Chasing Doves and Monkeys at Batu Caves, Malaysia

Serene.
Mystical.
Gigantic.

That's how I pictured Batu Caves in my head when we're on our way to Selangor, Malaysia.

It was the second day of our Southeast Asia backpacking trip and we've decided to have a quick stroll at Batu caves before heading to Myanmar.

Batu Caves is one of the most popular Hindu shrines located in the north of Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. It features a large statue of Lord Murugan beside a steep stair and several Hindu temples. Every year, thousands of devotees visit this sacred site to celebrate Thaipusam, a Hindu festival.

Batu Caves can be reached through a 30-min train ride from KL Central. But for convenience, we've just decided to book an uber ride from our accommodation (Bintang Warisan Hotel) straight to Batu caves. And right after finishing a playlist of around 7-8 songs, we've finally arrived. It was a just quick ride. And a very relaxed one.

THE STATUE OF LORD MURUGAN

Batu Caves is best known for the giant golden statue of Lord Murugan that stands radiantly beside the 272-step concrete stairs of the cave. It is the tallest Hindu god statue in Malaysia and the second tallest Hindu god statue in the world.

A visual treat of this majestic statue welcomed us upon arrival. What we didn't know is that there's another welcoming committee waiting for us on the site.

THE DOVES & MONKEYS OF BATU CAVES, MALAYSIA

Surprisingly, we were welcomed by flocks of doves and were ushered by monkeys on our way up the 272-step staircase of Batu Caves, Malaysia.

There are lots of doves flying around the site and they were actually nice to look at. You can easily bypass them by going directly to the spot where the large statue stands. What's impossible to ignore are the monkeys who seem to have been waiting for some action and snacks.

Batu caves is swarmed with monkeys. They are basically everywhere, on the foot of the cave, on the stairs, swinging on rails and playfully chasing each other around. They come up to people for food but thankfully they do not attack. They are only triggered to snatch if they see you carrying food in your hands. If they see none, then they'd leave you alone. So it's best to not feed those little ones.

Despite the chaotic vibe brought by the playful and quite troublesome monkeys, the journey to the cave was actually not that tough. There's a great view waiting on the top. Inside the cave, we've found several praying temples and another stairway up. There were some Indian pilgrims performing rituals, it was a beautiful act. We saw how religiously devoted they are to their faith.

Truly, Batu Caves is a majestic place of worship where nature and religion meet, a place definitely worth a trip.