheelchair access
Pay attention to the monkeys – we recommend not carrying food and keeping water out of sight when not actively drinking.
Keep all loose items on you or in a bag – don’t let the monkeys grab your stuff
Monkeys have personalities – some are far more bold and aggressive than others
Once a monkey has an item, it is no longer yours – don’t get bit by fighting a monkey

Prepare for Batu Caves

Batu Caves is pretty well developed and you can certainly just show up and enjoy yourself. However, you can always take a little time to prepare so that you fully enjoy your time. Below we have a few items that may help make your time at the caves great.

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A Good Pack – The right pack can make a world of difference. Out in the jungles of Vietnam, you don’t want to go unprepared. We’ve got a guide that will help you get the right fit for you.
Water Bottles – Collapsible Water Bottles – These are some of our favorite items to bring with us. They’re really light-weight and you can also roll them up so you can store them away easily. If there is one item that is most important to bring with you, it is water.
Hiking Clothes – It can be really tempting to just throw on your regular day clothes and march out into the jungle but the steps to Batu Caves are exposed and wearing the right clothes can really help make for an enjoyable experience. A recent addition to my wardrobe has made a big difference. For him | For her
Raingear – This is a tropical jungle after all, and storms in Malaysia don’t mess around. I really like this jacket because it’s light enough to wear without getting hot, but if it’s cool out it will also keep you from getting chilled. As a plus, it folds into itself making it very easy to carry or pack. For him | For her
First-aid Kit – You really need to be prepared for anything when hiking, which means you need to be prepared for injury. We don’t often get hurt, but we have. You never know what could happen so you should always carry a basic first aid kit to be able to patch up whatever may happen. First-Aid Kit
Sun Screen – If you don’t cover up with clothes, then you should wear sunscreen, especially in the tropics. TSA Approved Sunscreen
Bug Repellant – As one might imagine, the jungles of tropical Malaysia are full of mosquitos and other nasties that bite. No one wants to come down with the awful diseases these bugs bring. Unfortunately, there is no way to deal with these other than to be proactive. These wipes serve us well and they are small enough to fit in your carry-on! Off! Deep Woods Towelettes

Married with Maps

Batu Caves Temple – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia