Stone cave as it is translated to English was discovered by naturalist William Hornaday around 1878/9. Batu caves is a Hindu temple dedicated to Lord Murugan. On weekends, it is popular exercise spot for people to have their weekly dose of 272 steps up the Main Cave.
Getting there and away
KTM Kommuter now services Batu Caves which is its terminal stop for the Port Klang –Batu Caves line. A convenient place to catch the train is from KL Sentral.
Batu Caves is 13 KM from the city center and a taxi should not cost too much if they use the meter.
If you plan to drive, it is just off the MRR2 Jalan Ipoh roundabout. From Kuala Lumpur on Jalan Kuching- Jalan Ipoh, turn up to Bulatan Batu Caves and take the 3 o’clock exit. Batu caves is at the next exit. There is ample parking for a small fee (unless it is during Thaipusam).
When to go
Thaipusam is the annual main event for Batu Caves where devotees pay homage to Lord Murugan. On other days it is particularly quiet and a popular exercise spot on weekends. The best time to go is early in the morning when it is still cool to ascending to the main cave.
What to do (and not to do)
Bring along a small bottle of water. You can get thirsty climbing steps. If you are not up to the challenge, skip the Main Cave and Dark Caves and head straight to Cave Villa.
Temple Cave @ Main Cave (272 steps )
The main attraction is the ascend to the main cave, which leads to an 100m atrium like cave with an opening at the rear which houses the Sri Subramania Swamy Temple. Admission is free.
Dark Cave (204 steps)
Head down 68 steps and you will find an entrance to Dark Caves. You would need to get a ticket for a guided tour of the cave and be warned that it is about 2 km long and it is moist, muddy and smelly. Fees are about RM15 for a 1.5 hour tour. Bring along some comfortable trekking shoes a change of clothes along if you plan to go in. In this cave, you will be able to exotic fauna such as millipedes, spiders etc which are unique to this are.
Museum Cave & Art Gallery Cave which is together known as Cave Villa (0 steps)
At the foothill of the Batu Caves formation, stop by at the Cave Villa. These caves are a collection of statues and cave paintings dedicated to Hinduism. There is a nice park within the area with a landscaped garden, koi pond and bird farm. Admission tickets are RM15 for adults.
Before I forget, don’t feed the monkeys, leave them as they are.
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