Wat Tham Sua is one of the best known and talked about sites in Krabi, but there are three things to see, and most visitors only see one or two.
On the aerial photo below we have marked points A, B1 and B2 and C.
A marks the original Tiger Cave at the base of the limestone cliff, which it is believed that a monk and a tiger shared when wild tigers still roamed Thailand. The entrance is covered by a building, and access is gained via the ramp shown in the next photo.
B1 marks the start of the second attraction, reached through the archway shown above, which is the foot of the 1,270 steps to another temple on top of the cliff. This is a hard climb, with handrails but uneven steps, although the views from the top are stunning, so most consider it worth the effort.
The third place to see, at point C, is the one most people miss. It is a small piece of tropical rainforest, surrounded by cliffs and inaccessible to wheeled traffic, so largely undisturbed for hundreds of years. A few monks’ sleeping quarters have been built inside, but it is mainly untouched and there is a pleasant walk around the inside, with several caves to visit, and all kept cool by the forest canopy. The entrance is up a flight of about 100 steps, and down again a slightly smaller number, and is a bit hidden away as seen in the photo below, just to the left of the pale blue map sign:
