Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi

Sawadee Krup TBF Travelers!

In all of my travels through Thailand I have visited at least 50 Buddhist temples, or Wats – likely close to 75. And of all the temples I have visited, Wat Tham Sua, or Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi is one of my top three. There are actually no tigers at this temple but the attractions and features that are there make this temple one of the most interesting and fun attractions on our trips this year.

As we approach the temple driving through the town of Krabi I like to point to the mountains, or karsts, on the outskirts of town, and one in particular that if you look closely you can see a building at the very top of this huge mountain that shoots straight up above the surrounding green hills and other smaller mountains. At the very top of the mountain sits a giant golden Chedi and statues of the Buddha. As we pull into the temple grounds you cannot see the Chedi (a ‘Chedi’ is a mound like structure used in Buddhism to contain the ancient relics of the Buddha) at the top of the mountain but you will notice another structure – the largest Wat in all of southern Thailand which has been under construction – being completely funded from donations to the temple, for over 10 years and is almost completed. This massive 10 story structure rises up from the temple grounds, but is dwarfed by the nearby karsts. Once at the top of the karst that contains the Chedi; climbing the 1,237 steps to the top, you can look down on the Wat and realize how big it actually is.

Speaking of the climb up the steps, this is one of the most popular features of Tiger Cave Temple : the climb. The 1,237 steps wind up and around the karst, with some of the steps being short, others being very steep, and all of them combining to produce either an incredible workout, or a beautiful leisurely trek. TBF has been ‘timing’ the climb up the stairs to the top for the last 10 years and our course record holder is professional Triathlete Ben Greenfield who made the climb in 10:15. Only two others have made the climb in less than 12 minutes, one of them Clint Claassen, husband of our Timing/Registration Director Jen with TBF Racing, and the other was TBF Justin, who now lives on the island of Koh Samui maintaining our two properties there. The climb starts out deceptively because the first 50 or so steps are not steep at all, gently climbing up to the first level. Then after a turn the ‘real’ climbing starts. Some of the steps are so steep that coming down them is actually scary. Luckily there are railings all the way up, and the steps are actually numbered about every 30 or 40 steps or so to let you monitor your progress to the top. Anyone that makes it to the top in under 30 minutes is generally in pretty good shape, and if you make it under 20 minutes you can count yourself as extremely fit. There are turn-outs and landings all the way up to stop and look out, but the view is so magnificent from the top many people wait until they are all the way up to admire the view. From the top you can actually see the karsts that surround Railay Bay, the Krabi River and mangrove waterways, many of the palm oil and rubber tree plantations in the province, and the tallest mountain in southern Thailand a National Park called Khao Phanom Bencha which is said to be one of the last refuges of wild tigers, sun bears, and elephants in the Krabi province. There is a water fountain at the top but we advise all of our travelers to carry a bottle with them on the way up, especially in hot and humid weather – which is normal most of the year. Once at the top you can admire the spectacular view and visit the Golden Chedi and the other sacred Buddhist statues that are on three different levels. The climb down often takes as long or longer than the climb up – depending upon your speed of descent.

Once down from the top of the karst many of our travelers just want to sit and rest their quivering legs, drinking an ice cold bottle of water or Gatorade to refresh themselves. But the first thing you should do is make a small offering; of anywhere from 20 to 1,000 Baht, to the temple with the Buddhist nuns who are at the Sala near the bottom. By doing this you will receive a ‘blessing’ in the form of a ‘Sai Sin’, which is a woven string tied around your wrist by the nun with a blessing of health, happiness and prosperity wished upon you. With a donation of 100 Baht you will also receive an Amulet from the temple, and for 1,000 Baht you may receive a very nice collectors set of Amulets in a decorative display case. There will also be a chance to receive this blessing in the main temple where the actual ‘ Tiger Cave ’ is located, and there will be numerous Thai amulets available there as well, both from this temple and others in the area.

After receiving the blessing from the Buddhist nuns travelers have several choices. The first is to climb some more stairs, at the back of the temple grounds, up and down into the last remaining patch of pristine rain forest in the province, sheltered inside a small valley which is created by several large karsts and which has a number of caves ringing the valley, some inhabited by the Buddhist monks who live and work at the temple. In the center of this valley used to stand a massive 2,000 year old tree. The tree was felled by lightning strikes about 6 years ago and its remains are still visible, along with an open patch to the sky, amidst the jungle growth. The caves around the valley are easily visited on a path that winds around the circumference of the valley and leads you through a fascinating wilderness of massive trees, vines, orchids, insects and other wildlife. The entire tour around the valley, including the climb up and down into the valley then returning takes only about 30-40 minutes. Very few of our travelers have actually visited this beautiful valley – mostly because the thought of climbing more stairs – there are only about 360 steps or so, is not appealing after the last climb of 1,237 steps, but I would strongly recommend it to anyone who enjoys nature.

Speaking of nature, another popular feature of Tiger Cave Temple is the hundreds of monkeys that reside full time at the temple. There are a couple of tribes of monkeys that live on the karsts among the trees and will come down to visit the tourists and be fed on a regular basis. The monkeys have gotten used to being hand fed, and in fact have become somewhat aggressive about taking what they want. There are even signs warning: “Beware of Monkeys stealing things” posted in a few places on the temple grounds. Before we arrive at the temple we make a stop at a local market in Krabi town and purchase local fruits to feed to the monkeys. Their favorite fruits include rambutans, lychees, and pineapple chunks. After descending from the top of the karst we will get our monkey food/fruits from our transport vans and offer them to the monkeys. Caution must be used to not display your whole bag of fruit to the monkeys as they will accost you – jumping onto your back or chest from the trees to grab the entire bag out of your hands and dart back up to the trees with their booty.

Besides the huge main structure that has taken years to complete and the main Wat where the Tiger Cave is located, there is another structure at the back of the temple grounds near the ancient valley. This is a Hindu shrine built of Teak and hardwood that houses a giant Hindu goddess statue and has a set of wooden stairs (more climbing – but only about 180 steps) leading up to the top of the building. The Hindu shrine is very decorative and beautiful and nearby there are vendors offering Chinese, Buddhist and Hindu talismans and amulets designed to bring you lots of good luck and prosperity. The ‘trifecta’ of climbing is complete after you have made it to the top of the Hindu temple after having climbed up the 1,237 steps to the Chedi and then made it up and down into the hidden ancient valley. After these three climbs your legs will be definitely ready for a Thai massage later that night to relieve the stiffness.

Visiting Wat Tham Sua not only gives you a fantastic workout and a wonderful culture visit, you also have a chance to meet some very interesting people. Occasionally there will be local student on a field trip visiting the temple and they are always excited and pleased to interact and ‘interview’ foreign tourists. The temple is a very popular destination for both Thai tourists and ‘farangs’ (foreign tourists) so there will generally be an assortment of people making the climb up with you – often willing to stop and chat with you while you or they catch their breath on the way up. I have met people from all over the world at Tiger Cave Temple and always am greeted by a big smiles and usually incredulity when they see the pace I am setting either on the way up or way down from the top. No matter what your speed climbing the steps, or how many monkeys you hand feed, or which parts of the temple you actually visit, I am confident the visit to Wat Tham Sua, or Tiger Cave Temple will be one of the highlights of your trip to Thailand as it always is of mine.

Bill