Follow my ascent to the Wat Tham Sua, or Tiger Cave Temple, a complex of caves at the foot - and at the top!- of a limestone peak in Krabi.
At ground level there are several caves hosting Buddha statues and halls for meditation and religious ceremonies and a vivid red Guanyin Temple -Guanyin being the Buddhist Bodhisattva of compassion. There is also a very interesting section called Wonderland, a circular path in the forest leading to the caves and huts where monks and nuns sleep and cook. The Tiger Cave Temple is one of the few in Thailand that accept nuns, and they make up more than half of the religious population here. Stray dogs that became temple dogs, and several families of monkeys complete the population of residents.
Other than religious pilgrims who are reaching the top to worship the Footprint of Buddha, the Tiger Cave Temple appeals to travellers of none or any religion for its upper part: the second level of the complex is perched on top of a peak, like an eagle’s nest. Reaching the top requires a certain level of fitness, strong legs and a dose of courage: 1260 steep steps that cut through the forest at sharp angles will challenge your resistance, so don't ever think of hiking at mid day.
Accompanied by a loyal temple dog that I named Tiger and by not so loyal monkeys (they make a mission of seizing your belongings), I tackled the peak at sunrise with a bunch friends, and it was a marvellous hike: birds were chirping and flying above us, the monkeys kept entertaining us with their acrobatic tricks, the sun painted the horizon with shades of oranges and reds.
The top level of the temple hosts a giant golden Buddha sitting in a lotus position and several other statues. The legend says that one of Buddha's footprint is here, believe it or not.
Then you have the view, a 360 - degree open panorama above Krabi: you can see Krabi Town, the Krabi River, the Railay peninsula, the Sai Tai massif, the Khao Phanom Bencha, Krabi's highest mountain, and, in clear days, even some of the islands.
Негізгі бет Hiking to the Tiger Cave Temple, the most spectacular temple in Krabi, Thailand
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