Batu Caves-Selangor

Batu Caves is one of Malaysia's most famous tourist destinations especially for the colourful Thaipusam festival. This attracts up to 1,000,000 devotees and spectators; the highlight is seeing devotees in a trance carry kavadi, a metal frame attached to the body.

The Batu Caves are situated thirteen kilometers (seven miles) north of the capital city Kuala Lumpur. They are the sacred place for the Hindu's in Malaysia. They consist of three main caves and a number of smaller ones.

At your arrival you will be greeted by lots of monkeys. They are going for your peanuts and banana's, which you can buy in several shop, before you climb up to the caves. You have to climb 272 steps, which will lead you to the religious and magnificent Batu Caves.

The caves are made of limestone and 400 meters long and 100 meter high. They were discovered in 1892. From your hotel in the Golden Triangle you can reach the Batu Caves easily by taxi or public bus (11 and 11d) from the Central Market annexe or the Cityliner bus No 69 at Jalan Pudu to get to Batu Caves.Taxis are also available anywhere around city.

Below the Temple Cave is the Dark Cave, with its amazing rock formations and a number of animals found nowhere else. Stalactites jutting from the cave's ceiling and stalagmites rising from the floor form intricate formations such as cave curtains, flow stones, cave pearls and scallops which took thousands of years to form. The Malaysian Nature Society organises regular educational and adventure trips to the Dark Caves

The other main cave is the Art Gallery Cave located at the foot of the steps. Statues and wall paintings depicting Hindu deities and mythology are displayed here. The walk to the entrance is itself quite a pleasant experience through a lake and ponds filled with hundreds of colourful fish.

Batu Caves is also the centre of rock climbing development in Malaysia for the past 10 years. More famous for its role as a religious centre for Hindus in Malaysia as well a prominent tourist attraction in the country, not many people realise that Batu Caves offers more than 160 climbing routes.