ANYONE who struggles with heights and humidity may feel a little intimidated standing at the base of Kuala Lumpur’s Batu Caves on a hot day.
Staring up at those steep 272 steps that disappear into the limestone hill, with the gold Murugan statue towering over you, it feels like you have quite a task ahead of you, particularly if you haven’t done any cardio for a while.
But it is worth it. Maybe just don’t look down until you get to the top.
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READ NOWThe frolicking monkeys are a great distraction from the burn in the thigh muscles as you get higher and higher up the staircase.
It is an opportunity to get some great shots of the animals, with the city in the background – but be warned, they move quick as lighting.
If there are a few of them in a group, they like to play around for the tourists, putting on a bit of an entertainment show.
If you do manage to keep your back to the view on the way up the stairs, finally seeing it when you reach the peak, it feels even more special.
As if you have saved the best for last after working hard to earn it.
Despite there being hundreds of tourists that pass through every day, the inside of the cave is surprisingly serene.
Look up and the view is amazing, the sun streaming through the opening above which is surrounded by tree canopies, reminiscent of the caves in Margaret River.
The main attraction for worshippers and tourists is the Hindu shrine inside, which is one of the most popular ones outside India
After this sightseeing stop which doubles as a workout, one could follow up with a the dichotomy of architecture in the modern, iconic Petronas Twin Towers or the Royal King’s Palace, built in 1928 and the official residence of the King of Malaysia.
AirAsia flies daily to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia from Perth with 14 flights per week.
From Kuala Lumpur, AirAsia has up to 11 flights daily to Bangkok, Thailand.
The journalist was a guest of AirAsia.