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A Trip to Batu Caves
On a day off from my language school, I decided to visit Batu Caves, a significant Hindu religious site famous for its colorful stairs and the colossal statue of Lord Murugan, attracting tourists from all over.
I had previously gathered information from my classmates at the language school, and it seemed they had used Grab to get there. However, Grab is more cost-effective when sharing with multiple people, and for a solo trip, taking the train seemed like the economical choice, so I opted for the KTM Commuter.
The KTM Commuter departs from KL Sentral Station. If you're traveling, you might be staying around KL Sentral Station, but the KTM Commuter is also accessible from stations it stops at along the way.
This time, I boarded the train at Bank Negara Station. It's a station where you can transfer by foot from the LRT Bandaraya Station. There's a SOGO department store right in front of the station, which can serve as a landmark. (Unfortunately, SOGO wasn't open that morning, so I'd like to visit next time.)
You can refer to this blog for how to transfer.
To ride the KTM Commuter, you can either buy a ticket at the station (I didn't buy one, but it's probably a token) or use the Malaysian pass called "Touch 'n Go." Since many people head to Batu Caves, there were handwritten signs at the platform directing passengers to Batu Caves.
In reality, there were several tourists, so you can be sure this is the right platform. Moreover, the last stop is "Batu Caves," so you can just ride until the end.
Batu Caves
The KTM Commuter ride takes about 30 minutes. After getting off the train, you simply follow the path. There are street vendors selling souvenirs and bottled water, making it easy to identify.
By the way, I don't think there were toilets immediately around Batu Caves, so I recommend using the restroom at the station before heading there. However, the toilet I used was of the squatting type, so if you prefer Western-style toilets, it's better to use one sooner.
Then, you'll come across the giant statue and the staircase as shown in the photo above! There are 272 steps, and they were colorfully painted like this in 2018.
It's quite steep, as you can see from the photo. Plus, there are monkeys. These monkeys are accustomed to people, but they might try to snatch your belongings... though I didn't feel any danger.
Since it's a religious site, those wearing shorts need to wrap a scarf around their waist. It was RM5 (if I remember correctly) and from reading other blogs, it seems they also collect RM2 during the return. So, to keep costs down, it's better to wear long pants.
Despite initially expecting the staircase to be tiring, I breezed through it!
When you reach the top, the cave looks like this. On the right side, Hindu devotees are offering prayers. I had never encountered Hindu culture while in Japan, but I was drawn to the colorful statues.
Moreover, people making pilgrimages to Batu Caves climb the 272 steps barefoot (there's a separate entrance for pilgrims where they remove their shoes). Some even crawl on their knees as they ascend. It's not something to gawk at, but it was an enlightening cultural experience.
Afterward, if it's lunchtime, you can have a meal at a local cafe on the square. I used Grab to head to the National Zoo of Malaysia.
Is KTM Commuter Slow?
Afterward, when I told the locals that I had taken the KTM Commuter, they said, "It was slow, wasn't it?" It turns out it's the slowest train.
Indeed, the KTM Commuter, with its cool name, is quite slow, stops at many stations on the way to Batu Caves, and I found that a bit surprising as I rode it.
Using Grab is convenient, but it might be interesting to give the KTM Commuter a try and experience its "slowness" for yourself.
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