When I visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in January this year, I missed Batu Caves. Batu Caves is one of the most popular Hindu Shrines outside India. It is located in the northern part of Kuala Lumpur.

I already paid for the day tour online while in Manila. A city tour was scheduled in the morning and Batu Caves in the afternoon. A separate blog post about my Kuala Lumpur City Tour will be published soon (I hope, lol). My flight back to Manila was in the evening and I had to be at the airport by say about 7 PM.

By noon, the city tour was done and we were on our way back to the tour operator’s headquarters to switch vans and guides for Batu Caves. During the switch, I grabbed a quick lunch at a nearby eatery. After lunch, I boarded the van with other travelers. I was so excited because it would be my first #dronescapade outside the country.

Unknown to me and to my companions in the van, the tour included three stops before Batu Caves, being the last stop. After the first stop, the tour guide approached me and told me that I might miss my flight to Manila should I proceed any further with the tour. So they left me at the nearest train station to catch a trip back to KL Sentral and then to the KL International Airport unfortunately.

I did not know any better but had I known, I could have just taken the bus & train to Batu Caves from KL Sentral Train Station and not booked that day tour in the first place.

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https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1905889309429833&set=pb.100000263479267.-2207520000.1530105525.&type=3&theater

In March 2018, I traveled to Jakarta, Indonesia. My flight back to Manila had a long lay-over in Kuala Lumpur. I grabbed the opportunity to finally fly my drone in Batu Caves. I did not book a van for a day tour anymore. I did a DIY tour of Batu Caves and other places of interest in Kuala Lumpur. #solotravels

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Nothing gives me more thrill than getting to fly my drone outside the Philippines. #dronescapades #drone #footage to be up soon in my site in my bio #malaysia #trulyasia #dji #travelblog #travelblogger #travelphotography #batucaves #wanderer #wanderlust #asiantrotter #globetrotter #pinoywanderer #digitalnomads

A post shared by JOEL JAWS ANDRADA | B/Vlogger (@joeljawsandrada) on Mar 24, 2018 at 7:40pm PDT

Getting to Batu Caves From the KL Sentral Train Station

There were no trains available that would take me from KL Sentral to Batu Caves. Apparently, a construction of the railway directly connecting KL Sentral and Batu Caves was (and still is) ongoing. Hence, I took the one-hour bus ride compliments of Rapid KL Bus from KL Sentral to Sentul Train Station instead. At the Sentul Station, I took the train to Batu Caves (only four stations away) for a meager 3 Malaysian Ringgit (approximately Php 40).

From the Batu Caves Train Station, the Batu Caves Shrine is a mere 10-minute walk. Devotees may buy flowers to serve as offering from a number of vendors just outside the gate of Batu Caves.

I arrived at the shrine’s parking lot before sunrise and was allowed to fly my drone by the park’s security on duty. Personally, I really prefer flying outside peak hours to avoid big crowds. I also kept my distance to avoid getting in the way of a huge flock of pigeons in the area.

Below is a 60-second video that I prepared featuring Batu Caves in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

https://www.facebook.com/joeljawsandrada/videos/1846386288751360/

For better viewing, you may also watch the Youtube video below instead:

After flying my drone, it was time to climb 272 steps to get to Batu Caves. Batu Caves is located about 100 meters above ground. At the foot of the staircase is the the world’s tallest statue of Murugan, a Hindu deity.

Monkeys darted and congregated on the steps on the way up. I was cautioned by one of the visitors to be very careful and to keep an eye on my mobile phone and other belongings. The monkeys are notorious for “stealing” the visitor’s belongings just out of curiosity.

There are souvenir shops near the entrance of Batu Caves. They sell religious artifacts and mementos.

Inside Batu Caves is a temple cave featuring various Hindu shrines and characters. The interior is so huge. It looked like a giant carved a cathedral out of the belly of the mountain.

After taking photos and being mesmerized by the sheer grandeur of the Batu Caves Shrine, it was time to leave and catch the next bus and train to the city. People were also starting to pour in.

Before leaving the shrine, I had a quick snack at an eatery inside the park. I had my favorite LiqaLic by MFruits and tried Black Currant Fruit Drink by Ribena. Click here to know more about how much I love MFruits’ LiqaLic.

I had a great time visiting Batu Caves. I got to fly my drone and got a good workout from climbing up and down a flight of stairs, 272 steps to be exact. Signing out for now. Peace!

The post HOW TO GET TO BATU CAVES, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA appeared first on JOEL JAWS ANDRADA.

Revisit Batangas and experience it like no other. Watch the vlog below. Full blog to be posted soon. 🙂

https://www.facebook.com/joeljawsandrada/videos/1781075981949058/

Watch it on my youtube channel here:

The post EXPERIENCE RICH BATANGAS feat TAAL VOLCANO & MT. MACULOT appeared first on JOEL JAWS ANDRADA.

Watch the video below and see for yourself how fun it is to pilot this drone.

[wpvideo 0UnayeyM]

As you may have seen in the video, I crashed the drone more than a couple of times. Because of its carbon fiber frame, it remained intact and in good flying condition. This is perfect for beginners. It can also capture stunning photos with its 720P High Definition camera.

The Goggles Version comes with the following:

• 1 x Hubsan H122D Racing Drone
• 1 x Transmitter
• 1 x 7.6V 710mAh Battery
• 1 x HV002 Goggles
• 1 x HS001 LCD Monitor
• 1 x Charger
• 4 x Blades Material
• Carbon Fibre Motor
• Coreless Quadcopter Size: 3.7 inch X 3.7 inch Battery
• 7.6V (2S) 710mAh Lipo
• Flight Time: Around 8minutes
• Charging Time: 150 minutes
• Max Flight: 100± meters
• Function: Flips & Rolls
• Low Battery Protection
• Compatible With FatShark

The post HUBSAN H122D X4 STORM | A BEGINNER’S DRONE appeared first on JOEL JAWS ANDRADA.

I bring my drone whenever I travel, hence, the hashtag dronescapades and the logo.

Despite the difficulty of riding a jam-packed public utility vehicle, I carry two backpacks, one for my drone and another for my videography gadgets and personal effects. I have seen passengers giving me weird glances, even staring at my drone backpack that is “sitting” next to me. Yes, I would pay extra so my drone can have a dedicated seat inside the jeepney or bus. LOL.

I must admit. Guilty as charged! I am not a light traveler because I bring with me a mini-production house. My brother and fellow travel bloggers can attest to this. Why do I go to such great lengths? Well, I want to capture the whole experience by getting not just ground but also aerial and underwater footage whenever possible.

And because of my affinity to drones, I have been tapped by Pinoydrones to be their partner. Founded in July 2016, Pinoydrones is a distributor of drones with trading partners in various areas in the Philippines.

Expect future blog posts featuring the various drones that Pinoydrones carry. My coupon code is JOEL20. My blog readers can use this to avail of discounts when they purchase from Pinoydrones.

The post DRONESCAPADES, DRONE FEATURES & PINOYDRONES appeared first on JOEL JAWS ANDRADA.