Published on Jul, 2018
we were fortunate [or dare I say it smart] that as it was a public holiday we decided to get there quite early and missed the horrendous traffic queues we spotted trying to get there as we were leaving. And even then it was already packed in there. It took us 20 mins from the KL centre but I would suggest allowing double that to even an hour if you suspect you've missed that early time slot.
On the walk to the caves there were lots of stalls with strings of flowers some small some huge. It was explained to us by our driver these are offerings. There was no hard sell by the stall holders and the one I purchased was inexpensive ...you can have a bit of choice for $10 or under.
The statue was awe inspiring ... having seen so many pictures it was hard to register she was actually right there... I was there!
The 272 steps are a challenge due to a/ the number of them b/the amount of people on there, walking at different paces, taking selfies [in not a stop on a stairs kinda girl and wanting to reach the wider sections before resting [I mean sight seeing haha] and avoiding the monkeys was another consideration.... despite the signs people feeding them had made them very curious.
At calmer places I did turn and enjoy the view, taking some brilliant pictures of KL with the statue framing the shot but what was the bonus I hadn't expected was how beautiful the caves were in places... lots of pictures were taken.
I followed with care and respect the local people and made my offering... it was a moving experience.
the walk down was physically easier but as a tall person I was aware the stone edging was very low so you felt that a hand rail would have been saver.
but I loved the experience... and as someone ticking a bucket list being there, doing all the steps and savouring the experience provided a great sense of achievement for me.
points to note
* get there as early as you can - we would have been there 2 hours before had we known. miss the traffic, and then the crowds which would enhance the atmosphere.
*there is no charge to enter the main cave. An additional cave was available for a charge which we chose to avoid as the lines were long by then and we were very happy with the experience we had enjoyed.
* the steps are fine, 272 were broken into sections but there are less places to hold on than someone unstable would prefer [pace yourself and have a hand to hold]
* keep your bags small, zipped, and close. The monkeys [and were were warned some unscrupulous sorts] would like to help you of your belongings.
* bring a camera
* be prepared to be awe inspired... it is stunningly beautiful
