A spectacle in its own right, the Tiger Cave Temple sits majestically amidst thick foliage. The temple bears the Thai name Wat Tham Suea and has many caves situated within close proximity to it. The area has many hotels and resorts and finding a luxury hotel in Krabi isn’t much of a hard task thanks to accommodation options such as the Anantara Si Kao Resort.
There is much folklore regarding how the temple came into being. One such story is the legend of a monk named Jumnean Seelasettho who used to meditate at the temple and witnessed tigers frequenting the area and so named it as ‘Wat Tham Suea’. Another legend has it that the cave itself was inhabited by tigers. Records claim that the temple was built in 1975. Reaching the summit of the cave temple has to be done through a very steep stairway of over 1,200 steps. 184 steps along the stairway will lead visitors to the cave where monks reside. At the summit lies a large Buddha statue shimmering in the rays of the sun.
The temple has become one of the more intriguing sacred sites as the monks worship and live in its natural caves. The form of Buddhism practised at the temple is ‘Vipassana’, a branch of meditation. Vipassana is based on the very early teachings of Buddhism. Apart from its caves and statues the temple also houses many intriguing things such as pictures of internal organs and dissected cadavers which are believed to let monks concentrate more on their spiritual practices and remind them of the temporariness of the human body.
Its main attraction is the footprint of the Buddha which can be witnessed by ascending a massive 1,272 steps. Visitors are cautioned against monkey attacks that take place occasionally and are advised to stay away from approaching the animals in any way.
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.