I was told the best views around Krabi, Thailand could be found near to the Wat Tum Sua Buddhist Temple (sometimes called Tiger Cave Temple or Wat Tham Seua), so my father and I decided to visit so that I could create this review, tips and pricing guide.
We parked up in the morning and wandered towards the temple. It is beautiful, and worth going just to see the architecture inside. This, however, is at ground level, and the best views don’t come easy.
The views I had been advised of were a mere 1,237 steps away. Opposite the entrance to the actual temple, the stairs begin to wind around a mountain, complete with worn areas where your hands are more useful than your feet, sections with sheer drops on either side and no barrier, and pesky monkeys looking to jump into your pockets at the first opportunity.
The air also gets thinner as you climb, making this a serious risk for the vulnerable. Even I was out of puff halfway up Wat Tum Sua, at 20 years young. When we finally reached the summit, we headed straight for the little water dispenser before looking around. The water was cool and refreshing, much better than I expected actually!
As I said, the best views don’t come easy. The views from the top are highly recommended and completely worth it. You can literally see for miles and miles, and it was my favourite view in Krabi. We had a nice relax at the top, took some photos and admired the huge Buddha sat atop the mountain. I couldn’t help but wonder how in Buddha’s name they got it there.
We marvelled at our surroundings for nearly an hour before heading down. The return journey seemed to be much less arduous, and we felt a tad guilty for laughing when we saw a monkey stealing a whole picnic of food from a climbers backpack. He was a cute little scamp (the monkey, not the climber).
Overall, I can recommend the temple to everybody, but the climb only to those who are fit enough. I would definitely go again.
Don’t forget to dress appropriately, T-shirt and shorts is fine. No bikinis or topless men etc. Oh, and don’t stare at the monkeys if they are looking at you, they will take that as aggression! Ignoring them is a great option.
Cost: Free entry, but there are monks accepting donations all around the temple.
Krabi
Thailand