Guide to Visiting the Batu Caves: Everything You Need to Know
The Batu Caves, are a series of limestone caves located just outside of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Batu Caves are considered one of Kuala Lumpur’s most popular attractions, but they are also an important cultural and religious site. This guide provides everything you need to know when visiting the Batu Caves from how to get here to what not to miss.
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Batu Caves are an interesting and unique natural and religious site just outside of Kuala Lumpur.
The site where the Batu Caves are is considered a mogote. As a geography major, I learned that a mogote is a sometimes standalone hill. A mogote can be steep along the sides and are common in tropical climates. Limestone is the dominate rock at the caves.
The caves themselves are millions of years old, although human activity has been recorded here for hundreds of years.
The most notable feature of Batu Caves is the large state of Murugan. The statue measures a height of 42.7 m or 140 ft. In the Hindu religion, Murugan is the God of War.
When entering the main cave complex, there is a decorative temple called The Subramaniar Swamy Temple.
Visitors will notice the rainbow staircase behind the Murugan Statue leading to the cave entrance. There are a total of 272 colored stairs.
Getting to the Batu Caves
There are a few options to get to the Batu Caves. Visitors can take the commuter train, hail a taxi, or use Grab.
The Batu Caves are about 13 km from the city center.
Personally, I recommend just using Grab to get to Batu Caves. This was definitely the easiest way and it was very affordable. But I’d like to show you what other options there are.
Trains do run directly from KL Sentral to the Batu Caves via the KTM Komuter. You can view the Train Schedule, ticketing, and more information on the KTM website. Depending on your location, you might not need to head to KL Sentral.
If departing from KL Sentral to Batu Caves, the journey can take around 45 minutes to an hour.
Price wise, the KTM Train ticket is RM 2.20.
Besides hailing a cab to the Batu Caves, I recommend using the Grab app and getting to the Batu Caves via Grab.
For those that are unaware, Grab is a ride hailing app like Uber and is popular in some countries in Asia.
Again, I’ll use KL Sentral as an example. If you are at the train station and get a Grab, the drive time is around 20 minutes to the caves depending on traffic.
The Vehicles we took each way were comfortable and I felt safe every time we used Grab in Malaysia. The price for the Grab to Batu Caves from our location was RM 15 so around $3.
Admission and Hours
An attractive feature of visiting the Batu Caves is that the rainbow staircase and main temple area are free to visit. That’s right, there is no admission fee to walk the stairs and enter the cave.
However there is one portion of the caves, the Ramayana Cave – Suyambu Lingam, that does charge an entrance fee. The fee was very cheap, at the time, RM 7 for locals and RM 15 for foreigners which is still very cheap.
The Batu Caves are open daily from 7:00 am – 21:00.
Best Time to Visit the Batu Caves
The Batu Caves are open year round from 7:00 am – 21:00.
It is recommended to visit the Batu Caves either earlier in the morning or later in the afternoon into the evening hours. The weather is a bit cooler, the sun isn’t beating down on you, and the crowds tend to be smaller during non peak hours.
When I visited the Batu Caves, I was here by 8:00 am and although there were already people here, I felt it wasn’t very crowded and there was still a lot of breathing room. The monkeys were out and about and I got great photos.
Once the time got to around 10:00 am I immediately felt how crowded it really gets. Many of the monkeys scattered off, the crowds at the entrance were almost unbearable and the rainbow staircase looked like an an hill.
Things to Do at the Batu Caves
Visiting the Batu Caves is much more then just seeing Malaysia’s tallest statue and climbing to the top of the rainbow staircase.
There is a lot to explore here and I recommend a minimum of two hours for your visit. I think I spent at least 3 hours here if not 4.
If you are wondering what else is there to do and see at the Batu Caves, below are my recommendations.
Arulmigu Murugan Statue Batu Caves
Batu Caves Murugan Statue is an impressive 42.7 m (140 ft) tall statue at the entrance of the caves.
