Batu Caves in Gombak, Malaysia

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Tourists travel to Malaysia to witness its culture and nature. Apart from its major destination, which is Kuala Lumpur is another site to satisfy your need.

A fusion of the Malaysian roots and wondrous nature, Batu Caves in Gombak ticks off those two proverbial box you’re looking for in holiday destinations.

LOCATION

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Batu Caves in Gombak are an intricate rock formation of limestones, which houses, caves and cave temples which they have taken part in the life of the natives.

13 kilometers beyond the hustle and bustle of the city of Kuala Lumpur, these caves are nestled with its name taken from the nearby village and the Sungai Batu River.

CLIMATE

Anyone who wants to visit Batu Caves should be ready for a lot of rain. It rains throughout the year, so bringing an umbrella should be in order. Highest precipitation is in November, while it falls in June dropping by less in July.

The hottest month on the other hand happens in April at an average of 27 degrees Celsius, while the lowest drop in temperature happens in January with an average of 26 degrees Celsius.

TRANSPORTATION

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Visiting Batu Caves won’t be a problem. From Kuala Lumpur, bus, taxi, and train are available to transport you to the caves. The taxi will cost you RM20, while the public bus will only be at RM2.

Also remember to negotiate first with the taxi driver before hopping on.

For the guided tours, your tourist guide usually handles going to Batu Caves.

ATTRACTION

The intricate work of nature has a lot of history to offer. It was first a home for the Termuan locals in the 1800s. It served as a source for agricultural purposes, where the guano was collected by farmers.

It was made popular by William Hornaday, an American Naturalist, in 1878, and later became a Chinese settlement in 1891. It was also the start of the place being built as a place of worship for the deity of war called Murugan.

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Cathedral Cave

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After climbing the 272 steps, you’ll be greeted by the cathedral cave. Lying within is the main Hindu temple with its primary deity.

The ceiling is dome-shaped and there are also monkey habitats inside this cave living in the lush greenery growing in its walls.

Ramayana Cave

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Ramayana Cave is much more serene. It is easily recognizable by the 15-meter tall statue of Lord Rama’s acolyte monkey named Hanuman.

Much like the other cave, which is called the Art Gallery cave it depicts the story of Lord Rama, which can be seen in cave walls.

Museum Cave

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Museum Cave is a fun place for photo-ops. It houses different animals native to Asia, peacocks, pythons, and aquarium among others that makes up a zoo.

Thaipusam Festival

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This festival gathers pilgrims across Asia and Australia. It happens in late January to Early February, which usually lasts for three days.

The place comes alive with the celebration for Lord Murugan, with the natives garbed in colorful swaths of clothes and devotees bringing anything from flowers to milk as an offering Rock climbing is also famous at Batu Caves offering 160 routes with 15 meters in height.

It is also good to know that the vicinity is charged free with entrance to caves ranging only from RM1 to RM2.

http://laurenceourac.com/batu-caves-in-gombak-malaysia/

Images:
(1.) http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs71/i/2012/119/b/1/batu_caves_murugan_statue_by_draken413o-d4xz48b.jpg
(2.) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLoW3jkP87QcPg-QthTdKzCfjupr2jMAyWx4TjFLmTS3SkSLvhQAfI9yzd6Be3WZPub0pe2n5NPf_TvCZBwxZN6_rOBgalVyeI8nn3MIPf7Fo5CzNb9ECO22PGzAym_p1F9EkEbG4j6Y/s1600/map_Jln+Pahang+-+HOA+Jln+Gombak.jpg
(3.) http://cdn3.vtourist.com/19/7180497-Train_to_Batu_Caves_Kuala_Lumpur.jpg?version=2
(4.) https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lkx24830uzgpqB8WIVrIsCaQyZwdhh3NHH-uEBVMEVcc_NxDlcFdBxzElcp-VMtllOp55OnkjIySfWVVE5rzcufkWDjukWYN-Q2ztseFiJ6YcFLSV-5pWKWM9Kkb7IbEcdAtWWqYpVQ/s1600/kl+trip+185.jpg
(5.) http://malaysiatravelandtour.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Batu-Caves-1.jpg
(6.) http://travelcocktail.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/image18.jpg
(7.) http://whenonearth.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Danny-Xeero.jpg
(8.) http://whenonearth.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/malaysia-cave.jpg