In the northern suburbs of Kuala Lumpur is the Batu Caves. Takes about 30 minutes in a taxi and if the taxi driver doesn’t scam you (see the post about taxi drivers) then it should cost 30-40 Ringet ($14NZD, $11USD).
This is a startling limestone hill almost mountain covered in tropical rain forest. Amazing for a major city to have such a geological curiosity. Plus there are the cool little monkeys, more photos down further too.
Norman Wood about to climb the steps to the Batu Caves Temple in Kuala Lumpur. Click to enlarge.
More than this, it is a major Hindu religious area. There is a huge Hindu statue of Lord Murugan to whom the temple is dedicated. The main temple is in a huge cave with staligtites and other limestone cave formations, another cave has bats if you are so inclined. To get to the largest cave you must climb maybe 300 steps, yes it is a real haul in the heat and humidity.
Inside the Batu Caves with a strange distant light. We walk further into the cave to see where it is coming from. Click to enlarge.
You enter the dark cave, but quickly as you walk in there is natural light again, but where from you think. There is a huge chamber and high above there is a natural opening a window up to the sky way above, maybe 100m up with the jungle spilling over the edge. Truly amazing.
Once you are well into the cave and you've got to the source of the light. You look up and see the rain forest way above you. Click to enlarge.
To make things more “interesting” and keeping up with the best traditions of making a buck, up there with the Catholics and the selling of Virgin Mary statues are all the indian trinket stores selling lots of, well lots of “stuff”. Zina was in like a flash and bought some fridge magnets and some strange Hindu display. I particularly liked the various Hindu gods with colored strobe lights around them, looked good in the cave too.
Zina fascinated by Hindu souvenirs in a trinket shop inside the Batu Caves Temple. Click to enlarge.
Don’t let my comments put you off. It is one of the best attractions of KL. Plus there are heaps of cool little monkeys that are fun to watch, especially if you are all too familiar with looking at them in zoos.
It is much nicer watching the little critters just hanging out and having fun. Plus they love to try and steal things off tourists, especially if they think the bag might contain some fruit juice or tasty food, Zina lost her water bottle.
Finally! I got Zina's water bottle. Monkey with the bottle, doesn't take long to get the top off or bite a hole, very tasty.
The food stalls at the bottom are also great. We had some stunning freshly made pineapple and apple juice. The apple juice was probably the best apple juice I’d tasted in my life. Almost worth the trip in itself.
Mother giving the little baby monkey a grooming. Hunting for fleas. Little monkey looks very chilled out or maybe zonked by playing all day with his buddies in the jungle. They are very happy critters. Click the picture to enlarge.