The Murugan Statue is the tallest statue in Malaysia and is made of steel and concrete. Its gold color, detail, and sheer size truly make it stand out.
Climb the 272 Steps at the Rainbow Staircase
Directly behind the Murugan Statue is the rainbow staircase. This beautiful staircase consists of 272 steps. From afar, the stairs are incredibly beautiful.
Walking up the stairs is no easy task but doable if you take your time. Hence another reason to visit the Batu Caves earlier. It’s cooler out and the stairs are less crowded.
Many of the monkeys tend to hang out on or around the stairs so keep an eye out for your belongings and give them their space.
Batu Caves and the Temple
The entirety of Batu Caves is impressive and the Subramaniar Swamy Temple within the caves is just as marvelous as the rest of the cave.
The temple within the cave is a Hindu temple, it’s decorative and colorful. visitors can enter the temples, but be warned it’s a religious site, so follow the rules and be respectful.
Ramayana Cave - Suyambu Lingam
A far less touristy side but absolutely worth it part of the Batu Caves is visiting Ramayana Cave.
Ramayana Cave is the portion that charges an admission fee of RM 7 for locals and RM 15 for foreigners. Paying the admission fee is well worth your time.
First, you will notice the 15m (49ft) tall statue of he diety Hanuman.
Once you enter the Ramayana Cave you will be greeted by the friendly staff and can freely walk around. This cave was not crowded at all, in fact when I was here, there were about 4 other people in the cave, compared to the hundreds next door.
There is a giant statue of Kumbhakarna lying in the cave with smaller statues of what I assume are servants around him.
Shopping and Snacks
At the base of the Batu Caves are numerous shops and a few restaurants. I didn’t spend much time here, but for those that like to shop for religious items and souvenirs, all this can be found at the many shops.
The Monkeys at Batu Caves
Any attraction that has wildlife will always be a favorite of mine, especially when monkeys are involved. Seeing monkeys in the wild never get old to me. I spent most of my life in Europe and North America, so seeing wild monkeys just isn’t a thing.
When visiting the Batu Caves, obviously, the first thing I saw was the statue of Murugan, it’s kind of hard to miss. But right away I noticed a ton of pigeons being fed by people and within the groups of pigeons were wild monkeys scavenging for food.
The monkeys at Batu Caves are known as long-tailed macaques. They have extremely long tails in comparison to their bodies.
For the most part, the monkeys seemed to mind their own business and not be bothered by humans. I did see a few cases of people losing their belongings to the monkeys, so make sure to be aware of your surroundings and keep things close to your body.
I also witnessed a baby monkey tug on a women’s dress and an adult monkey get territorial with a man. Please, respect the wildlife here and give them space.
Popular Questions on the Batu Caves
Is there a Dress Code to enter the Batu Caves?
– Yes, this is an active religious site. For both men and women, please make sure your knees and shoulders are covered. I did my research before and made sure to wear my hiking pants and a t-shirt. If you do come unprepared, a Sarang can be borrowed near the entrance.
How Many Stairs to the Top of the Batu Caves?
– There are a total of 272 stairs on the Rainbow Staircase. But be warned, there are more stairs within the caves and on other parts of the Batu Caves complex. For instance, there are numerous steep stairs inside Ramayana Cave.
How long do you need at Batu Caves?
– I recommend a minimum of two hours at Batu Caves. We explored the area for about 3-4 hours and saw most of the must see sites.
Are the Batu Caves worth visiting?
– 100% the Batu Caves are worth visiting. In fact, this is a must visit when in Kuala Lumpur. The site is only 13 km from the city center and can easily be seen in the morning.
Conclusion
Visiting the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur is a must. For a free attraction in Kuala Lumpur, you get to visit a stunning limestone cave, Hindu Temple, and see wildlife, what’s not to love? The Batu Caves are easy to reach from Kuala Lumpur’s city center and offer a unique experience for each and every visitor. Plain and simple, the Batu Caves should be on everyone’s Kuala Lumpur itinerary.
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