Batu Cave and Malacca

On our second day in Malaysia, we decided to go to Batu Caves which can be reached via the KTM Commuter. As always, you have to go to KL Sentral to access the train.

Batu Caves is a popular tourist attraction in Selangor. The limestone forming caves is said to be around 400 years old and was transformed into a place of Hindu Worship in 1890 by K. Thamboosamy Pillai. The cave is said to be one of the most popular Hindu shrine outside India and is dedicated to Lord Murugan.

When we arrived in Batu Caves, there were so many Indian people. Just near the entrance was a tent wherein the Indian people are huddled together either lining up for food or eating. There were also a lot of people worshiping inside the shrines so we decided not to go in. 

50 foot tall statue of Hanuman, the monkey god

The most pictured attraction in the complex is the gigantic statue of Lord Murugan.The statue was completed in 2006 and costs 2.5 million MYR. It stands at 140 feet high and considered as the tallest statue of Lord Murugan in the world and the tallest Hindu deity in Malaysia.  

They said that the Batu Caves experience would not be complete if you do not climb the 272 concrete steps leading to the temple caves. If I were with friends, I would probably been coaxed into going up but since I was with equally lazy people (meaning my mom and my sister), we just went a few steps, took some obligatory pictures then went back to Kuala Lumpur. My sister would also be returning back to Manila in the afternoon so I guess this is also a good excuse why we did not go up.

entry way to the cave's steps

I wouldn't bother telling you about the afternoon and night of day 2. It was not worth telling. Hahaha

On our third day, we woke up to a very rainy Kuala Lumpur. We were actually thinking whether to still go to Malacca (Melaka) or sulk in Kuala Lumpur. But then, we realized that we would be wasting our time if we stayed so we decided to go despite the rain. From the KL Sentral, we rode the KLIA transit to Bandar Tasik Selatan where we would ride a bus to Malacca.

The Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS) in Bandar Tasik Selatan is probably the biggest and best bus station I have seen so far. It was so clean, pristine and modern. It's even better than the LCCT (no offense LCCT). The TBS is meant to service the buses travelling to the South such as Malacca and Johor Bahru.

The bus ride to Malacca took more than two hours despite the smooth ride. We were hoping that the weather would be much better as we travel to our destination; we were disappointed . We reached Melaka Sentral a little before noon. We hired a taxi for 20 MYR to bring us to the city center of Malacca.

Malacca or Melaka in Malay is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Malaysia. The city used to be the seat of the earliest Malay Sultanates before the monarchy was abolished by the Portuguese conqueror in 1511. Malacca also became a colony by the Dutch, as well as the British. Malacca became a British Colony from 1826-1946 and became a part of the Malayan Union after the Crown Colony left.

We asked the driver to drop us in Jonker Walk. This area is actually known among antique collectors. If one is looking for authentic artifacts and relics as old as 300 years old, this is a probably good place to look. You can also find cafes and restaurants in this area. The buildings in this area seems to be greatly influenced by Chinese culture maybe because this is where the Malay and Chinese do their trading in the old days.

When in Malacca, you shouldn't miss the famous chicken rice balls. I was actually dubious if I would be happy eating them because the balls were rather tiny. So I suggest that if you have a big appetite, try ordering 2-3 plates of rice balls. The place where we ate was tiny and a bit dirty but we were so hungry, we didn't mind it anymore.

As I have the tendency to get cranky when its raining and I need to walk under it, I was speeding up our tour. We had to miss some places because it was hard walking wearing plastic for a raincoat. 

The Tan Beng Swee clock tower was erected in 1886 and was given to the people of Malacca by a Chinese named Tan Jiak Kim to fulfill a promise to his father Tan Beng Swee

The Christ Church in Dutch Square is said to be the oldest protestant church in Malaysia. It was built by the Portuguese to be a Roman Catholic Church. However, after the downfall of the Portuguese, the Dutch transformed all the churches into a Dutch Reformed Church. The Christ Church eventually became an Anglican church when the British took over.

During the 13th to 16th century, Malacca port served as the international trading port between the East (China, Southeast Asia) and the West (Indian, Arabian and European traders). Many of the traders before believe that the Malacca port is a strategic location for trading. It was also located in the narrowest point of the Straits of Malacca so the Malay Sultanate is able to control the ships.

The Melaka Sultana Watermill was built in 2007 to remind the people of the glory days of Malacca as well as the evolution of civilization.

This big ship is the Maritime Museum or the Muzium Samudera Fasa Satu. It is a replica of  Flora de Lamar, the flagship of the Portuguese conqueror, Alfonso d’ Albuquerque. The said ship sank in the coast of Malacca as it was heading out to Portugal, carrying looted treasures. The Flora de Lamar is said to be the richest sunken treasure yet to be found. 

As it was already 3:00 PM, we decided to go back to Kuala Lumpur. Due to traffic, we arrived in KL Sentral around 6:00 PM. We dropped by Sentral Market to check some things then returned to our hotel to pack our bags as we are scheduled to go home the next day.

Overall, Malaysia was a good place to see especially if you are planning to visit the nearby states. If you're more into shopping rather than culture, Kuala Lumpur would be okay as it is a shopping haven and also offers a glimpse of the culture of Malaysia. However, if you really want see and experience the rich culture of the country, better go to the other states, specifically Penang and Malacca. Would I still go back to Malaysia? Probably yes. When the LCCT is better, I would definitely go back and visit Malacca again plus Penang.