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There are several tiger temples that appeared due to the fact that Buddhists meditated in a tiger den in Thailand.
One of these temples is often visited on the way to the River Kwai.
Its full name is Tiger Cave Temple.
According to legend, a huge tiger lived on the hill. He growled all over the district, frightening the locals. But one day a monk, looking for shelter during hostilities, wandered into a tiger's lair. The predatory beast did not touch him. So they lived together, tiger and man.
Then the monks chose the tiger cave for meditation. And then temples and pagodas were erected here.
It is said to be the most bizarre temple complex in all of Thailand. I won’t say for sure - I haven’t seen everything (there are more than 30 thousand temples in Tai), but it’s amazing - for sure! Very picturesque architecture.
In fact, there are two temples on the hill, combined into a single temple complex. One, Wat Tham Sua, was built in the style of Thai architecture, and the second, Wat Tham Khao Noi, was built in the Chinese style.
cave temple on the hill
The temple, called Wat Tham Khao Noi (Temple of the Cave on the Hill), perches on a hill overlooking the Mae Klong Dam.
Guides usually offer to climb the stairs to the Tiger Temple. Count the steps, and climbing, at the same time cleanse the soul.
The staircase is decorated along the edges with long snakes (they play the role of a railing). There are 157 steps leading upstairs, so it’s not easy to go in the heat.
But! For the sick, the elderly and simply lazy, for 10 baht you can climb in a booth along the rails.
It doesn't matter how you climb to the top - everyone at the top is presented with a magnificent, majestic spectacle. 18-meter Buddha statue in the lotus position.
She is huge and majestic.
All of gold (I can’t say for sure whether gold or gilding, because in Tai there are really golden statues and faces of the Buddha). From the side, she also examined it - it was curious.
Next to the Buddha is a small temple complex. Beauty and magnificence cannot be expressed in words.
Each building of the temple complex is unique.
The entrance to one of them is decorated with tigers.
On the tiger is a wreath of flowers.
The corridors of another temple are made with arches. It looks like infinity...
A place for prayers and offerings.
Monks live in a high pyramidal temple, closed to tourists.
The temple is surrounded by many bells. They recommend that everyone call and make an intangible wish.
Everyone is trying to capture their presence among all this splendor.
Checking the purity of the soul
I went into one of them.
In one corner is a Buddha. In the other, a shield. If a person with a pure soul rubs it with his palm, it will ring.
On the opposite side is another shield.
The walls are painted with three-dimensional paintings depicting various religious scenes.
You walk along - and you want to take pictures from each side. They are so incredibly beautiful! They are constantly cared for.
And around a typical Thai landscape - rice fields.
On the edge of the temple complex there is a well with holy (if in our opinion) or cleansing water.
We need to get some water.
If you draw water with it, everything will be cleared better.
You need to wash yourself with this water, wash yourself, pour over - whoever likes what. I poured water over my head, almost completely dousing myself. Hot!
In front of the Big Buddha there are machines into which you throw a coin or paper money, and a prayer is performed. But you need to choose by the days of the week, depending on what day you were born.
Near the largest temple there are many bells for the fulfillment of desires.
And a big friction shield. Each of us with such confidence approached to rub it, and in different ways, but something did not ring, did not buzz. Although many argue that it really buzzes sometimes. Perhaps the soul is purer?
Beauty and grandeur extraordinary!
Back down the alley, decorated with various birds and animals.
Having descended from the other side of the stairs, which they climbed, I found. It has free access. Although in Buddhist temples there is free access everywhere (except for the dwellings of monks, of course), you just need to take off your shoes.
Inside a real cave is an altar,
various figurines
and statues.
Travel tips. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes, go light, without heavy luggage, take water with you.
Tiger Cave Temple is located in the province of Kanchanaburi, in the Muang District, five kilometers from the dam to which we rafted - remember my story?
There are several tiger temples in Thailand. Don't confuse this one with the more famous Tiger Temple in Krabi. The one I talked about is much more interesting in terms of architecture.
Did you like Tiger Cave Temple?
Have you seen something similar?
P.S. Svetlana (Kusha69) shared her impressions of visiting an unusual temple in Thailand. Below you will find links to other stories by Svetlana about Thailand.
