Kuala Lumpur Guide: 272 Steps of Batu Caves, Dodging Monkeys and Surviving KLCC

The Grand Departure: Powered by Buffet at Airport Lounge

Our grand family expedition began, as all great quests do, with a slightly questionable late-night flight and a heroic assault on the New Delhi airport lounge buffet. Fueled by caffeine, tiny samosas, and blind optimism, we boarded our six-hour flight to Kuala Lumpur, home to the famous Batu Caves, KL Tower, and the shiny twin rockets better known as the Petronas Towers.

 Arrival in Kuala Lumpur: Hitting the Ground (and the Stairs) Running

No naps, no breaks, our Kuala Lumpur adventure started the way all sensible trips should: with exercise so intense it made me question every life choice. Straight from the airport, bags barely dropped, we headed for the Batu Caves.

“It’ll be fun,” my wife said.

“It’s only 272 steps,” she added, with the casual tone of someone who considers Everest base camp a warm-up.

Sariska National Park Safari - What To Expect, When To Go & Wildlife Encounters

Eight months without a trip + a brand-new car with just 212 km on the odometer = a man desperate to leave Delhi. My car was basically a showpiece for school runs and mall discounts. Time to put it on a real road and give it some dust, like a true SUV advertisement. 

(Best time to visit Sariska? October–February. Skip monsoons unless you like wading.)

Roopkund Lake - The Skeleton Lake : Science, Myth & Adventure at 16,500 ft

Nestled at an elevation of almost 16,500 feet in the Indian Himalayas, Roopkund Lake, sometimes referred to as Skeleton Lake, is a frozen gem that has confounded scientists, hikers, and explorers for decades.

You read that correctly. The remnants of hundreds of human skeletons - bones that span generations and murmur tales of tragedy, mystery, and unsolved legends - lie beneath its frigid waters and strewn over its banks.

Nyepi Day AKA Silence Day, and My Accidental “Luxury Survival Retreat” in Bali

There are certain rookie mistakes travelers make: forgetting to pack sunscreen, trying to pet the “friendly” street monkey, or confusing Australian spring break with “peaceful yoga retreat week.” But me? I managed to book our vacation the same week of Nyepi day, moreover, I booked our return flight from Bali the morning after Nyepi Day —the island’s famous Day of Silence.

And of course, I wasn’t alone. Oh no, this wasn’t just my travel blunder. This was a full family production starring:

Me: the self-proclaimed travel genius who “triple-checks everything.”

My wife: the woman who absolutely pretends to triple-check everything, except she assumed I hadn’t booked our exit during an island-wide lock-down.

Our kid: a delusional boy who believes Wi-Fi is a basic human right, on par with food and oxygen.

What is Nyepi, anyway?