Batu Caves

KL-Sentral provides excellent connectivity to Batu Caves. You can catch KTM-Commuter train to Batu caves. I have given the pictures of the platform & train below. Tickets are 2 Ringgit per person.

Batu Caves is the last stop on the section. Once you alight you have to walk briefly through the passage where several small vendors selling souvenirs are found. A huge Hanuman statue welcomes you at the entrance.

I have given above the view from the pavement of the Hanuman statue & side view of the hills. Once you walk about 100 meters you can have an excellent view of the huge idol of Lord Muruga.

You can see the steps besides the idol, which takes you to Batu Caves. You can find Lots of Pigeons in the court yard in front of idol of Lord Muruga. Please do not carry plastic bags, since they will be snatched by the monkeys on the steps. Some monkeys even bite & harm you. Always move in a group when you are climbing upstairs. There are about 400 steps to reach the top. I have given the photos of the entrance to Batu caves below

The temple of Lord Muruga is located inside the caves. Since some renovations works were going during the time i visited ( October 2015), lot of construction materials were scattered hither & thither. 

You can find shops selling souvenirs near the entrance arch of the Batu caves too. Length of visit can take up to 1 to 2 hrs. 

Enchanting Kualalumpur

I took the Air Asia flight from Chennai (MAA) to Kualalumpur (KUL). Air Asia flights arrive & depart from KLIA-2, ie, Kualalumpur International Airport 2. It is very far from the heart of the city. The best way to commute is by Skybus. They operate from Basement level of KLIA-2. Once you finish your Customs & Immigration check, you can get down to basement level. A single journey fare from KLIA-2 to KL-Sentral costs Malaysian Ringgit 10 ( RM 10). The journey takes about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on the traffic. If you are travelling by cab it will cost around RM 80 - RM 100 from KLIA-2 to KL-Sentral.

Once the bus reached KL-Sentral, its just five minutes walk to my hotel located at Jalan Tun Sambandhan. The Nu Sentral Mall, which is a big shopping mall is the connectivity hub those who want to catch KLIA-Ekspress to Airport or KTM-Commuter to Batu caves or KL-Rapid express to other parts of the city.

The mono rail station is also situated just opposite to Nu Sentral Mall, which is located in Jalan Tun Sambandhan. Jalan Tun Sambandhan is full of spicy restaurants of different cuisines. You can find South Indian, North Indian, Chinese & Oriental restaurants side by side.

THAI TOURISM MAY BE AFFECTED DUE TO THE CURRENT POLITICAL UNREST

The  current political conflict may affect the Thai tourism industry if the situation is not put under control before the first quarter of next year.

So far, according to official sources there had been no cancellations of air tickets and hotels have been reported among tourists heading to Bangkok and areas with major attractions.

19 countries have issued travel advisories for their citizens to avoid visiting areas near protests in the capital.

The travel warnings came from Britain, France, Sweden, Japan, Taiwan, Canada, Austria, Israel, Brazil, Singapore, Belgium, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, Hungary, Spain, Finland, Italy and Slovakia. 

                                                    Photo Courtesy :  Ed Wray / Getty Images

But Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in an address marking his 86th birthday, called on his people to do their duty "for stability, security of our nation" in an apparent reference to ongoing anti-government protests.

VISA ON ARRIVAL : A COMPLETE GUIDE

As you must be aware, Thailand is one of the 20 countries, which provides Visa On Arrival ( VOA ) to Indian passport holders. Once you alight from your aircraft, walk to the visa on arrival desk. (A in the picture given above). You can collect and fill the visa on arrival form. This counter is open 24 hours. You can also choose between regular queue (B) or premium or express queue (C). Additional 200 THB for the premium queue. You can use this option if you are in a hurry to get out. This is practically a waste of money, if more aircraft from India & China, land at the same time & both the queues will be having almost the same no. of passengers. You have to show 10000 Bahts for a single traveller or 20,000 Bahts for a family, as evidence of monetary support during your stay at Thailand. Your travel documents will be checked at (B) or (C ) depending on the queue you choose. The officer there will issue you a token with your number on it. Kindly make sure that you fill the form properly otherwise the visa officer will ask you to start again at the queue. You can relax at the waiting area (D) until your number is called at the immigration desk (E) Once your number is called, proceed to area (E). This is where you will pay the visa fee (1900THB). The office here will paste the visa sticker and stamp the visa. Once It is over, you will find the baggage area just behind the immigration counter(F) You can find lot of taxis & Tuk-Tuks waiting outside Gates 1 - 10, unless you have a reserved accomodation & the transportation is provided by your hotel. You can also avail the Airport Skytrain direct link for arriving at downtown Bangkok.