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(function(w, d, n, s, t) ( w[n] = w[n] || ; w[n].push(function() ( Ya.Context.AdvManager.render(( blockId: "R-A -142249-2", renderTo: "yandex_rtb_R-A-142249-2", async: true )); )); t = d.getElementsByTagName("script"); s = d.createElement("script"); s .type = "text/javascript"; s.src = "//an.yandex.ru/system/context.js"; s.async = true; t.parentNode.insertBefore(s, t); ))(this , this.document, "yandexContextAsyncCallbacks");The story of tigers began in 1999, when local residents brought the first orphaned tiger cub to the temple, but, unfortunately, the baby died soon after. A little later, a few more tiger cubs were given to the monastery. Some were brought in by people who discovered their "pets" were getting too big, others were orphans whose parents had been killed by poachers. Another reason why people started to give tigers to the forest shelter is stricter animal protection laws. The colony of the cat family gradually expanded. This happened not only due to the arrival of animals from nearby territories, but also as a result of the appearance of their offspring within the walls of the monastery. As of May 2012, the total number of tigers living at the temple has risen to over 100.
Due to the lack of controlled breeding programs and available DNA data, it is very difficult to determine the pedigree of local cats. However, it is assumed that most of them are Indochinese tigers, with the exception of Mak, which belongs to the Bengal subspecies. It is likely that the newly discovered Malayan tigers are among them, and many are most likely a mixture of several breeds.
During the history of its existence, the temple has grown to a whole island, where animals no longer live in cages, but in the open air, which is more similar to their natural habitat. The smallest tiger cubs run freely around the territory, but older individuals have to be taken on a leash for safety reasons.
The diet of the big cats at the tiger temple consists solely of boiled chicken and dry cat food. Feeding such food prevents predators from becoming familiar with the taste of blood, which can trigger associations that associate the smell of blood with food. The chicken is also heat-treated to kill the bird flu virus that can be found in raw meat. Cat food, on the other hand, according to information provided on the official website of the Tiger Temple, enriches the body with essential nutrients, such as taurine, which is not stored in boiled chicken.
The predatory inhabitants of the monastery live in fairly comfortable conditions. They are cared for by monks, local staff and foreign volunteers. Once a day, at about one o'clock in the afternoon, tabby cats are taken on leashes to the nearest rocky canyon, where they used to walk without any obstacles. However, due to the increase in the number of animals and the number of visitors, for security reasons, they began to be tied to “anchors” driven into the ground.
Such an unusual place, where monks live side by side with tigers, sharing shelter and food with them, very quickly gained immense popularity around the world. To date, the Temple of the Tigers receives 300-600 visitors a day.
The Tiger Monastery is open to the public daily during daylight hours. The entrance fee to the temple grounds is 8 dollars, and it is also necessary to prepare a tribute to the monks in the form of fruits and rice. Before entering and being in close proximity to the tigers, in addition to the mandatory fee, all visitors are required to sign a waiver releasing the Tiger Temple from liability. There is also a briefing in which it is forbidden to wear bright and open clothes, sunglasses, hats, use perfume, enter in a state of intoxication, stroke the tigers on the head and turn your back on them. For security reasons, while on the territory of the monastery, you should diligently adhere to all of the above rules.
At first, tourists, waiting for a meeting with tigers, stand behind a shaky fence, watching the measured life of the monastery. The staff then escorts them one by one to the animals, where they can stand or sit next to each animal, petting or taking a few shots. For an additional fee, the monk can place the tiger's head on the visitor's lap. The workers of the monastery closely monitor the behavior of their pets so that, having had enough of communicating with the guests, they suddenly start to get nervous, and if manifestations of aggression occur, they immediately take the animal away.
In the Temple of the Tigers, visitors are given the opportunity to feed the cubs from a bottle, take part in the process of bathing the tigers, play with them, feed them by hand, take pictures with the cubs or sleeping adults. Several times a day, guests get a chance to play with huge cats near a small waterfall, using an analog of a "bow on a string" that matches their size as a toy. They will jump high, trying to grab with their paws a giant bow, controlled by the visitor with a long stick.
In addition to tigers, birds and other animals live in the temple, including buffaloes hiding in a cool swamp from the heat of the day, deer, monkeys, camels and a wild boar, with which an interesting story is connected. A few years ago, he was hit by a car, and the locals brought the wounded boar to the monastery. The monks nursed him for a long time, as a result of which he got stronger and went back to the forest. Some time later, the smart boar returned to the monastery with his entire family.
Anyone wishing to support an unusual nursery can make a contribution to the donation boxes, which are located on the territory of the monastery. The cost of feeding and caring for tigers alone, according to temple workers, is about $100 per day per tiger.
