Malaysia's new geopark is a geological wonder that's just an hour from KL

The Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark is located in Selangor. — Tourism Selangor/dpa

Travellers in Malaysia are now able to explore the hot springs, caves, waterfalls and other geological wonders of a newly recognised geopark on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur.

Located in the state of Selangor, the Gombak-Hulu Langat Geopark is an easy day trip for anyone visiting the capital city, and is expected to gain massively in international profile if its 2025 bid for Unesco world heritage recognition is successful.

The 1,130sq km of the area, formally recognised as a geopark in Malaysia as of this year, is home to the famous Batu Caves, just about a kilometre north of KL, and reachable in under an hour by car from the city centre.

Here, with monkeys climbing nearby, visitors can climb a series of steps to a Hindu temple and towering golden statue at the entrance to the complex of limestone caves, where pitch darkness awaits anyone entering inside.

Malaysia, a country of both ancient temples and skyscrapers, motorbikes and rickshaws, is popular with holidaymakers from all over the world and the peninsula, and the states of Sarawak and Sabah on Borneo Island, are famous for their white beaches and stunning underwater worlds.

In KL, the minarets and temples have long been overtaken by skyscrapers on the city’s skyline. The 452m-high Petronas Twin Towers are spectacularly lit in the evenings. The towers are connected by a Sky Bridge, where you can stand and look over the city. You can also go up higher – to the 86th floor.

Malaysia’s history is also apparent in the capital: There’s Chinatown (Petaling Street), Little India (Brickfields), the Central Market, the Royal Palace, and Merdeka Square with its elegant colonial Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which is where Malaysia flew its flag as an independent nation for the first time in 1957.

KL’s nightlife can largely be found in Changkat Bukit Bintang, with its many bars and clubs, and F&B outlets, as well as colourful lights draped over trees. – dpa