The Batu Caves are a popular landmark in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. The Batu Caves are located in the north of Kuala Lumpur and in my opinion are highly recommended during your visit to this big city. During my trip through Southeast Asia I flew from Cambodia to Thailand, with a 2 night transfer in Kuala Lumpur. During this time I visited a lot of cool things to do in Kuala Lumpur, including the Batu Caves.
Batu Caves
The impressive 42-meter-high golden statue at the entrance and the colorful staircase to the cave can be seen from afar. After climbing no less than 272 steps, you finally reach the top and you will have a great view. The largest 400 meter long and 100 meter high limestone cave contains several small, colorful Hindu temples. These Hindu temples were nice to see, but not very special.
Monkeys at the Batu Caves
What was quite interesting, however, were the many monkeys around the Batu Caves. I really enjoyed watching them run down the stairs and seeing them swinging between the branches. Surprisingly, many monkeys had small baby’s hanging from their bellies with which they ran from one side to the other without any problems. Very cute! I could watch this for hours.
Unfortunately, many tourists still feed the monkeys, which doesn’t benefit their health and makes them more aggressive. Therefore, pay close attention to your belongings and don’t hold food or a plastic bag in your hand. It’s very likely that the monkeys will try to take this away.
Dark Cave
At the top of the stairs is also the Dark Cave. The entrance includes a guide. Before entering the cave, you will get a headlamp that you will definitely need. It’s in fact pitch dark. The guide will tell you about the cave whilst exploring.
How to get to the Batu Caves
The Batu Caves are located out of the center but are easily accessible. You can easily reach the caves by metro from KL Sentral for no more than a few euros. The attraction is also easy to reach with a Grab Taxi (The Southeast Asian variant of Uber). A Grab costs about RM20 from the tourist center, Bukit Bintang.
Opening hours and costs Batu Caves & Dark Cave
The Batu Caves are free to visit and are open daily from 7am – 9pm.
Entrance to the Dark Cave is RM35 including guide. The Dark Cave has different opening hours. It opens from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm on weekdays and from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm on weekends.
Useful Tips for your visit
- Visit the caves early in the day to avoid the crowds and the heat.
- There are dress codes for the Batu Caves. You are expected to cover your shoulders and knees. If you haven’t done this, you can rent a sarong for RM5. Don’t feel like walking in long pants or a skirt all day? Then take it with you in your bag so that you can put it over your clothes.
- Don’t bring any food upstairs as the monkeys will take this away from you. Put everything in your bag. A camera around my neck was no problem.
- In front of the entrance of the Batu Caves there are dozens of shops where you can buy souvenirs, drinks and typical Indian snacks. The best place to have lunch, however, is somewhere else in my opinion. There are plenty of nice Food Courts and Shopping Centers in the center.
