About fifteen kilometers outside of Kanchanaburi, right next to Wat Tham Khao Noi, this relatively new temple, built in 1971 in the traditional Thai style, sits atop a small hill. It houses a huge Buddha statue, 18 meters high and 10 meters wide, adorned with golden mosaics, which is visible from afar and was erected in 1973. It can be reached via 157 steps or a small cable car. Once at the top, a breathtaking 360-degree panoramic view of the surrounding area and rice paddies unfolds. Another highlight of the temple is the unusual, seven-story chedi, which I highly recommend climbing, if only for the view of the Buddha statue through the windows. There are also several cafes and restaurants nearby with views of the rice paddies, the hill, and the temple. Wat Tham Suea in Kanchanaburi owes its name, "Tiger Cave Temple," to the fact that its cave once served as the home of a tiger family. The caves are currently closed to the public. This is not the only temple in Thailand with this name; there is a very famous Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi province, known for its 1,260 steps that must be climbed to reach its highest point.

There is no entrance fee, but the small funicular railway, which takes you to the top without having to climb stairs, costs 10 THB.

There is no public transport to the temple, but you can hire a songthaew (shared taxi with benches in the back). From Kanchanaburi, a round trip costs around 800 THB, regardless of the number of passengers. Allow an hour for your temple visit. Songthaews can be found outside the Kanchanaburi bus and train stations. Negotiate the price before boarding. You can also extend your trip to include Wat Ban Tham and the Crystal Cave. The price for this is around 1,000 THB.

Wat Tham Sua 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 Sua? There is no public transport to the temple, but you can hire a songthaew (shared taxi with benches in the back). From Kanchanaburi, a round trip costs around 800 THB, regardless of the number of passengers. Allow about an hour for your temple visit. Songthaews can be found outside the Kanchanaburi bus and train stations. Negotiate the price before boarding. You can also combine the trip with a visit to Wat Ban Tham and the Crystal Cave. The price for this is around 1,000 THB.