Tiger Temple (Krabi) is a popular tourist attraction, also known as”Tiger Cave”. Millions of visitors and pilgrims come here. Local travel agencies offer excursions to the temple with a nice bonus-a trip to the hot springs. However, there are always a lot of travelers at the springs, and there is little energy left after such a trip. There is no need to buy an excursion tour, because the Tiger Temple is easily accessible on its own.
General information
This temple in Thailand is built 10 km from the provincial capital Krabi and 20 km from Ao Nang resort. This is the most popular and visited Buddhist temple. By the way, Krabi is a Muslim region, so there are not so many religious places for Buddhists.
There are several legends about the origin of the name. According to one of them, the founder of the monastery was meditating in this place, and tigers were resting next to him from the midday heat. According to another legend, a huge tiger once lived here, which terrified the locals for many years, and after its death, monks came here to pray and meditate.
Interesting fact! If you translate the name of the attraction literally, it is more correct to say the Temple of the Tiger Cave. This will help avoid confusion, since there is a temple with the same name – a Tiger – in the province of Thailand Kanchanaburi-monks and live tigers live here.
There are no live tigers in the temple in Krabi, but there are a huge number of statues of animals. The main attraction of the place is a long staircase that leads travelers to the top of the cliff, where a majestic golden statue of the Buddha is installed. This particular statue is visible from Krabi Airport.
Useful to know! The height of the stairs is 1237 feet, and not every traveler obeys this height. According to one of the legends, if you overcome all the steps, you can completely clear your karma.
Tiger Cave Temple in Thailand-what to see
First of all, the Tiger Temple in Thailand is located at the bottom, at the foot of the mountain, and you should definitely set aside at least 30-40 minutes to get around its territory. Here you will find many interesting buildings, and most importantly – tiger statues. Visit the pagoda, which is built with donations, proceeds from the sale of gifts and souvenirs. The height of the pagoda is almost 100 meters, and the dimensions of the base reach 58 meters.
In the far corner of the Tiger Temple, not far from the descent to the lost world, a temple of the Chinese goddess is built, where a statue of the goddess Guan Yin herself is installed.
The temple building is located near the entrance and free parking is available. It was arranged in a grotto and covered with an extension-it turned out to be a rather fascinating and unusual place for a European person. Pilgrims come here, and next to the grotto there is a small room where they protect the footprint of the Buddha.
Between the temple and the pagoda, souvenir shops and shops where you can buy gifts have been built, a model airplane has been installed, a toilet works, and there are even several aviaries for monkeys.
Useful to know! While the monkeys in the enclosure are cute animals, but be careful – there are a lot of them around, they move freely around the temple and can easily snatch your wallet, camera or other personal belongings.
Phi Phi-the most recognizable islands of Thailand
Pagoda
The main reason why many tourists come to the temple is to climb the stairs to the Buddha statue and small pagoda. The sign says that it is necessary to overcome 1237 steps, but in fact out of 1260. And here’s the reason-some of the steps were recently repaired. The new ones were made about 15 cm high, and the old ones-0.5 m high-were even scary to look at, let alone climb them. Thus, the total number of steps increased and some caring and attentive tourist pointed out the number on the last post. Since the temple is active, all tourists must remove their shoes before climbing to the upper tier.
Interesting fact! Many tourists come to the Tiger Temple in Thailand early in the morning or in the evening – the sunrises and sunsets at the top of the mountain are equally beautiful.
If you stand facing a statue of a Chinese goddess, on your left hand is a stairway well or a lost world or a settlement of monks. Steps, and there are a little more than 100 of them, are laid directly in the rock and lead to a gazebo where you can relax. At the bottom of the steps there is a path that leads to the well. Today, tropical trees grow directly from it.
Useful to know! While walking along the path, remember that all the most interesting things are concentrated on the left hand.
The monks ‘ huts can be seen 50 meters away from the stairs, and some priests still live in rock caves. There are monks who live in caves – the entrance is walled up with a wall in which there is a door. Some grottoes simply have ladders attached to them. Most of the cabins are built in a thousand-year-old forest, which itself is a tourist attraction.
A place for prayer and meditation begins immediately behind the houses. There is also a kitchen, toilets, and laundry facilities. A special flavor of the place is added by the skeleton installed on public display.
Behind the meditation area and the utility block are caves where monks come to pray, and some live here. The territory is huge, of course, you can go further, but it is unlikely that you will have the strength to do it.
How to get there from Ao Nang
Tiger Temple Thailand is 7 km from Krabi Town and 4.5 km from the bus station. You can get to your destination in the following ways::
- taxi is the most comfortable way, the cost of the trip is about 300-350 baht;
- tuk-tuk — how much do you agree on;
- independently on a motorbike.
However, the most courageous tourists can try their hand and go from the bus station on foot. The walk will take about 50 minutes, but in the sweltering heat and high humidity, it is quite difficult.
You can take public transport from Krabi to Ao Nang Resort or from Krabi to the airport. The cost of the trip is about 80 baht. You need to get out in advance, as you will have to walk the last 1.5 km along Highway 4. The road is paved. Near the intersection there is a supermarket, where you can make supplies of water and provisions.
Some useful recommendations
- Entrance to the Tiger Temple in Thailand is free, but travelers leave donations – 20-50 baht per person.
- Water tanks are installed along the stairs, but it is intended only for drinking, you can not wash your face with it.
- Before starting the ascent, be sure to visit the toilet (the ascent will be long), take a supply of water and a light snack.
- You can climb the pagoda at any time of the day. If you plan to climb in the dark, be sure to bring a flashlight. The steps are very steep – it is quite scary here even during the day, and at night it will not be difficult to fall.
- Clothing and shoes should be comfortable. It is advisable to have a spare set of clothes with you – when you climb to the top, you will want to change into dry clothes.
- A dress code has been established for women- the shoulders, arms, and knees must be covered. Otherwise, you will be offered to buy a handkerchief for a nominal fee.
- Traditionally, tourists take an extra liter of water with them to pour it into a special container.
- Plan a minimum of half a day to visit the temple.
Tiger Temple (Krabi, Thailand) is the most popular tourist attraction in the province. Be prepared for the fact that your feet will hurt the next day after the trip, but the emotions and impressions are worth the effort.
