Batu Caves Tourism

A. KLIA2 to Batu Caves Route

Step 01. KLIA2-KL Sentral

Heading to 1st floor which is location of KLIA2 Transportation Hub, I rushed to Skybus sales counter. Rates of USD 2.6 was enough to move me from KLIA2 to KL Sentral which is located in center of Kuala Lumpur city. I spent 50 minutes traveling to see situation of Selangor state’s streets.

Step 02. KL Sentral-Batu Caves

Trip in year 2014

From KL Sentral, I headed to KTM Komuter Laluan Seremban ticket counter to reach Batu Caves. At that time, commuter tickets couldn’t be obtained at automatic fare machines like LRT tickets in Kuala Lumpur. So I had to go to ticket counter to manually buy it. Its price is quite cheap, only USD 0.5 for one way. Distance from KL Sentral to Batu Caves is 13 km with 45 minutes travel time.

Trip in year 2018

Check out my second and most recent trip to Batu Caves at this link: New Route to Batu Caves, Malaysia

B. About Batu Caves

Corridor between commuter station to Batu Caves.

Taking a light step through exit gate at Batu Caves Station and gathering curiosity which is increasingly rising when I moved in a roofed pedestrian corridor. The corridor which its end is right entrance of Batu Caves.

Entering from right side, the 15 meter high statue of Lord Hanuman welcomed. Its green body added sacredness of “Wanara” King. It was undeniable because indeed many long-tailed monkeys present around temple which is located next to statue.

Ramayana Cave Suyambu Lingam on left side of green temple solemnity presents Ramayana epic through several character statues which imply a storyline. Set aside USD 1.3 to just enjoy its majesty.

The sun sting didn’t deter my enthusiasm and spirit for being present in front of Venkatachalapathi Temple which was built above 19 stairs. This temple praises Lord Vishnu incarnation who is carrying out his duties as a “destroyer of sin”. Do you know Lord Vishnu who rides Garuda (the king of all birds) and armed with chakra?

Take your shoes off before climbing stairs!

To ensure tourists don’t miss any part of Batu Caves, they prepares a sign with 17 different directions.

Understanding Hindu history through beauty of art is what Cave Villa wants to show. USD 3.9 is a pretty expensive value to explore this cave.

Lord Shiva who be illustrated as Nataraja “the Lord of Tandavam” (the name of a religious dance in Hinduism) and Lord Murugan who were essentially born as 6 babies, were eventually transformed into a single powerful figure of Lord Murugan, are two stories which is explained in this cave.

Standing on Batu Caves main part i.e a large courtyard which is full of pigeons which always loves to beg for food from tourists.

That are pigeon…. benign but in fact are not.

The worship building on Batu Caves courtyard was being renovated.

Visiting statue of the highest Hindu God in the world, His mother is Parwati Lord and his father is Lord Shiva. Lord Murugan is his name …. Armed with a sacred scepter and his majesty is represented on his soaring as high as 43 meters.

Gold color makes it very prominent in anyone’s eyelids.

Prepare your calves to steps on 272 stairs to main temple which hides on a 400 million-year-old limestone hill.

Humid air and cold temperature like a fridge make this cave as a special place in the middle of stinging area around hill.

Combination of lighting and layout of God statues makes it sacred.

Before leaving this site, you can visit Gheeta’s Souvenir Shop on left front of courtyard.

If you don’t want to buy souvenirs, you can buy indian foods and snacks which are sold in front right of courtyard.

Couldn’t buy souvenirs because I didn’t have plane luggage….Then I just enjoy lunch or drink coconut water in canteens around Batu Caves.

Coconut water with ice was drank in middle of sun sting.….Beuh.

Of course, you know Batu Caves, because of its popularity … But try to explore about values which can be obtained from this site.

So….Batu Caves….Let’s go there!.

My arrival which was too late in KL Sentral made my schedule a mess. The first day when I had to visit Genting Highlands must be delayed.

“You need to go back at night if you go this afternoon. If you go back in the evening, you won’t get anything there” a joked from staff at bus ticket counter.

Instead of I struggled at night in a condition that I didn’t got a hotel yet, I’d better postpone my intention to Genting and I would go on next day.

I immediately changed my destination….Yess, I headed for Batu Caves. It is the easiest and fastest way because the train which go there departs from KL Sentral.

But Guys, the train in KL Sentral-Batu Caves route operated in 2014. When I came to Kuala Lumpur in April 2019, KL Sentral-Batu Caves route had changed. See the route changes on this link:

New Route to Batu Caves, Malaysia

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This time I willn’t focus on the route, but I will tell about the line…. Yups, It is KTM Laluan Seremban (Kereta Tanah Melayu-Seremban Line).

Chinese technology in Indian destination.

Why is that?

The train which runs on this line is an electric train which made in China….While the most favorite destination in this line is Batu Caves which is a place of worship of Indian descent citizen.

Indeed, in the last few years, Malaysia has been ahead than Indonesia in boosting infrastructure with loans from Chinese government.

KTM Laluan Seremban has the last two stations which is visited i.e Port Klang station in southwest and Batu Caves station in north. In total this train passes 27 stations.

KTM Laluan Seremban is a commuter train route. Whereas commuter trains in each country are made to connect city center with suburban areas and majority of passenger are commuters.

Slightly different from Indonesia which uses quality used trains from Japan to be operated as commuter trains, Malaysia prefers to use “made in China” trains with a slightly futuristic shape. I was eager to try it when I saw its shape which looks like a bullet train in some developed countries

Using commuter train started from KL Sentral station.

Tickets aren’t sold at Automatic Fare Machine like MRT, LRT and Kuala Lumpur monorail tickets, but these commuter train tickets are sold in cash at ticket sales counter.

In 2014, ticket price towards Batu Caves station from KL Sentral was USD 0.5.

KTM Ticket from Batu Caves to KL Sentral. In 2019, tickets are sold in the form of a pass card.

*LCD info screen on KTM Laluan Seremban platform*

The following picture is interior appearance of KTM Laluan Seremban

The prohibitions applied on the train are smoking, eating and drinking, littering, throwing gum, doing immoral things, carrying dangerous goods and carrying animals.

Slogans which were issued by YAB PM and were advertised on each train seats.

YAB PM stands for Yang Amat Berhormat Perdana Menteri (the Most Honorable Prime Minister). 1Malaysia slogan is a campaign to unite one Malaysian nation regardless of ethnicity and cultural differences. As Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) in Indonesia’s slogan.

This KTM is made by CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co. Ltd

Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co. CSR Ltd is one of many electric train manufacturers in China. This company’s reputation is very cool because it supplies electric trains for Macedonian Railways in Eastern Europe, Shanghai Metro in China and Rapid KL in Malaysia.

Six facilities are provided at KTM Laluan Seremban.

This modern technology train has several good facilities such as priority seats, modern cockpit for machinists, dynamic route map on each train door to facilitate passengers in monitoring the presence of trains, two female-only coach in each train, LCD info screen in each coach and of course CCTV .

Next is appearance of Batu Caves station which is the last stop of this line.

“Batu Caves station” situation at other side.

Well….If you go to Kuala Lumpur, try this train!

Tag: Batu Caves Tourism

Batu Caves….India Trace in North of Kuala Lumpur

KTM Laluan Seremban….The Main Line of Batu Caves Tourism.