Sites in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia & Sri Lanka and Singapore Notes July-Aug 2025

Sri Lanka with our tour guide Lasitha on way to tea garden having lunch with views.

Batu caves is a huge cave w caverns 400 million years old of limestone. It was inhabited by indigenous and Chinese. In 1891 lord Murugan - the Hindu God of war and victory to start in one of the caves had taken it over for the Hindu religion in honoring the life of Rama and later his wife, Sita and war against demons. 

The story about the bow of drawn would allow him to marry Sita. She was kidnapped by Ravana many headed and Hanuman the Monkey God and excellent warrior demanded Ravana release Sita and had Hanuman’s tail lit on fire. Ravana had a sleeping giant brother that he wanted awoken to help with the war. 

Linghams were important symbols of Creation forces or energy depicted and honored which were the penis and vagina in sacred union statues with water pouring or dripping out either naturally dripping from the caves or fountains erected with water flowing.

As you walk into Batu caves; you see a huge statue of Murugan who opens his chest to show Murugan. The walkway has spirals painted ornately and some say are chakras- the energy centers of the body. Inside you see statues painted depicting Rama’s life with explanatory signs. There are no bats but pigeons sparingly flying in the cave and inlets with lights so no bats as evidence showing the drying out of the caves and wooden stairs to caverns replaced with concrete ones. You will be climbing stairs so have walking shoes and areas have chairs or hand rails especially in the meditation cavern.

Upstairs, I walk and see the enormous heights of the caves. I see on my left a small lingham and water drips on it, it looks like a concrete one and money offerings around it. I come back to an area larger and see with my spirit eyes a larger and vast area where I am show a much larger lingham was either moved or stolen during looting of the caves. The volunteer is there watching people. He seems more intuitively aware. I see monks with white marks on forehead and orange robes spirits of the past. I see Lord Rama and he looks in my eyes. He calls for harmony letting go of my own blockages to relationships to self and spouse. He tells me I am flawed and my husband but he loves me and I him. We have to let go of past. I am given lotuses as I become golden lotus as I pray and each offering of welcome from monks and devotees from their hands; I gift golden lotuses to their hands and to lord Rama. I am praying the monks and souls still there go to heaven in peace, joy and happy reunions but some choose to stay as their own divine will. I express understanding and gratitude. I ask the volunteer if a larger lingham was in the empty space to confirm and he acknowledges and smiles. 

I go to the meditation cavern where another volunteer had blind faith opens a gate to bow to Ganesha but it looks like a lingham and Ganesh is in another cavern but I pay respects and a meditation area is there and wooden seats and chairs. It is a statue of Lord Shiva in blue skin with eyes closed in lotus pose meditating and water in front.

I see into the past; altars or tables from the past with my spirit eyes of offerings and garlands, statues and ghee lamps to the sides near the walls. I meditate and send golden lotuses to Murugan’s hands and floating lotuses in the air. I feel a gentle lightening bolt and energy of purity comes within. . I see monks in orange and some white and women devotee one in ornate emerald green gold pattern saris. I see myself rebirthed by my sacred body washed by waters in Murugan’s right and opposite a funeral pyre for my body to burn and restart again. I give thanks. The golden deer faces me as I meditate before my washing and cleansing water-fire ceremony of rebirth. Hanuman is there as he was with the first encounter and again gifted him as he welcomes me with golden lotus leis and floating ones. Thank you for welcoming and accepting me I express.

I go to another cavern and a large lingham is there with pigeons. I see the images of the past monks chanting in orange with white face markings I see one with all white hair with beard and mustache could this be Murugan? I see yellow white red layers of flowers on the lingham then top is guarded with golden or copper brass rods that have mooon crescent and stars on tip tops and a metal sun above on top of the lingham! It is a moon celebration or special occasion. I thank all for showing me their story. I quietly leave as the volunteer is staring at me as others have left after meditating and almost alone. His English not so great just answers yes yes with the behavior he wants to engage only what he understands and uncomfortable because his English is limited! It was time to go outside and take my shoes off to walk the temple and see peacock and exotic birds caged and then an animal petting zoo and tribute to Ganesh.

