Bohom Travels: Layover in Malaysia
What would you do on a ten-hour layover?
It seemed that the popular thing in Kuala Lumpur was to check out the Petronas Towers. Yet, while they do look to be architecturally impressive, city viewing is not necessarily my idea of fun. Then I found a picture of the Batu Caves… and a half day tour that also included hiking with waterfalls. Why, hello there beautiful.
Flying in from New Delhi, we were extremely tired and somewhat overdressed. Our climates had changed drastically over the last few hours. When we walked outside the airport to find our guide, Paul, we entered into the tropical atmosphere of Malaysia. I was oh so glad I had worn layers on layers, allowing me to change my outfit rather quickly.
Layers are a lifesaver.
Paul met us at the airport and, from there, our adventure began…
Batu Caves
Our first spot of interest was the Batu Caves. These are massive limestone caves that are right outside of the city, in the area of Gombak. Structured just out front of the towering natural features and in front of the numerous steps is a gigantic “golden” statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity. The cave is actually one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside of India and is dedicated to Murugan, who is embodied in the statue.
When you walk into the caves, it is easy to be taken by their sheer extent. They not only continue extensively back but far up and all around you, giving the feeling of a massive open temple, which is accentuated by the open ceiling. You also may take notice of all of the construction going on within the cave. One can choose to partake in a simple volunteer system they had, where they were moving buckets of earth from one area of the cave to another. It was a simple and yet efficient idea for such a task, as they are so many who pass through the site each day. Use the manpower! A touch of karma yoga.
We toured around the cave, observing the natural beauty of the towering walls, and admired the artificial Hindu structures inside as well. Monkies were all over, dropping in from the limestone crags, chasing around food on the floors, and making everyone pay close attention to their belongings.
Walking back down the steps toward our next adventure, monkies raced around us as we enjoyed the view of the city below. Some were even sucking up milk spilled on the steps.
*Bonus * If you go here, there is another temple at the end of the parking lot where it tells a Hindu story in an interestingly designed museum. I found it to be worth the walkthrough, as it was an interesting story and how they portrayed it in such an art form was intriguing.
Hot Springs
An unexpected benefit was added to our tour when we stopped by the hot springs. Only in this past year have I became aware of the benefits of hot springs, and their natural abundance (if you know where to look). This ended up being a fantastic stop, as it left me feeling refreshed and ready for the hike to come!
There were four pools which were separated by heat; all of them so hot that people rarely go in all the way. While sharing laughs with some of the locals around one of the pools, we decided to be daring enough to soak our feet. It felt fantastic and tingly- similar to a foot detox. It was clearly more of a local destination rather than a tourist spot, which made it even more enjoyable to kick back and appreciate the serenity of the place.
Benefits of Algae:
- Aids in reducing pain and inflammation
- Heavy metal detox
- Promotes stem cell proliferation
- Potential cancer fighter
Paul even mentioned, as well as the people there confirmed, that many older residents would come there once a day rather than be on medicines. They would soak themselves in these algae hot springs and boost their health all through this natural medicine. Now, these people are on to something.
Waterfalls
Hiking through the Malaysian jungle was the top of the cake for me.
When we started out, Paul informed us that there were seven different “levels,” with most people only making it up to the fifth. As we kept going and felt the familiar body burn from the steep climb and the adrenaline high from the activity and the surrounding beauty, we decided to go all the way! I loved playing in the woods, touching trees and feeling my feet move me onward and upward with the incline. Hearing the birds and wildlife surround you, and never too far away is the rumbling of water down the falls. Up to that point, it was easily my favorite day abroad.
Time was up too soon. I could have stayed in those waters for hours, basking in the jungle and all of its wildness. Being close to nature again made me feel more like myself, like the sickness I had endured was finally fading away. Just in time for Thailand!
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein
Bohom Tips
Tour Right
We did our tour with Paul from WithLocals. He was truly over and beyond wonderful- an encyclopedia of knowledge and down for an adventure! I highly recommend him. While there are plenty of times I may opt out of having a guide, this is definitely not one of the situations. Take into account all of the knowledge a local has when it comes to getting around, laws, food, etc. Quite often, it quickly pays off to have a guide, especially one like Paul.
Paul +60107866389
Do not waste your layover.
If you find that you are going to have a long layover, instead of being upset about the “wasted” time in the airport, see what you can do to get outside of it! There are quite a view places that allow a 24-hour – month visa on the spot. Do some research, see what is out there! Opt for adventure.
