Most people I know treat Kuala Lumpur as a shopping stop: Bukit Bintang, the malls, a photo with the Petronas Towers and then off to the airport. On my last trip in December I wanted something different, so my friend and I spent one full day split into two halves: the morning at Batu Caves, just outside the city, and the afternoon walking around KL’s old town, from Merdeka Square to Chinatown. It turned out to be the best day of the whole trip.
December is the rainy season in KL, which in practice meant hot, sticky mornings and a thunderstorm most afternoons. If you plan the day the same way, outdoors first and the old town later, the weather works with you rather than against you.
Morning: Batu Caves
Getting There
The cheapest way is the KTM Komuter train from KL Sentral to the last stop, Batu Caves. The ride takes about 30 minutes and costs only a couple of ringgit, but trains are not very frequent, so check the timetable or you may wait half an hour on the platform. We were short on time and took a Grab instead. A ride of around ten kilometres was cheap.
The Golden Statue and the Rainbow Stairs
The giant golden statue of Lord Murugan beside the rainbow-coloured stairs at Batu Caves
Batu Caves is one of the most important Hindu shrines outside India, and the first thing you see is the enormous golden statue of Lord Murugan, around 43 metres tall, standing in front of a limestone cliff. Next to it are the famous 272 steps, painted in bright stripes of every colour. They look cheerful in photos, but the colours do not make the climb any easier. In the morning heat it took us about fifteen minutes with a few stops to catch our breath.
The plaza at the bottom is full of pigeons, and the stairs are full of long-tailed macaques. They look cute and are used to people, but they are also professional thieves. We saw one grab a plastic bottle straight out of a visitor’s hand. Keep food and drinks inside your bag and do not carry anything loose in your hands.
Macaque monkeys sitting on the steps at Batu Caves
Inside the Temple Cave
At the top, the Temple Cave opens into a huge chamber, much bigger than I expected, with colourful shrines and statues everywhere. The air inside is humid, but the best moment is looking up: daylight pours in through an opening high in the roof and falls softly onto the temple below. The limestone here is said to be around 400 million years old.
Sunlight streaming through the roof of the Temple Cave at Batu Caves
Before you visit, remember it is a working temple. Shorts and sleeveless tops are not allowed, so wear long trousers or a long skirt and a T-shirt with sleeves. The separate Dark Cave tour needs a ticket, and it was full when we arrived, so book ahead if you are interested. Also avoid the Thaipusam festival in late January or early February unless you specifically want the crowds.
Afternoon: KL Old Town on Foot
Merdeka Square
Back in the city, we started at Merdeka Square (Dataran Merdeka), the huge lawn where Malaysia‘s independence was declared. In the middle of the day it was almost empty, and a very tall flagpole with the Malaysian flag stands at one end. Facing the lawn is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, completed in 1897, with copper domes, Moorish arches and a clock tower that locals like to compare to Big Ben. With the new skyscrapers rising behind it, it makes a great photo of old and new KL together.
The Sultan Abdul Samad Building and its clock tower across the lawn of Merdeka Square with skyscrapers behind
Masjid Jamek and the River of Life
A few minutes’ walk away, Masjid Jamek, the oldest mosque in Kuala Lumpur, sits right where the Klang and Gombak rivers meet. The riverbanks have been cleaned up and redesigned as the River of Life, with walkways and mist sprayers in the daytime and a light show after dark. If you want to go inside the mosque, women need to cover their hair, shoulders and legs and men their legs, and robes can be borrowed for free at the entrance.
Masjid Jamek at the river confluence with mist rising over the River of Life
From there, a short walk along the river took us past some striking murals on old buildings to Central Market, an air-conditioned Art Deco hall full of handicrafts and souvenirs. Even if you buy nothing, it is a pleasant place to cool down.
Kwai Chai Hong
Next we crossed into Chinatown to find Kwai Chai Hong, a tiny restored lane whose name roughly means “little ghost lane”. One story says it comes from the children who used to play here in the old days. The lane has been brought back to life by a local team with murals showing scenes of 1960s Kuala Lumpur and strings of red lanterns. Honestly, it is very short and can be crowded, but the murals are charming, and the surrounding streets have colourful shophouses, bars and cafés that look even better when the lights come on in the evening. The nearest station is Pasar Seni.
A mural of a couple seen from behind on a yellow wall in Kwai Chai Hong
Yellow shophouse with blue shutters and lanterns near Kwai Chai Hong lane
Right by the entrance is Ho Kow Hainam Kopitiam, a famous old coffee shop known for kaya toast and Hainanese coffee. The queue is serious, so take a number first and wander around the lane while you wait.
Petaling Street and Dinner
Petaling Street itself is a covered market street. To be honest, most of what is sold here is cheap copies, so I would come for the atmosphere and the food rather than the shopping. Our dinner was at Kim Lian Kee on Jalan Hang Lekir, a well-known stall for Hokkien mee: thick noodles fried in dark soy sauce with crispy pork lard. We also shared some fried dumplings filled with prawn paste.
A plate of dark Hokkien mee noodles at Kim Lian Kee in Chinatown
Tips for This Day Plan
- Start early at Batu Caves to beat the heat and the tour buses.
- Dress for temples and mosques: covered knees and shoulders work everywhere.
- Use Grab for longer hops and walk within the old town.
- Carry an umbrella in December for the afternoon storms.
Final Thoughts
I had always thought of Kuala Lumpur as a modern city of towers and malls, but this day showed me a much older side of it. A golden statue in front of a cave, a colonial clock tower, a mosque on a river bend and a plate of noodles in Chinatown, all in one day. I will be back for the Dark Cave next time.
