In perfect symmetry stands one of the most ancient, celebrated and visited sites in Kuala Lumpur, the magnificent combination between a natural wonder and dedication of faith is mind-blowing. The mesmerizing 140 foot tall golden painted statue is the gleaming entrance to the Limestone caves. A moving and historical site perfect for our 12 hours in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! 

As you are aware Neil and I like to make the most out of long haul stop overflights; instead of being bored silly waiting around the airport for that awkward amount of time use it to your advantage. Extend it even! Just keep in mind our top tips on having a successful stopover, set yourself a clear plan, research the best way to do it and DON’T be late for your connecting international flight; this is a very expensive exercise. Check out the full rundown at 12 hours in

12 hours in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Step 1 on a stopover; choose the main objective; we decided we wanted to see the Batu Caves. These stopovers are a fantastic way to get an express sneak peek of a city; however, you have to be smart about it and be mindful of your time constraints. On a timeline like ours, we did not have the luxury of being able to take our time from the airport or make our own way using public transport. However, It is completely accessible from the airport as there are plenty of public transport options available; we chose to pay a bit more money for the luxury of being able to tailor-make our day.

The best place to start is to do some research; have a look at day trip options and compare what they include. Viator is a great company; who have an extensive range of day trips, a couple of day trips, sightseeing tours and tickets to attractions. Check out  www.viator.com

Private car to explore the city

The tour we chose was the Private Kuala Lumpur Layover Tour: City Sightseeing with airport transfers the key words there! Airport transfers, in our case we wanted someone to pick us up and drop us back off at the airport. The tour was about $50 each at the time, we have found in our travels that sometimes it is best to pay a little bit more for the convenience and comfort of a private tour.

The Viator tour was fantastic and we cannot recommend this particular tour enough, the driver/guide was there waiting for us at the airport. We were led to an air-conditioned minivan (which in summer is defiantly needed) this is where we started our day. From the airport to the caves took about an hour (we hit really heavy traffic). As you are driving towards the cave the first thing that catches your eye is the gigantic statue guarding the steps; the whole atmosphere of the place is vibrant and exciting. This is a sacred and religious place so you need to be mindful of your outfit and dress accordingly. Ladies, you must ensure you have pants or a skirt that covers your knees; no short shorts! You do have the option to pay for the use of a scarf that you can wrap around you.

Batu Caves

One of nature’s true mysteries, these incredible limestone caves have been changing and evolving over millions of years now a place of worship for the Hindu faith. People have been captivated by the beauty of the caves and to this day the whole area is a major pilgrimage site for followers. Standing strong and proud outside the caves is a 42m high golden painted statue of Lord Murugan, who is one of the most worshipped Hindu Gods.

The main temple sits 400 feet in the air protected by limestone caves; it is a casual 272 steps to reach the top! The stairs are not as bad as it sounds; it is defiantly worth the climb to the top and just remember its classed as leg day so two birds one stone.

Monkeys Gangs; don’t be fooled by their cuteness; they will rob you!

Many cheeky monkeys have decided to make the caves their home; they have no respect for you; your belongings; religious beliefs or worshipers. These monkeys are very intelligent and resourceful; they work like gangs and often have an accomplice hiding in the trees; the monkey on the grounds sets their sights for the unsuspecting tourists; bam quicker than a flash of light they pounce stealing whatever they can. Sunglasses, handbags, drinks basically anything shiny; the item is tossed into thin air where the accomplice monkey grabs it and disappears like Houdini. This all sounds like a hilarious story out of a kids book however it is real; do not underestimate the monkeys because they will most defiantly take advantage of you.

Some tips for avoiding the Monkey Gangs

• Have nothing in your pockets; keep your bag zipped up and on the front of your body at all times
• They like shiny things which means phones and camera; attach a neck strap or wrist strap to your device- just in case
• Don’t put your sunnies on your head, put them in your bag for the walk up to the top
• Do not feed the monkeys, they just keep coming back for more even when the food has run out; if you know what I mean.

After you have sidestepped your way up the 272 stairs past the monkeys is where you will find the true beauty of the caves; the main Cave also known as Temple Cave or Cathedral cave is breathtaking; the high ceilings, stag mites and vast space that makes up the area is incredible.

Trapdoor Spider anyone? no me either

About halfway down the stairs is the entrance to the Dark Cave which is not for the faint-hearted; it is a labyrinth of cave systems that are said to be home to one of the rarest spiders in the world; the Trapdoor Spider. You can only go into the Dark Cave with a guide, pre-booking is essential as it is not always available; during the tour, the guide will provide educational facts about the 100’s animal species that live inside the caves.  Going into a dark cave with only a headlight; not being able to see the footsteps in front of you and the possibility of meeting a Trapdoor spider is not my cup of tea however for the fearless I am sure it is a thrill.

At the base of the stairs is a touristy market; great souvenirs local treats and food; lovely to walk around with the smells of spices and incense in the air. The tour continued through to the Royal Kings Palace; first, you come across is the Railway Admin building and the National Mosque. The architecture and beauty of these buildings are amazing; designed with such elegance for the people. As you get closer to the palace you can see Independence square where the first national flag of the country is flying proudly. On the way back to the airport our driver asked if we wanted to swing past and see a Chinese Temple; never say no to opportunities as you never know what kind of experience you are going to get.

Thean Hou Temple

Perched on top of a hill overlooking the city was the Thean Hou Temple; this building is absolutely magnificent the detail and design of every inch of this place was like a work of art. Chinese lanterns lined the main square; both welcoming and mesmerizing; not to mention the breathtaking view of the city from the top of the hill. The Thean Hou Temple is one of the oldest and largest temples in Southeast Asia; devotees and visitors alike all burn joss sticks in prayer. The temple hosts weddings and many festivals during Chinese New Year thousands of people visit the temple to pray. Even if you are not religious this Temple is absolutely beautiful; in the gardens surrounding the temple is a garden of horoscopes where you can find life-sized statues of your horoscopes sign.

12 Hour stop in Kuala Lumpur

After a quick zip past the city; our time was up and we had to head back to the airport! Remember it’s an expensive exercise missing your international flight so leave yourself plenty of time to get back to the airport and repeat the check-in process if necessary. On a 12 hour stopover; the main goal is to pick an objective and make the most of that experience. During our 12 hours in Kuala Lumpur, our objective was to see the Batu Caves; which was well worth the stop. Having a short amount of time in a city is not necessarily a bad thing it leaves the opportunity open to see if you want to return to that city or not.

Kuala Lumpur intrigued us; it was an interesting combination between cultures, traditions and modern-day society.  Our 12 hours stop was just a taste test and we will be returning to Kuala Lumpur for a closer look.

Stay tuned for more 12 hours in posts in the meantime check out 12 hours in Houston Texas on how to visit space and eat earthly Texan ribs!