Legend has it that a tiger would seek refuge from the sun in a cave at the foot of a mountain. When local people hunted in the nearby forests, they would hear deep roars coming from the mountain. This the legend of Tiger Temple Cave (Wat Tham Suea) was born.

Luangpor Jumnean Seela Settho was a chief monk who practised Dharma. In 1975 (B.E. 2518 if using the Buddhist calendar) Luangpor led a group of Buddhist monks to the cave where they settled and built a place of worship. With the arrival of the monks, the tiger retreated and fled to the Phanom Mountain Range, never to be seen again.

It doesn’t sound very Buddhist to drive an animal out of its natural home, but that’s the story folks!

Getting to Tiger Temple Cave

We hired a scooter in Krabi Town and made the thirty minute journey ourselves. On arrival, I was surprised to see how big the Wat Tham Suea complex was. The images I’d seen led me to believe it was at a remote location amongst mystical hills. Far from it.

At first you’re greeted by the colossal site of Wat Tham Suea itself. As of late 2019 it was under renovation and will be for a considerable time. Yet it doesn’t detract from it’s grandeur. A huge stupa rises to the sky from a base base covered with tigers and three headed dragons.

Opposite is the actual Tiger Cave Temple. Stepping inside I was surprised at the decor. There’s a distinct 1970’s blue tiling pattern on which Buddhist monks sit in their bright orange saffron robes giving sermons.

Set to one side is a grand life-size model of the infamous tiger which gave the temple its name. A few steps ascend (be careful not to hurt your head on the low cave ceiling) and then you’re in the mouth of the tiger (so to speak). It’s a small space with emerald Buddha statues and a locked gate. It’s here the tiger would have rested before having his home renovated and re-tiled in the latest blue 70’s colours!

Up next was what we’d come here for. A gruelling ascent up 1273 steps to catch the sights (after catching our breath) of the limestone cliffs and Krabi Town in the distance.

Everyone coming off the steps looked exhausted. Everyone walking up them looked even worse! I had forewarned Rose the day before that there was going to be 1273 steps. As is usually the case, the prospect of a tough hike hadn’t registered with her until it was actually happening. Having been away for a long time and walking long distances everyday, it still wasn’t enough preparation for the ascent up Tiger Cave Temple Mountain.

The steps are steep. They’re also very high. Let’s not forget that they’re also very narrow. Every foot forward on the concrete could feel like a lifetime of hard work. There’s no shying away from it, only the mentally prepared are likely to go the distance.

Some people like to know how far they’ve come. Others would rather not know what’s left. Looking around the hand rails will often show a figure and that’s how many steps you’ve conquered. We were approaching 573 when Rose asked “how far are we?”. Informing her that we were almost at half way, she sighed and said “I think I’ll have more fun at the bottom playing with the dogs and monkeys.” Who was I to argue. Back she turned and on I went.

For me, the excitement in breaking a sweat and putting my body through short term discomfort is always worth it. Upon reaching the top of Tiger Temple Cave Mountain, I was greeted with this view:

It was unreal. Limestone cliffs mark the horizon as far as the eye can see, all set against a giant golden Buddha statue. It just felt so…’Thailand’.