Wat Tham Suea Place guide

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Krabi

Wat Tham Suea

Take the Steps to Enlightenment in Wat Tham Suea

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Indeed, the journey to inner peace is a long and arduous road. However, you do not have to wander the path alone – especially if you decide to visit revered temples. In Thailand, there about 40,717 Buddhist temples, each offering a different spiritual experience; but if you find yourselves in the streets of Krabi, and wish to embark on a pursuit to tranquility, Trip Guru suggests that you leave Krabi town and head northwest to Wat Tham Suea. Also known as the Tiger Cave Temple, Wat Tham Suea is a majestic attraction which should be appreciated from the ground up. This location is covered by century old trees and is surrounded by caves, both big and small – each secretly harboring an image of the Buddha located within its walls. Although the point of interest is located at the topmost point of the temple, it’s best that visitors explore every nook and cranny on the lower floors first, before heading up.

At the entrance of the temple, you will be greeted by a group of monkeys – residents of this sacred ground. You can feed them bananas if you have bought some beforehand, but you must be cautious because they are known to scratch and bite. Once you have offered the fruit and explored the lower grounds a little further, you might notice tiger footprints scattered along the area. It was believed that this tiger built the very temple that stands today, hence the Suea (Tiger) in the name. If you think that you have seen enough of the area, you may now take one of the staircases that lead to the top of the temple. One must not belittle this staircase, because before you arrive at the temple’s highest point, you need to conquer 1,237 steps. However, after you have completed this challenge, you are awarded with a full 360° view of the Andaman Sea and be able to rest at the foot of the temple’s giant Buddha statue.

Trip Guru would like to remind visitors that they should cover their legs, shoulders, and feet because the temple has a strict code. Also, it is wise that you should not bring your sunglasses, jewelry, and other trinkets because the monkeys are curious and may steal your items.

To get to Wat Tham Suea, you can take a mini-bus, taxi, songthaew, or tuk-tuk from the province of Krabi. They can all take you straight to the temple, but if you want a more scenic experience you can take a bus, get off at the road next to the temple, and continue walking on foot. Wat Tham Suea is open all day and is free of charge. 

Tours near Wat Tham Suea

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