The Batu Caves are a Hindu Shrine just outside the city of Kuala Lumpur. The caves themselves have been there for close on 400 million years but only in the late 19th century were the shrines added.

The caves are instantly recognisable by the enormous golden statue which guards the foot of the stairway up to the caves. There are 272 steps (by my count) in total to reach the first cavern. On the way up you will be very unlucky if you do not see a monkey. They are quite playful with other and very fun to watch but you are advised not to get too close as they can bite. I did get quite snap happy around these little guys and have included my best picture on the post.

At the entrance you may find locals selling crafts and offering photo opportunities with reptiles which I thought was a little odd but I can also see how this would be a bit of a novelty to tourists. It was interesting to see how some local people have decided to try and cash in on a sacred shrine and that people still go to pray despite the camera flashes and added noise from tourists.

If you venture further into the caves you will see how it opens out and the ceiling gets higher. It is very dark and damp and has all the characteristics of any other cave until you move into the final chamber. Approaching the shrine itself is quite spectacular on a sunny day as the light beams down through the mossy vegetation which surrounds the open roof to the third chamber. You can look straight out to the sky above through the opening in the top of the chamber which is probably about 100 feet above. To be fair I was more impressed with the monkeys and the unusual cave than the shrines themselves as they do get rather overshadowed. It was also quite exciting not knowing what to expect when climbing the steps and entering this huge cave system. Regrettably, I have now spoiled this illusion for you.

I got there as part of a tour which included stops to a pewter factory and other historical places of interest but there are buses that go there from Kuala Lumpur itself. If you have not seen anything traditional, shrine-like or any monkeys then it is a good stop to make and tick a few boxes.

Everyone enjoys an interesting fact or two so I thought I would do some research into the flattest country in the world. After a Google search, it did not take me long to discover the country with the lowest high point (the flattest) is The Republic of Maldives with a maximum elevation of 2.4 meters ! This really surprised me. How can an entire 300 sq km country be so flat? If I went to the sandy beaches of The Maldives and built a 2.5 meter high sand castle I would probably create quite a stir.

However the lack of gradient in the country is a great concern especially with rising sea levels widely thought to be caused by global warming. If the water raised only a couple of feet we could see a large number of the islands disappear. As it stands it is estimated that the sea level will rise by 59 cm by the year 2100 offering an uncertain fate for future generations. The Tsunami in 2005 did offer a glimmer of the damage rising sea water could do to this small nation. Although the wave only reached 9 feet in The Maldives (relatively small compared to elsewhere), it was enough to submerge the islands and cause lasting structural damage and contaminate the freshwater stores with salt. Many of the islands may have been partially protected by their coral reefs acting as a break water but these could be slowly disappearing.

If anyone has any travel related interesting facts or questions post a comment and I will look into the answer.

Firstly I will apologise for the poor quality of this photo. It was taken at dusk with a point and shoot so hopefully you would expect no more despite my best efforts to brighten it in photoshop. Anyway, the name of this shop tickled me which is slightly ironic seeing as it is in fact a coffin shop on a backstreet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

“Fook Hing” when said out loud phonetically could be mistaken as quite a rude word in the English language. I will not write the word as it is quite offensive, so if you know what I mean keep it to yourself (that means no guessing in the comments section or I will have to moderate!) It was only when I said the name over in my head a couple of times I started laughing. It is probably not funny to a lot of people but it does appeal to my sense of humour.

Although this is not an outrageous example, it really opens your eyes as to words and traits that are be acceptable in one culture, can be totally misinterpreted and taboo in another. If anyone else has other photos similar to this I would love to hear. Also if anyone knows the translation of “Fook Hing” then please leave a comment. My best guess is it is a family name?

If you have been paying attention when flying you will notice that some economy seats have extra or sometimes unlimited leg room just because they are at the front of an aisle near to the galley, or over the wing/emergency exit. If you have ever used a self service check in you may have noticed how customers are wise to this and that these seats get snapped up very quickly. However, this first come first served allocation system is quickly changing.

This month Singapore Airlines, which incidentally were voted the number one international airline in the Conde Nast Traveler Annual Readers’ Choice Awards, have started to charge economy fliers for sitting in these roomier seats. Singapore Airlines charge £32 each way on all flights (except some short haul routes) for this privilege and could intend to add new categories to this pricing structure for economy seating. Air France have already introduced a £42 each way charge for the more spacious seats on flights to the USA.

This seems like a stunt the airlines have decided to pull during hard times to make extra money. If people are willing to pay for the extra room, who could blame Singapore Airlines for cashing in? I for one would not bother for a short flight but on a lengthier flight I may be persuaded. But what could this mean for you round the world ticket holders?

Well, if an introduction of extra seat categories in economy class is just around the corner, round the world ticket holders could be in for a rough ride. As these tickets offer such good value, you may get relegated to non aisle seats, on the back row where the seats may not recline, or worse still, next to the toilet. I had plenty of experience of this when I was flying on my ticket and did suspect that we were flagged up on check in and allocated less desirable seats.

So, would you be willing to spend that extra bit of cash for a better seat that you may have been appointed anyway under the current seat pricing structure? Or would you rather settle for saving the money and opt for something cheaper. Leave a comment to have your say.

I think top 5 lists are very helpful to people trying to find good and concise information. Below is a list of the items I found most useful when I went backpacking but would not necessarily be obvious to the first time traveler. Hopefully you will learn from my experience. These are in no particular order.

1. Good pair of shoes:

Your number one priority should be getting a good, sturdy pair of comfortable shoes as traveling does mean you will be doing a lot of walking. Some people opt to buy proper walking shoes from an outdoors outlet such as millets or blacks which will guarantee good quality, that they will last a long time and will be waterproof. I however chose to take a comfortable pair of trainers which admittedly did wear out in Washington DC and started to let in icy cold water but were good while they lasted. If you do purchase a new pair of shoes I highly recommend wearing them everyday for a week before you leave to ensure they are comfortable and do fit your feet.

2. Swim shorts:

This mainly applies to men but I found these a very useful item of clothing. They can be used as everyday shorts, can help you out of a tight spot when you have no clean underwear (the netting becomes invaluable), and of course as swim wear. You would always find these at the top of my backpack.

3. Quick dry towel:

The pros of this item speak for themselves. They are light weight, small for efficient packing and dry in half the time of ordinary towels. If you have to leave early for a long bus journey and want that all important shower, this little gem will prevent you from opening your bag 10 hours later to find that the awful damp towel smell has spread to your nice clean washing. If you a larger person then you may find the dimensions of a quick dry towel challenging if you want to retain some dignity in a dorm. Let the good times roll.

4. Torch:

At some point on your travels you will find yourself in the dark scrabbling to find a light switch when you need the loo. I found that in South East Asia some guest houses and hostels had outside toilets and they were not very well lit. A torch can be a life saver when you need to be watching where you are treading if you know what I mean.

5. Locks:

Security can be an issue when on the road, moving from dorm to dorm and taking international and domestic flights. I recommend purchasing some small padlocks which clasps your zips together prior to going traveling. Be aware that they could be broken off at airports for security checks so maybe take a couple extra, it is your call. If you are traveling a lot in the USA, you can get special padlocks which also have a master key slot so the locks do not need to be broken at the airports.

I also took a light weight bicycle chain with me so that when I was out during the day I could chain my rucksack to the bunk bed frame so nobody could walk off with it. Remember if you loose your passport or credit cards it could be game over for your trip.

Let me know what items you found most useful when traveling by leaving a comment below.