The first and only place in Thailand’s south I’ve visited is the coastal town of Krabi. While I’d briefly considered Phuket or Koh Samui, I chose Krabi because of its nearby mountains as I’m not a beach person, which ruled out the appeal of those other places.

Being on the coast, Krabi also has beaches, but it’s well-known for limestone peaks and mountains such as Khao Ngon Nak (Dragon’s Crest). And it’s fitting that its most famous temple features a shrine on top of a hill that can only be reached by a staircase with over 1,100 stairs.

Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea) is actually a compound with a temple building, a cave shrine, and a hilltop shrine with great views of the surrounding region. It’s also extremely hard to climb because the hilltop shrine can only be reached by 1,237 steps.

Climbing this was much harder than hiking because of the repetitiveness of what seemed like an endless flight of stairs, which were also quite steep. There are signs at various points stating how many steps you’ve reached, and by the 800-step level, I was really exhausted. I pushed on, after a few rests, and once I passed 1000, it was easier. The reward was worth all the effort.

From the top, you can see lush, green mountains in one direction, a river, and a wide plain that stretches out towards Krabi town center and the coast.
The hilltop shrine itself is an extended area with a gold stupa on one end and a large gold Buddha statue next to a few small Buddhas on the other end. Right at the top of the stairs and below the shrine is a water refreshment area, which is essential.

The other hazard from the stairs is of the animal kind, which are aggressive monkeys. The creatures at this temple have a reputation for jumping onto and attacking people on the stairs, so I was wary about that (you need to get rabies shots if you get bitten). I did see a monkey jump onto a girl, who screamed loudly, and eventually a staff walked by with a small dog which shooed away the monkeys. Monkeys with babies are the ones to watch out because they can get vicious while protecting their young. In any case, these temple monkeys were the most aggressive of all the monkeys I’ve come across in Asia.

Now, you must be wondering about the name of the temple, and the “tiger cave” is actually at the ground. Once you go back down, walk along to the side of the hill and there’s a path that takes you to a cave shrine and into the forest. There are several simple huts where monks used to live, and ficus trees with giant roots protruding above ground, larger than a human.

The legend states that a monk was meditating in the cave in the 1970s and saw wild tigers in a dream, while an alternative version simply says a tiger used to live in the cave.

The town itself is rather casual but has a bustling night market on certain days (check with your hotel staff). Alongside the town is Krabi River, which flows into mangrove swamps as well as past karst peaks and caves. A local landmark is Khao Khanap Nam, a pair of karst peaks that flank the river, one of which is shaped like a triangular sail. To visit these peaks and the swamps, you can take a boat tour by the riverside pier.

Looking towards Krabi town

Cave shrine in the forest besides the hill

Ficus tree with giant roots

Temple at the front of the complex

Mangrove forests and Khao Khanap Nam
Night market