In the summer of 2023, we decided to bring our folks to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! We wanted to treat them with a trip to a place that is both new and exciting to them! When we broke the news to them, they were so excited! Our parents expressed how much they wanted to see the exquisite Petronas Towers, as well as the beautiful city of Kuala Lumpur itself. 

Since we, Team Tala Travels, have already gone to Kuala Lumpur, it was a bit easy to come up with an itinerary that would allow our folks to see the fascinating parts of the city. The challenge just lies in creating an itinerary that would give them time to rest their legs from lengthy walks, especially that most of them are nearing their seventies already. 

So, the itinerary that we created is balanced with adventure and rest, plus active fun balanced with relaxation activities. 

This blog will focus on one of the most exciting activities that we did in Kuala Lumpur, which is our Batu Caves adventure!

Batu Caves

Of all the famous tourist spots in Kuala Lumpur, I think the Batu Caves is one of the most impressive ones! This is why we started our first full day in Kuala Lumpur with a Batu Caves adventure! 

If you haven’t been to Batu Caves, then let me describe to you why it is so fascinating there! You will be greeted by a giant, humongous golden statue, which, by the way, is the tallest statue in Malaysia, standing at 140 feet in height! 

But before you can get to the Hindu temples inside the limestone-covered cave, you should first go up a flight of rainbow stairs with a total of 262 steps! How amazing, artistic, and cool, right? 

Now, you might be wondering; why is this flight of steps part of the itinerary for 60-year-old tourists? Well, who is not up for an adventure, right? 

Can you believe it that three of our seniors made it all the way to the top? We’re talking about my 71-year-old mom, my 69-year-old dad, and Emman’s 73-year-old aunt! We call them THE FINISHERS!

Wooow! Amazing and impressive, right! 

Some of our seniors tried to go up, and they managed to get to the middle! Fairly impressive for their age and their knee health, right? Way to go! We call them THE RUNNERS-UP! 

Ready for the adventure? Watch this video to see our seniors in action! 

Monkey Troubles

There are many monkeys wandering around the vicinity of Batu Caves. Most of them are harmless, but all of them are extremely fascinated with plastic bags. If they see you holding a plastic bag, they will run to you and snatch it from you! I think they equate a plastic bag with food. We saw monkeys snatching plastic bags with flowers and souvenirs from tourists, and it’s scary how monkeys get aggressive when they see a plastic bag.

Respectful Attire

Batu Caves is home to Hindu temples. So, if you are planning to go to the cave, regardless if you are going inside the temple or not, make sure that you are in respectful and decent attire. This includes tops that cover the shoulders and bottoms that cover the knees. Otherwise, you will need to rent a sarong from the entrance, which may be unwashed and dirty! 

Following the dress code is a simple way of respecting the Hindu religion. Both men and women should have their knees and shoulders covered. You can wear shoes inside the cave, but you must remove them once you enter their place of worship. Taking pictures around the caves and inside the temple is allowed, but of course, please demonstrate respectful behaviour as there are worshippers around the place. 

Plenty of Tourists

Batu Caves remain to be one of the most visited places in Kuala Lumpur. Visiting this place is almost always in the itinerary of every tourist. So, expect that there are plenty of people who will be with you during your visit. But, if you are like us who wants to avoid the huge crowds of tourists, go at around 8 am. Actually, Batu Caves opens at 6 am, so if you can go earlier, the less crowded it is. We just went at 8 am because our senior tourists needed to eat breakfast first before our trip. 

The colorful staircase leading to the Batu caves has 262 steps! Whew! That’s a lot! There will be a lot of walking needed, so if you are planning to become a finisher, I suggest that you plan for this and practice walking up and down the stairs every day. This will increase your stamina and give your leg muscles more strength needed for the climb. 

Also, wear comfortable shoes to protect your feet while walking! 

Bring snacks and water

We were travelling with seniors with medications and maintenance drugs that should be taken on schedule and with a full stomach, so we made it a point that we brought snacks and water for them. But, since there are stores at the bottom of the staircase, you can just opt to buy from them in case you do not want to bring snacks and water with you. Just make sure that plastic bags and water bottles are safe in your bag so as not to attract the attention of monkeys. 

Take lots of pictures.

Visiting the Batu Caves is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Why not take pictures with the golden statue and the rainbow staircase, right? Make sure that your angles are right so that you take a complete photo of the statue! 

We spent around 2 hours at Batu Caves. We took pictures with the golden statue before deciding to go up the rainbow staircase. The finishers were so amazed with having been able to conquer the steps! They were also mesmerized with the limestones and the Hindu temple lying atop the cave. We ended our Batu Caves experience with a drink of fresh coconuts from the store and of course, more pictures! 

I hope you enjoyed this blog! Subscribe to Team Tala Travels for more!

Coming right up is our Kuala Lumpur City Tour, including a trip to Petronas Twin Towers!