All the proceeds from the tickets go to buy food for the animals, as well as work related to the construction of a large nature reserve, where they will live in the environment closest to them. The total area of the land acquired earlier is 1,000 acres. Some areas are already open and inhabited by tigers, but most of the reserve is currently under development and construction. In nearby areas, the monks are restoring the forest, which, although not as lush as, for example, the tropical jungle on the island of Koh Chang, will allow the tigers to feel very comfortable.
The Temple of the Tigers is located just 200 km from Bangkok and 38 km from the city of Kanchanaburi on the way to the city of Sai Yok, which is along Highway 323. The road from Bangkok to the monastery will take about 2.5 hours.
Road to Tiger Temple:
Inside the tiger temple:
It seems that someone overestimated their strength. For this reason, our walk to the place "Tiger Cave" to the temple and to the Buddha on the mountain turned out to be not the most informative. We arrived at 10 am, at that time the 35-degree heat had already begun and it didn’t really work out to see everything that was planned. Well, okay. Not a big problem. With such heat, not everyone can cope.
Wat Tham Suea. Tiger Temple new
Mom makes a wish and beats the gong
Slava is interested in the money tree
It is not known why the planes were placed here and what relation they have to the temple
Like 2 girls girlfriends
The construction of the new temple has not yet been completed.
After the gate we are met by monkeys. Hungry monkeys. And well-fed sleeping dogs.
In order not to become a victim of a monkey robbery, you need to look around or find a place where they will not jump on you. For example, this monkey sneaked up behind a guy who had just bought a coconut, suddenly jumped on him and snatched the coconut out of his hands.
Tourists! Nothing to yawn. Coconut was missed
We wandered around
Deity for worship and prayer
Great place to relax near the waterfall. It's just too hot to sit there
Where can I order a transfer from the airport?
We use the service - KiwiTaxi
Ordered a taxi online, paid by card. We were greeted at the airport with a sign with our name on it. We were taken to the hotel in a comfortable car. You have already talked about your experience in this article.
We decided to climb the mountain to the Buddha.
The plate with the number of steps did not bother us.
It didn't seem like such a difficult task. But in vain.
The tiger temptingly calls with its paw up
And the old man chuckles shyly, praative
Climbing the stairs to the top of the mountain in a hot, humid tropical climate proved to be no easy task. Even for a healthy person under the scorching sun, this will be torture.
Glory at the beginning of the rise
Small section passed. Phew.
By the way, with a fear of heights, it’s better not to meddle here. Some sections of the stairs can be very scary.
Naive women who think they will rise!
After 300 steps we were exhausted and gave up. The thought of going 3 times more was depressing.
I'm tired, but happy going downstairs!
Soaring people passing by us, who, apparently, descended from the Buddha, gave us sincere advice not to climb further. One Korean said three times that it was definitely not worth it, we took his word for it.
We are quite satisfied with this view.
And all this torment to rise to the Buddha? Why haven't we seen the Buddhas? To hell!
Many have probably heard that it is not the goal itself that is important, but the road to the goal. In this case, this hard climb is more important than what you see on the mountain. We got up with such thoughts, but at some point we realized that to hell with philosophy, health is more important. In addition, we had parents with us who endure the heat with physical activity more difficult due to their age. Our mistake was that we arrived late, we had to start climbing at 7 am.
I don’t understand travelers who, with the last of their strength, go there just for show or because, it seems, everyone was there, but what if I’m worse or something ...
A panoramic view of the whole of Krabi, we better see on the Internet.
Getting down isn't easy either. Legs were already trembling and aching. Also, the steps were terribly uncomfortable, the railing was heated, it was not always possible to hold on to them.
Tiger Cave or tiger cave
The legend claims that a tiger lived in this place and kept everyone in fear. But then the tiger left and the monks came there to meditate. How it actually happened, we can only speculate. The cave in the real rock, of course, impressed. Unusual. I would live in a place like this. The house in the rock is a child's fantasy.
Inside there is a tiger, Buddhas, monks taking pictures of tourists.
Satisfied tiger in high esteem
After what we saw that day, it seemed to all of us that we were not in Krabi, but were in another city in Thailand. We are used to the fact that Krabi is beaches, shops, merchants and travel agencies. And then once, and you are already in the Buddhist world.
By the way, admission is free everywhere. Nobody asks for money. Feel free to come to Tiger Cave in Krabi, only better early, by 7-8 in the morning, to visit all sorts of other interesting things that we didn’t see! After ascending and descending in the heat, we no longer had the strength to look into a small jungle reserve, where monks' dwellings and exotic plants were waiting for us.