The Temple is so beautiful with paintings and monkeys. You hear peacocks cry as they are caged in large cages with other exotic birds budgies, parakeets, parrots. You remove you shoes and cover up shoulders or given shawls or sayings to cover of shoulders and knees exposed. There’s a holy man who smiles at me. 

As you walk down past the public toilets ; there are snack and food stalks and stairs up to a large golden statue of Shiva and a mall to shop and eat vegetarian at a restaurant and souvenirs. Places to do meditation and yoga of course. It’s a beautiful compound as volunteers and devotees run it. There also the art gallery there and gifts shops of spiritual items and clothing for sale. 

We decide to hire a taxi to visit the current living King’s Palace, Tugu Negara tribute to soldiers and medics during World War II, beautiful Thean Hou Temple and National Mosque. All beautiful and exquisite. They give me headscarf and wrap for mosques and witness the museum and prayers being said and pay respects. No shoes again and sleeves or coverups offered. There’s a vendor selling ‘Free Palestine” tees as we purchase and gifts us Palestinian flags. It was a beautiful day and we ate Nasi Kandar Umars restaurant they call restauran across from our hotel - The Kuala Lampur Journal next to malls and food vendors and Changhet street with food of gastronomical experiences and bars and restaurants galore. They are open 3 pm  til 5 am everyday on that street. No one seems to starve here. Food is real and clean. I have lamb biryani but Malay and is lemon grass and spices so fresh almost like rendang beef biryani with rice so savory and side of vegetable and so many drinks of non alcoholic as my husband has green yogurt skewered chicken with roti canai and some of my biryani. We take a Grab instead of Uber to Petronis Twin Towets KLCC but not open later on Mondays and may not be for their Independence day Aug 31 but it’s gorgeous and lit up and spend time at public fountains meeting a young French couple as Love brushes up with his French and we share our travels both 29 years old and married in Tanzania my husband's birthplace and then we go to Saloma bridge to walk that looks like a mini Australia building but changes lights on occasions outside. Plenty of photographs of vendors selling items. We finish after jamming at fountains the bridge walk and rains come as we catch an Grab back planning to come to Petronis Towers in the morning and finish our lunch at Heins clay pot chicken and rice a Michelin restaurant and then take a bus to Malacca/Melaka a couple nights leaving to Singapore flying back to Colombo, Sri Lanka to catch our flight a day or two each back to USA. 

What a trip it has been, started July 27/28 returning Aug 29/30 in Sri Lanka touring hoppers and string hoppers, Kotta, curry spiced cashews elephants, safaris, coconuts Mirissa beach, Ayurvedic massages and medicinals, batiks and woodcarvings, Kandy Buddhists Tooth Procession, temples and ruins with Parrot Hill with our guide and driver Lasitha Suruwan then Singapore the Marina Bay Sands Hotel boat visit, Chinatown, Gardens by the Bay.. food court bay walk, Little India, malls and subways.

Travels to Malaysia The Chewy Jetta ancient 1781 Chinese village shoppes built on stilted water with shopping , Street art and food courts galore again Penang freshest seafoods durian oh boy. Langkawi Island beach better than Penang’s Batu Ferringhi beach in Malaysia. 

Langkawi’s  Aloft Hotel, was great and we did parasailing and their  breakfast buffet awesome and char kuay teow, took Langkawi  Sky cab walk Muslim village shoppes a Maharba restaurant so affordable and cheap $4-5 meals and bridge views. Now taking bus to Malacca trying the Portuguese foods there ancient town or village borders Malaysia and Singapore before heading to Singapore by bus or train. Ending at Colombo, Sri Lanka to fly Qatar Airways to Doha then USA. Thanks for the experience and memories. 

These countries were conquered by Portugal, Dutch and British so they have a diverse offering of their own culture weaved with religious influences of Hindu, Buddhist and Muslim. Hindu predominantly in Sri Lanka and Buddhist and Muslim in Malaysia but seems more Buddhist in modern Singapore. They all respect each other and get along. There will be more spiritual viewing of Sri Lanka separately later and the cities and places on that 17-18 days visiting temple ruins, palaces and forts.