Your complete travel guide to visiting the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Batu Caves are an incredible complex of limestone caves in the north of Kuala Lumpur. A rainbow coloured staircase leads up into the caves, where you’ll find working Hindu temples inside. A towering golden statue of Kartikeya, the Hindu god of war, stands outside the caves. The entire effect is absolutely staggering, and that’s before you even notice the multitude of monkeys scurrying around the staircase and on top of some of the statues! Read on for my guide to visiting the Batu Caves.
Remember to buy travel insurance for your trip. Receive a 5% discount on Heymondo travel insurance.
How to get to the Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur?
The Batu Caves are located in the north of Kuala Lumpur (KL). The site is on the outskirts of the city, so it is easy to reach from the centre. The easiest way to get to the Batu Caves is to take a Grab (see “How to get around Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia” below). Grab fares in KL are pretty cheap compared to other big cities around the world. It is also possible to reach the Batu Caves by taking a KTM train.
How much does it cost to visit the Batu Caves?
Entrance to the Batu Caves is completely free. However, if you wish to go inside any of the Hindu temples within the caves, you need to make a donation (and also take off your shoes).
What to wear to the Batu Caves?
The Batu Caves are an active place of worship, so I recommend making sure that you are dressed fairly modestly (knees covered and bring a shirt or shawl to cover your shoulders when needed). You’ll also need to take your shoes off in some areas so wear shoes that are easy to slip on and off. And comfy for all the stairs! The weather in KL is pretty hot and humid so loose comfortable clothing is best.
How long should I spend at the Batu Caves?
You will be able to see everything in an hour or two. I personally took a bit longer as I take a lot of photos and also enjoyed people watching.
What time of day should I visit the Batu Caves?
I recommend visiting the Batu Caves early in the morning before they get too busy. Especially if you want to take photos of yourself on the stairs without crowds. The number of people can get a bit overwhelming once it gets busy. Also, the monkeys will come out once there are more people as they know there is food to be snatched! At the time of writing, the Batu Caves are open every day from 7.00am – 9.00pm.
Monkeys at the Batu Caves
The monkeys at the Batu Caves are incredibly cute and funny to watch. Be careful though, as they are extremely bold and are known to steal snacks and water from visitors. Keep your water bottle in a zipped bag and to be honest I’d recommend not bringing any food as the monkeys may be able to smell it. Don’t try to touch the monkeys as they are wild animals and may bite.
Practical Guidance for Malaysia
Hopefully this post will have inspired you to visit the Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I’ve also included some useful information for Malaysia in general below. If you plan all the boring stuff in advance you can relax and enjoy your trip more!
Read my other posts about Malaysia here.
How to get around Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The easiest way to get around Kuala Lumpur (and Malaysia in general) is to use Grab. Grab is a Singaporean-headquartered rideshare app (like Uber) that operates in a number of countries in South East Asia. I recommend downloading the app in advance before your trip so that you can set up the payment card etc. The best card to link in order to avoid high FX exchange fees is a WISE card (see below).
Money in Malaysia: (MYR)
If you’re visiting Malaysia you’ll need Malaysian ringgit (MYR). To get MYR at the best rates, I highly recommend getting a WISE card before you go. This allows you to convert money into Malaysian ringgit (or any other currency!) at the best rates and then spend on your Wise card as though it were a local bank card or withdraw cash in Malaysia without hidden fees. Wise is a UK-based financial services company (available in most countries worldwide) and is highly regulated in the various regions it operates in (in the UK it is authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority).
Get your WISE card here.
SIM Card and Data for Malaysia
There are two main options for getting a SIM card and data to use in Malaysia:
Option 1: eSIM with Airalo
The main advantages of purchasing an eSIM via Airalo (enter the referral code ROWAN1271 for a discount) are:
- you do not need to insert a physical SIM card, so you can keep your home country SIM in your phone
- you can get a multi-country eSIM rather than having to get a new one each time you go to a new country
- you can download the eSim before you leave your home country, meaning that you will have data immediately on arrival. This gives you peace of mind and is perfect for using Google Maps and rideshare apps etc.
- You can top up your data allowance via the app
Option 2: Buy a local physical SIM card
The main advantages of purchasing a local SIM card are:
- Local SIM cards generally offer better rates. You can often (depending on the country) get a lot more data for a lower price.
- You will get a local phone number which is better for making local calls / text messages
Personally I think Airalo is the best for short holidays or if you are only spending a short time in each country. If you’re staying for a longer time, or if like me you use a lot of data, a local physical SIM card may be better.
Get your Airalo eSIM here. Enter the referral code ROWAN1271 for a discount.
Travel Insurance
Make sure that you have travel insurance to cover you for your trip. I can highly recommend Heymondo. I use them to cover me for all my trips and their app is very easy to use.
Purchase Heymondo travel insurance here.
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