How to get to Tiger Cave from Ao Nang
Excursion to Tiger Cave is quite expensive. Therefore, it is easier and more expedient to go on your own. In Ao Nang, we stopped a sontgeo (minibus), next to the bass station. We agreed on 100 baht from the nose. He took all the passengers to the bus station, and then he took us to the temple. On the way back, you can take a sontgeo with a transfer in Krabi Town. Or by taxi - for 600-800 baht to Ao Nang or 200-300 baht to Krabi town.
Tiger Cave on Krabi map
It just so happened that initially my plans for a three-month trip to Southeast Asia included many cities and various man-made things created by man. But at some point, while exploring points of interest, I just switched to nature and animals. I changed my route. Instead of the beaches, Koh Samui preferred elephants and monkeys on the island of Koh Chang, visited Borneo, almost went crazy with happiness, walking along the jungles of the Bako Reserve spent a month listening the sound of the waves of the Indian Ocean, on Bali. In general, I chose the natural habitat of animals and the untouched, uncut nature of Southeast Asia.
Zoos, which is essentially the Kingdom of the Tigers, did not interest me. The life of animals in captivity... I don't really like to look at that. Although I confess that on this trip I visited the zoo in Chiang Mai, aquarium in bangkok and a zoo in Singapore. The kingdom of tigers attracted me because there it was possible to communicate with animals not through the bars of the cage, but on the same territory - that is, by visiting the tigers. To their territory. In a cell. Well, first things first.
The Tiger Kingdom is located near Chiang Mai. Each songteo and tuk-tuk minibus that roams the streets of the city is hung with an advertisement for this, in fact, a zoo. It is enough to stop her, tell her where you need to go and they will take you. The price is negotiable and usually for a round trip. At the entrance to the kingdom, you are met by girls who offer you to choose the type of ticket. The difference lies in how many animals you want to visit, whether you need a photo-video, etc. There are several options for visiting tigers: babies aged 3-4, young animals and adults, I would even say old ones, tigers. If you take a combi for all cells, then it certainly comes out cheaper. I can't say where they buy more.
By cost: adult tigers - 420 baht, young animals - 520 baht, and the smallest tiger cubs - 620 baht. I didn’t understand why there were so many for the smallest ones, but it was these wild kittens that interested me, which is why I climbed into their cage.
Ticket vending machines. 
Information desk and ticket office where you can pay for the ticket. After visiting the Kingdom of the Tigers, many people are confused by one thing - why are tigers so calm that they allow strangers to enter their cage and do what they do: lie down on them, pull their tails, hug .. Zoo owners hung these information boards, in which they assure that they do not give drugs to the tigers. And I, after visiting, still tormented by doubts. I've seen tigers in other zoos, I've been to circuses before... or are Thais just like that, all talented trainers?!
Path leading to the smallest tiger cubs. 
Sleeping tiger. I don’t know how it is with visiting adult tigers, but at the entrance to the kids you need to leave all your things in front of the entrance, change into flip-flops and everyone, after a short briefing (like not stroking the cubs on the head), is given a personal escort. He drags the tiger cub by the tail, if he decides to fall asleep or hide in a corner, he will take a picture of you, or he will hit the little tiger cub in the face with a stick if he decides to snarl. I must say that half of the cubs were sleeping, while the other cubs were playing. Yes, the heat is possible, and they sleep during the day, and in general the little ones sleep a lot. But ... maybe all the same tranquilizers they are given ...
Tiger cubs. 
Little tiger games. Hugs with a tiger cub. 
My little striped brother. 
Tiger cubs feel like plush to the touch. Time is supposed to be about 15 minutes. After sweating my fluffy soft paws, playing hugs, I went to look at the daredevils who chose older tigers. But first I got to the cages with the smallest cubs. They are not allowed into the cage and they hang out poor and unfortunate in some strange room that looks like a laboratory or a medical office. Where their parents are also unknown.
The smallest cubs in the Kingdom of the Tigers do not receive visitors. Older tigers play and frolic in such a way that sometimes you can’t approach them. Even on the other side of the cage, it seems that you are superfluous. Yes, you, man, and so superfluous.
In addition to cages with tigers that you can play with, there are also those where really dissatisfied, or rather, normal tigers and even a lion are sitting, predators that the person who put them in this cage is clearly not a friend to.
Lion in a cage. 
