Ipoh has a landscape that surrounds the city with Magotes, large limestone hills that are punctured with caves. Some of these caves have been used to build temples either within them or next to them.

I visited two of the nearby temples, Kek Look Tong and Sam Poh Tong. Kek Look Tong is a large single temple, while Sam Poh Tong is a complex of several independent temples that all adjoin. All the temples have either built themselves entirely within a cave or used a cave for a portion of their site.

Kek Look Tong has a large natural park as part of its setting and visiting the temple also lets you walk through the park and wander the paths next to the giant limestone hills. The setting of the temple itself is awe-inspiring. The temple is entirely within a cave in the limestone hill. Maybe cave is a bit of a misnomer, because it’s really a tunnel through the hill. You enter one side and exit out the other into the green space park.

Sam Poh Tong, on the other hand, has buildings such as Monk’s quarters outside the cave, and a large edifice that is built in front of the cave entrance, but then chambers of the caves are have individual shrines inside. It’s the older of the two temple areas.

Visiting both was a great experience, and seeing the natural caves with their stalagmites and stalactites gives an understanding of how people could see these caves as inspiration for religious meditation. Plus, given the 95 degree, 95% humidity of the day, they are remarkably cool and serene.