Hi everyone! Today is the start of Thai Pongal, the first day of the multi-day Tamil Harvest festival, which is often celebrated by Hindus. Since I was raised Hindu and one of the traditions is to go to the temple, it feels right that I write about my experience at the most stunning Hindu temple I have been to (and that includes the peaceful Kauai Hindu Monastery). It might be the world’s most famous: the Batu Caves. I have been wanting to go here for so long and can’t believe I have been blessed to actually experience this. In my review, I will talk about my overall experience here, what to expect, and what you should be familiar with before going as well as pictures of outside and inside the cave. Before you read below, please follow on social media (TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook) for more Malaysian and travel content!
Location
The Batu Caves is a popular tourist destination located at Gombak, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia which is easily accessible via train, bus, or car from Kuala Lumpur with some taxi drivers waiting outside. We were able to get a grab from our hotel but it was a good thing we had some cash for a taxi since the cell service isn’t great at the caves.
About
The Batu Caves are said to be over 400 million years old and have since had some development/upgrades around the area with other Hindu shrines. The caves look amazing but what really captures people’s eyes are the stunning, vibrant, and colorful 272 steps of the Batu Caves located in Malaysia. These steps lead to a special main temple inside the cave for the Tamil Hindu God, Lord Murugan. That’s why you see a magnificent, 140-foot tall golden statue of Lord Murugan which is one of the the tallest Hindu statues in the world as well as a large Hanuman statue and Durga Statue. There are many Hindu shrines here but the main one is for Murugan inside the caves while there is a Durga and Shiva temple near the entrance. I believe there is a special Rama temple as well beside where the Hanuman statue is and you can also walk the other way down when exiting the other temple.
What You Should Know and Tips
Wildlife
The first thing I need to mention is that there is so much wildlife here, especially macaques that come out mainly during lunch time and some can be very aggressive (some not so much) so proceed with caution when around them similar to how the Nara deers can be. There were probably 100. However, inside the cave only the roosters were there and they were very respectful I noticed they would yell if monkeys came inside the cave. This reminded me of Kauai where the chickens and roosters were known as sacred animals. One of my drivers told me they are more present during lunchtime (we went around 10:30 in the morning) so it might be helpful to go earlier in the morning.
You can talk to the priest to perform special prayers for a small donation fee just like any other Hindu temple. However, something I want to warn you about is that the macaques will come up to you and rip the special prasad (blessed food) from your hands (happened to us). We also gave one of the prasads to another elder monkey who was staring but was thankful. A tip might be to bring a small fanny pack type of bag that is close to you so that they can’t see because if they are really hungry they will look to grab anything including cameras.
Heat and Clothing
It’s really hot here and I was sweating immediately so make sure to stay hydrated and wear comfortable clothes. It’s also helpful to wear comfortable shoes when walking up but I know some people like my dad, walked up bare feet because of traditional Hindu customs. Also, since it is a temple and even if you are just going for the steps, I would recommend wearing more covered clothing.
Gift Shop
If you go inside the cave you will see a gift shop that sells a lot of small trinkets and items that are really cheap and affordable. Unfortunately, I forgot the exact pricing but I remember buying a lot of keychains, bracelets, and magnets here that were much cheaper than other places. I would recommend going here if you visit to get some souvenirs as nice gifts for people.
Food
There are restaurants and convenience stores at the lower level across from the temples where you can get some food or snacks. I remember seeing one store selling the Pokemon Oreos there which was an Asia exclusive I believe and other interesting snacks. However, my family and I were hungry and noticed a vegetarian restaurant right by so we decided to try it out. The place we went to was called Rani Villas and we didn’t realize it then, but this is where legendary Tamil actor Rajinikanth sat and ate when filming one of his movies, Kabali. The food wasn’t bad and had a generous amount of portions but unfortunately, I found that the customer service wasn’t great and noticed when observing others that you had to be really assertive/borderline rude for them to start serving you properly. We had a few items from their lunch menu including their banana leaf unlimited, the veggie chick’n, and the fried noodles as well as coconut water and a kulfi. I believe everything was under 40 RM. Otherwise, you will have to wait for a long time. Nonetheless, it’s good for a one-time try but I would keep in mind to be very assertive from the start.
Overall
I am so grateful and blessed to have visited the marvelous Batu Caves. The views were beautiful and vibrant throughout, even the floors! Sure the experiences with the monkeys and restaurant staff could have been better but I am glad it wasn’t anything serious and it didn’t take away from the great vibrations I received from the temples and the overall atmosphere. I highly recommend you visit here once even if you’re not Hindu because the Murugan statue alone is incredible but the overall temple and the history of these Batu caves are worth the visit. Let me know if you have been here before or planning on go in the comments below or on social media by following on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook!