If you are in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the one place you will be widely adviced to explore is the City Centre. But, there are other attractions outside the City Centre and Batu Caves is one of them, a must-visit to experience the cultural side of the city. It is very simple to reach the place, really.

Once you land at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport, you take the Airport train to KL Sentral (MYR 55). From KL Sentral, you buy a ticket for Batu Caves (MYR 4). The temple is right outside the station. When we visited in June, the train route connecting KL Sentral to Batu Caves was under construction. We felt that it would be easier to take a cab, although there were buses for much cheaper rates. We had just one day in KL and we wanted to get to our destination as early as possible. The cab ride from KL Sentral to Batu Caves cost us MYR 20 and the duration of the journey was about half an hour.

We were clearly excited during our short train journey en route to KL Sentral.

Once you reach the entrance of the temple, you will be in awe of the 140 feet high Murugan Statue. It will take just one look at the majestic statue and you too will want a picture in front of it. While you will get all the details you need about this shrine on Wikipedia or any other website, we thought we’ll tell you about some of the dos, donts and things to carry when you head to Batu Caves. After all, for the full experience, you’ll have to climb 272-odd steps to reach the top of the caves.

There you go, Batu Caves!

So, here it is…

Water: Keep yourself hydrated with a couple of sips now and then. The climb will be quite steep and as you keep climbing, it will get harder and harder. So, make sure that you get enough water or some sort of energy drink that will give you enough strength to go all the way without any trouble. However, do feel free to stop at any step once you are closer to the top. Once you get to the top, you can take some amazing pictures of the panoramic view of the city.

Comfortable clothes: Since it is going to be an ‘uphill task’ (literally), we suggest you put on your most comfortable clothes. You may read about some dress codes on other platforms, but a t-shirt and shorts for both men and women will be just fine. Avoid wearing clothes where you have some swear words written or some dirty picture. While nobody might point that out when there, it is always nice to avoid such things out of respect for the place. It is, after all, a place of worship.

First on your list: If Batu Caves is on your list on your visit to KL, make sure you begin your day by exploring this. Ideally, visit this place as early as possible, so that you have enough time left for the rest of the planned activities. We were in KL for just one day and we are glad we headed to Batu Caves right from the airport. Not being one of the fittest, we had enough time to recuperate and enjoy the rest of the day in the city.

Monkey alert: Beware of monkeys all around the place. They are harmless if you just leave them alone. Do not feed the monkeys or try to shoo them away. The last thing you want is a bunch of monkeys chasing you on those stairs. No to forget, angering the monkeys might also be harmful to the other people around you.

Don’t get conned: There is no entry fee to enter the temple. In fact, no Hindu temple in the world will charge you an entry fee as far as we know. So, if anyone comes up to you and says that there is an entry fee to play to enter the caves, just ignore him or her and move ahead. It did not happen with us, but we have heard and read about people being conned like this.

Do not litter: We noticed that there were many loose papers, biscuit wrappers and banana peels lying on the stairs and in and around the temple premises. Batu Caves is one of the landmarks of the city, just like the Petronas Twin Towers. Please do not throw anything, anywhere. Keep it in your pocket/bag, find a dustbin and only then dispose of them.

Kid-friendly?: If it’s an infant, who cannot walk, do carry a baby carrier in which you can carry the toddler. We saw a guy do that and he seemed pretty comfortable. Even if your kid can walk, please ensure that you do not let go of him/her throughout – when you climb up or come down.

Well, these are some of the things off the top of our head. If you can think of anything else, please feel free to post in the comment section below.

To find out more about our Malaysia trip, click here.