A trip to Malaysia takes you to a two-part state in Southeast Asia. The western part is on the Malay Peninsula, the eastern part on the island of Borneo, with the South China Sea in between. In terms of landscape, both parts are similar – in terms of population, however, east and west differ greatly, because only around 20% of the inhabitants live in the east of Malaysia, whereas the west, which is a lot smaller in terms of area, is very densely populated with 80% of the total population Impressions of the multicultural coexistence in the state even stronger. In addition to many different ethnic groups, in Malaysia you will often come across a varied architectural mix that resulted from the occupation of the British, Portuguese and Dutch.

Batu Caves

Sacred caves in Malaysia

According to topschoolsintheusa, Kuala Lumpur is one of the popular destinations when traveling through Malaysia. The city offers an abundance of historical and modern attractions and is a good starting point for other special sights such as the Batu Caves of Selangor.

The sacred caves are located in a limestone mountain range around 13 km north of the city limits of Kuala Lumpur. They are a Hindu pilgrimage site, a destination for study trips and a tourist magnet.

Batu Caves with Hindu shrines

The Batu Caves are located above the Batu River in a large limestone massif. The age of the caves is estimated to be 400 million years. They were discovered in 1892 and are among the largest Hindu temples outside of India. Over the decades, the three main caves and two sinuses have been expanded and opened to visitors. Other cave systems are habitats for endangered animal and plant species and are not open to the public.

At the foot of the limestone mountains, two smaller caves have been converted into an art gallery and a sacred museum. Guarded by a 42 m high statue of the Hindu god Murugan, 272 steps lead to the main cave.
The so-called “cathedral” is up to 100 m high and 400 m long. There you will find the imposing main shrine and some side shrines for the deity Murugan.
In front of the smaller Ramayana Cave is the 15 m high statue of the monkey god Hanuman. According to legend, this god helped Prince Rama to free his wife Sitah. In the main complex there is another cave with shrines for Hindu gods.

Visits outside of the Thaipusam festival possible daily

The Thaipusam Festival takes place in Malaysia at the end of January every year. At this point, thousands of pilgrims from all over the country visit the important shrine in the Batu Caves. The caves are only closed to tourists on these days. Outside of the Hindu festival, the Batu Caves are open daily with free admission. Visitors should watch out for macaque monkeys that live in the caves and are often intrusive when foraging.

Meanwhile, the limestone cliffs have also become a popular destination for climbers, who will find several paths with different levels of difficulty.

Cameron Highlands

The name “Cameron Highlands” makes many travel enthusiasts think of Scotland first. In fact, it was a Scot, namely the surveyor William Cameron, who was the first to map the highland area, which was later named after him, in 1885. Not in the Highlands of Scotland, however, but in the middle of the Malay Peninsula. With an area of ​​around 700 square kilometers, the Cameron Highlands, which today form a district in the Sultanate of Pahang, are roughly the size of Hamburg. There are just 35,000 residents in the district. The largest place is the town of Tanah Rata (7,000 inhabitants). This city, which is also the seat of government, is also an ideal starting point for hikes. Geologically, the area of ​​the Cameron Highlands, which is about 220 km north of the state capital Kuala Lumpur, is up to 2.

Because of its unusually moderate climatic conditions for Malaysian standards, the area is not only considered an excellent tea, vegetable and fruit growing region. The Cameron Highlands are also of great importance in terms of tourism. Even the British colonial officials appreciated the highlands, also known as the “Green Bowl of Malaysia”, as a place to relax. The Cameron Highlands, which are well developed for tourism, now offer many different types of accommodation, from large modern hotels to traditional guest houses. And the British even left their preferences. The classic tea time is offered in numerous cafés.

The impressive nature here in one of the oldest forests in Malaysia can be experienced particularly well on hiking tours. We recommend, for example, a tour to the highest regional peak, the Gunung Batu Brinchang, which towers 2,023 m near Tanah Rata. Excursions to the Robinson and Parit waterfalls are also recommended. With luck, a blooming specimen of the world’s largest flower genus can be discovered on a jungle tour: the rafflesia can reach a flower diameter of one meter.

The holidaymaker should definitely visit tea plantations and factories in the Cameron Highlands and take part in a tea tasting there. Sights in the area include the old Chinese Sam Poh temple near Brinchang. In Brinchang, the night market is also worth a visit.

Temperatures are relatively stable all year round and there are a few rainy days every month, making the Cameron Highlands a good year-round destination.