GETTING AROUND IN BANGKOK : MY WAY

My First day in Thailand dawned with my arrival at Suvarnabhoomi Airport, Bangkok from Chennai, India. Since I am a bit of explorative guy, I opted to find my own way to Howard Square Boutique hotel, where I had a reservation. Prior to my departure, I had explored the route maps of Bangkok through Google Earth & roughly calculated the distances. It was around 27 kilometers from the Airport to my hotel. I hired a taxi and after a little bit of negotiation, the driver guy settled for 900 Bahts. Similar distance by cab in India would have cost me more than that. I arrived at the Hotel after an hour. The way in which Thai people speak English is little bit different. I have to strain my ears to catch the phrases. Once settled in my room, I started to explore the neighborhood by walk. Howard Square hotel is situated at Bangkna area in Bangkok, which is almost a remote location. The only good thing is, it is having a nice restaurant & bar by name B-Oak in the vicinity. You can get several Indian dishes there. For short distances Motor Cycle Transport is there, wherein you can pay 10 or 15 Bahts for short distances such as 1 or 2 kilometers. Tuk-Tuks are also a better option for short travels in Bangkok, which is also economical. It is really difficult for a vegetarian to survive in Bangkok, since you can find shops selling meat everywhere. You have to survive mainly on Fruits, till you get yourself adapted to Thai Veg food, which in fact is very spicy. Another better option to move around in Bangkok is by Sky Train, where you can get One day pass. You can find the exact fares in my earlier posts. Some hotels offer the free cab drop to the nearest Sky Train station at specified hours. I will take you through the major attractions and malls in Bangkok in my upcoming posts.

ANGKORWAT - ARCHITECTURAL MARVEL

ANGKORWAT - HISTORY The Temple of Angkor Wat was dedicated to the Hindu God Vishnu by King Suryavarman II, who reigned between AD 1131 and 1150. The Temple was constructed over a period of 30 years, and illustrates some of the most beautiful examples of Khmer and Hindu art. Covering an area of about 81 hectares, the complex consists of five towers, which are presently shown on the Cambodian national flag. These towers are believed to represent the five peaks of Mount Meru, the Home of Gods and Center of the Hindu Universe. Angkor Wat features the ancient Hindu Architecture in the world, which runs along the outer gallery walls, narrating stories from Hindu Mythology. Located about 7 km away from Siem Reap, the Angkor Wat Temple rises out of the ground like a big mountain. Ad measuring about 200 meters each side of a square at the base, the temple is surrounded by a huge moat which must be at least a mile long on each side. It is in an area of Cambodia where there is an important group of ancient structures. It is the southernmost of Angkor's main sites. The initial design and construction of the temple took place in the first half of the 12th century, during the reign of Suryavarman II (ruled 1113 – c. 1150). Dedicated to Shiva, it was built as the king's state temple and capital city. As neither the foundation stela nor any contemporary inscriptions referring to the temple have been found, its original name is unknown, but it may have been known as Vrah Vishnu-lok ( literally "Holy Vishnu'-Location'", Old Khmer' Cl. Sanskrit). after the presiding deity. Work seems to have ended shortly after the king's death, leaving some of the bas-relief decoration unfinished. In 1177, approximately 27 years after the death of Suryavarman II, Angkor was sacked by the Chams, the traditional enemies of the Khmer. Thereafter the empire was restored by a new king, Jayavarman VII, who established a new capital and state temple Angkor Thom and the Bayon respectively) a few kilometres to the north. Henri Mouhot popularised the temple in the west in the mid 19th-century. In the late 13th century, Angkor Wat gradually moved from Hindu to Theravada Buddhist use, which continues to the present day. Angkor Wat is unusual among the Angkor temples in that although it was somewhat neglected after the 16th century it was never completely abandoned, its preservation being due in part to the fact that its moat also provided some protection from encroachment by the jungle.

HINDU GODS OF BANGKOK

Erawan Shrine : Erawan is the name of the mythical Hindu elephant which was Rama's mount. This is the name of a Hindu Shrine depicting the image of Phra Phrom. It is also a Brahmin Shrine. Similar four headed gold plated images of Rama can be seen often in Thailand particularly out side large hotel buildings. This is not to be confused with the Thai Spirit Houses also often placed in front of buildings. The Trimurthy Shrine : This shrine includes the three pillars of Hindu Gods, Brahma the Creator, Shiva the Destroyer and Vishnu the Preserver. The image is in bronze and is gold plated. Narayana on Garuda : There is a statue of Narayana astride Garuda in front of Intercontinental Hotel, Bangkok. Mahalakshmi Statue : At Bangkok's Gaysorn Plaza, and you have an interesting view from there over the sky train construction, and surrounding building such as the Central World Plaza. Thai people pray to Lakshmi for wealth, although this is the only shrine which is well hidden.