About twenty kilometers from Kanchanaburi lies Wat Tham Phu Wa temple, famous for its cave. A large building in the Khmer and Lopburi styles greets visitors before the cave entrance. While not the most striking feature, it does point the way to the main entrance. The cave extends over two levels: the ground floor contains several chambers with stalagmites and stalactites, as well as Buddha statues. Worshippers pray before statues of the individual Chinese zodiac animals according to their birth year. Wat Tham Phu Wa is also a well-known meditation center. Immediately upon entering the complex, one sees a reclining Buddha, and to the left of the Khmer-style building, a large seated Buddha. All the statues are painted a delicate brick pink.

No entrance fee. Take the opportunity to visit Wat Mettatham Photiyan to admire the impressive, carved wooden statues.

To my knowledge, there is no public transport to Wat Tham Pu Wa. You will therefore need your own means of transport: rent a songthaew (the orange ones can be found in front of the Kanchanaburi bus station), a car, or a scooter.

Wat Tham Pu Wa is a temple, and when visiting a temple in Thailand there are some rules to follow: appropriate clothing (knees and shoulders should be covered), take off your shoes when entering the building, be quiet, do not hug or kiss, do not point your feet at the Buddha statue, do not smoke.

How to get there

How do you get to Wat Tham Pu Wa? To my knowledge, there is no public transport to Wat Tham Pu Wa. You will need your own transport: hire a songthaew (you can find orange ones in front of the Kanchanaburi bus station), a car, or a scooter.