Beauty and serenity at revered Hindu shrines

Noteworthy for: The enormous gold statue just outside the caves is the world's tallest statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity.

Word to the wise: Bring some drinking water with you, as it can be difficult to find at the site.

You'll need some energy to explore one of Malaysia's most iconic cultural attractions: there are 272 rock steps to climb to reach the Temple Cave, the largest of three main caves at this revered Hindu place of worship. Before you even reach the steps, you'll have to navigate your way past numerous macaque monkeys fossicking for food, sometimes a little aggressively—don't tempt them.

Once you've scaled the steps and regained your breath, feast your eyes on the huge cave ceiling—more than 100 m off the floor—and numerous elaborate sculptures of various Hindu gods. The other caves are the Dark Cave, with its stunning rock formations, stalactites, and stalagmites, and the Art Gallery Cave, featuring wall paintings of Hindu deities.

Batu Caves lie 13 km north of Kuala Lumpur, and are serviced by Intrakota bus No 11D from the Central Market and the Cityliner bus No 69 at Jalan Pudu. You can also take the train to Batu Caves KTM station, while taxis cost around RM 25 one-way.