Blue Heart Journey: Batu Caves

When I first thought of traveling to Kuala Lumpur, I immediately envisioned standing in front of the exceptionally large gold statue at Batu Caves.

Batu Caves is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside of India. The gold statue is Lord Murugan and the caves are dedicated to him. Behind the statue are the three main caves that everyone is there to see. To reach them is a bit of a trek; the caves begin after a steep climb of 272 steps. There is no fee to enter, but ladies who do not have long pants must purchase an inexpensive sarong. You also get half your payment back when you return the sarong. I had on shorts that day, so I happily purchased my bottom attire. The sun was not out during our climb to the top, and thankfully so because the high temperature and humidity filled in for it! I had no problem with the climb and was elated when I reached the top.

Along the journey to the top were numerous monkeys climbing up and down the stairs and railings. We had been warned to keep our belongings close because the monkeys like to steal. They usually stole food but were known to steal entire bags! We did catch one monkey with a banana in its hands and another nibbling on a plastic bag. It was very cute, but not cute enough to spark a desire to get any closer for a picture.

We had finally reached the end of the steps! Once there, we saw a few shops to buy souvenirs, snacks, and of course water to rehydrate after working up a sweat. One thing I was not fond of was the birds. Why were there so many pigeons? Despite being from New York, the pigeon capital of America, I absolutely hate them! I just do not like anything flying over or around me. There was little to see at the top aside from another short set of steps that led to an upper cave. After taking some pictures, dodging several birds, and playing invisible hopscotch to avoid water leaking from the roof of the caves, I was ready to make that journey back down those 272 steps.

Prior to visiting Batu Caves, we visited Ramayana Cave where there was a 50-foot tall statue of Hanuman the monkey god. The Ramayana Cave depicts the chronological life story of Lord Rama that is quite intricate. The cave is well-lit and designed for a leisure stroll to view the colorful depictions along the wall. We made it all the way to the top and back. The Temple Cave is certainly the must-see cave while visiting the complex, but if time and energy allow then you should add Ramayana Cave to your tour.