Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi

Once upon a time, a monk was searching for a spot to meditate. He found a cave, quiet and cool, thinking he had found the perfect location. Legend has it that this monk encountered some unexpected wildlife, for which the temple is named.

To reach the summit of Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea), one must climb 1,260 steep, winding steps. If you haven’t fallen to your death over died from heat exhaustion by this point, then congratulations!! Enjoy the stunning view of the countryside and the gigantic golden buddha statue. And thank this monk for your health!

This was an awesome day and is a must-do!

We decided early on to tackle the Tiger Cave Temple first thing in the morning, to avoid crowds and excessive heat. To get to Tiger Cave Temple from Ao Nang, you can hire a taxi for ~1,500 baht - easy. Or, you can hop from 7-11 to 7-11, riding Ao Nang’s public transport system via the songthaew (basically a pickup truck) for a fraction of the cost and a multiple of the adventure!

We left our guesthouse around 7am, heading for the 7-11 where we were instructed to look out for the white songthaew. It dawned on us quickly that the majority of the cars on the road were white. After a couple unsuccessful hailing attempts, we caught the first bus and haggled a price of 120 baht to Krabi town. About 30 minutes later, we reached Krabi, crossed the street to another 7-11, and caught the red songthaew for 50 baht, which would take us to the Tiger Cave Temple entrance.

Embarrassingly, I forgot my temple pants so I had to pay an ‘indecency fine’ as Steven called it, by renting a sarong for my legs. I had a 'It Happened One Night' moment! We sped up the stairs, arriving at the top in 30 minutes or so, drenched in sweat. It was already so hot, but so worth it! A word to the wise - bring water, wear good shoes, and go early. These stairs are narrow, steep, and can only accommodate so many people comfortably.

We had the cave summit virtually to ourselves, taking time to ogle these views.

We then descended the way we came, and headed for the lesser known Wonderland Trail in the Tiger Cave Temple complex. To get to the trailhead, B line it straight from the entrance and you’ll see a sign on your left. Go up more steps before finding yourself away from any sign of people, in the jungle. You’ll quickly pass several beautiful caves that monks actually call home. These houses are colorful and simple. We caught a glimpse of a monk making his breakfast and watering his plants. Even with a whole jungle at his doorstep, he was still cultivating his own little piece of life. As you continue on the trail, expect to see gargantuan trees, monkeys, and monkeys!

The trail eventually loops back around near the trail entrance. We walked ~2 miles to the main intersection, and hailed a red songthaew to begin our journey back to Ao Nang.

P.S. - I intend to submit this climb to Stairmaster for inclusion in the ‘landmark’ workouts!