Honey) Moore) 
A lion in a cage is not a fun sight. And at the same time, watching young tigers swim and play is a lot of fun. And then looking at their funny faces in the photographs is doubly.
The tiger is ready for a photo shoot. 
Lurked in ambush. 
splashed) 
Plays. 
Two acrobat brothers. 
Save help)) I did not film people who were in a cage just because it was more interesting to watch the games of the drags. Well, what if some brave man entered the cage and pulled the tiger by the tail. Many people come here for the adrenaline rush, and I think they get it quite well. But it was not my case)
Watching tiger cubs play is a pleasure. 
I know that the Tiger Kingdom in Chiang Mai is not the only place of its kind in Thailand where you can interact with tigers up close. There is also the Kanchanaburi Tiger Temple near Bangkok, the Tiger Kingdom in Phuket, as well as the Si Racha Tiger Zoo near Pattaya.
discount hotels hereThe famous landmark of Krabi is the Tiger Temple. The exact name of this place sounds like the Tiger Cave Temple. There are always a lot of people around the temple; tourists and locals love to visit it. But if for many tourists the Tiger Temple is just an interesting tourist place, then Thais come here to walk the path of purification and pray.
The Tiger Temple has a fairly large area. There is a monastery and a meditation center here, which is known throughout the country. The temple intertwined Thai, Indian and Chinese styles of architecture. The beautiful Chinese pagoda stands out in particular.
Thais and tourists like to come to the Tiger Temple to take a course of meditation. A hotel was built especially for them, where they live during the course. The monks live in small houses that are located on the territory of the temple.
According to legend, a tiger lived in a cave on the territory of the temple and the monk meditated next to this tiger. The growling of the tiger was constantly heard from the cave, but he did not touch the monk. For this reason, this place was called the Tiger Cave Temple. If desired, now every visitor can go down to the cave where the monk was meditating next to the tiger.
The territory of the Tiger Temple is well-groomed and well-equipped. There are many religious statues, structures, tents with souvenirs and places of rest. The temple is free to visit, but donation urns are everywhere. At first, it is better to walk around its territory and see everything, and only then proceed to the ascent to the main observation deck of the temple. After all, the path is not easy, as you have to overcome 1237 steps.
Tigris Mountain
The main feature of the Tiger Temple is an observation deck, which is located on a mountain 600 meters from sea level. A staircase consisting of 1237 steps leads to the observation deck. Getting to the top of the mountain is not easy. But according to the Thai belief, it is the hard way up the mountain that cleanses and frees from sins. Therefore, at the top of the mountain, you will be completely cleansed and renewed.
Before climbing the mountain, be sure to go to the toilet and take a bottle of water with you. The way up usually takes from 30 minutes to an hour. But it is better not to rush, as you will quickly get tired and the further path will be very difficult for you. Relax and slowly walk up the stairs. Then the road will be quite simple for you and you will be able to fully enjoy the views that open along the way.
Note! Climbing the stairs to the mountain, you will periodically meet monkeys. Remember that these are wild animals and do not tease or try to pet them. They can attack and bite. But you don't have to be afraid of them either. If you behave peacefully and do not touch them, they will not harm you.
In addition to the cleansing on Tigris Mountain, you will find a large golden Buddha statue and beautiful views of the Krabi surroundings. The whole province seems to be in the palm of your hand! It's worth going up here just for the view alone. There is also a gazebo where you can sit and relax, and faucets with clean cool water.
Video review of the Tiger Temple
In this video, you can see what the Tiger Temple looks like and what views open from the top of the mountain.
How to get there?
Tiger Temple is located 7 km from Krabi Town, near Krabi Airport. The cheapest way to get to the temple is to take the public bus to the airport. You should exit before reaching the airport. Arrange with the driver to tell you when to get off. Then you have to walk to the temple. You can also return back on the same bus. To do this, go to the main road and wait for the bus from the airport.
You can also get to the Tiger Temple by taxi. The road will cost you an average of 200-300 baht.
If you want to get to the temple on your own bike or car, then get directions on Google Maps. She will show you the way and will not let you go astray.
You can also go to the temple along with an excursion, the price of which includes a transfer from the hotel and back, as well as visiting other interesting places. You can book a tour at any travel agency or online at.
Tiger Temple on the map
On this map you can see the exact location of the Tiger Temple in Krabi.
It is best to go to the Tiger Temple early in the morning, no later than 9:00. Then the sun bakes still not so strong and you have enough time to see everything. And don't forget to wear comfortable shoes and a hat.
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