Batu Caves, Malaysia
The Batu Caves are located approximated 16 Km from KL Sentral Station in the city of Selangor, and are home to one of the most historic Tamil shrines outside of India.
The caves are named after the local Batu River that runs nearby, and thought to be around 400 million years old. They are contained within huge limestone hills, which are typical of the terrain in Malaysia.
To reach the largest cave, known as the cathedral cave, you will need to climb 272 steps – women are requested to cover up and wear longer shorts or skirts prior to admission. You can rent a sarong from the base of the steps for a cheap price.
The admission fee for the Batu Caves is free, but you may give a donation if you like. There is however, an admission charge for the Dark Cave, which is currently 35RM – ($8 USD or £7 GBP approx) for an adult and 25RM ($6 USD or £5 GBP approx) for a child, but that includes a guide which is required.
The steps look quite daunting at first, but if you take your time and have regular stops they are easy to ascend.
There are lots of monkeys living in the surrounding area and they can be quite dangerous if you feed them, but they are certainly entertaining.
To travel to Butu Caves take the KTM line from KL Sentral Station to Batu Caves. The trains run roughly every hour, so it’s worth checking the times before you travel on the KTM website here http://www.ktmb.com.my/komuter.html
The train journey takes approximately 35 minutes from KL Sentral.
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