Climbing up the 272 stairs to the entrance of the Batu Caves is a sweaty pursuit, to say the least. A macaque monkey resting on a pillar gives me a good excuse to stop — it's the first monkey I've seen up close in Kuala Lumpur and I'm going to photograph it . Kuala Lumpur is known for great shopping, in particular its epic shopping malls. CHECKLISTGetting there: AirAsia X flies from Auckland to Kuala Lumpur. The caves are 13km north of Kuala Lumpur and can be reached by a short — and very cheap — train ride from the city.

Source: New Zealand Herald November 17, 2016 23:01 UTC