To the younger generation of today that would associate the word Cave with boredom and emptiness, I am here to change that! The place Batu Caves may sound foreign and unheard of but this underrated gem of nature is truly a sight to behold. I got the privilege of visiting the majestic caves located in Selangor, Malaysia about a fortnight ago. Frankly, I was reluctant to drop by the caves on my short trip to Kuala Lumpur but was convinced by my friend – who is a local, to give the place a shot, and I have no regrets about it.
A golden statue of the Hindu “God of War” (Murugan) welcomes you at the entrance of the caves. The caves are essential in the local Indian Hindu’s lives as there is a temple built inside the caves which host a series of Hindu Shrines with thousands of practitioners dropping by on occasions such as Diwali (The festival of light) and Thaipusam.
Now, enough of facts, let’s get down to the fun parts. The scenery is honestly, to put it in words, breathtaking. Getting into the caves is a challenge on its own as there are 272 steep steps that await you at the grand entrance which I think was the only downside of my trip, but that’s just because I am super lazy! Putting that aside there are many fun activities that you can partake in, in this awesome adventure packed caves and I was lucky to have had the chance of experiencing all of them.
Personally, I am a fairly adventurous and brave person and one of the activities that I took part in was Rock Climbing. You have no idea how rock climbing on actual rock feels compared to the commercialized indoor rock climbing in shopping malls nowadays! pffttt borinngggg. The thrill of hanging freely 100 meters off ground only being attached to a rope that is responsible for your life is seriously not for the fainthearted. There are more than 150 routes that the caves have to offer, seasoned rock climbers why not take up the challenge of completing all of them?
The caves also happen to be home to monkeys that are constantly loitering around the caves and a rare species of bats who live inside them. I also had the opportunity of going deep inside the caves with a tour guide. As you journey deeper in the caves the mystery and suspense builds as the light is slowly fading and darkness takes over and there’s a point where you will feel as if you are isolated from society when all you can hear is the water formed by the humidity drops from the stalactites onto mini sized pools. In my opinion, its a cheaper form of therapy, the time I spent in the caves really allows me to forget about the stress and the commitments of daily life.
The highlight of my trip there goes the moment when the tour guide instructs you to turn off the headlight you have on at the same time as your cave-mates , 3,2,1 the simply click of a button the irony of it is amazing, the fact that the experience of seeing complete emptiness is one that rivals the sight of all the wonders around the world . It’s truly a place that you have to visit, being an explorer and it is more than words can describe.
