Khao Luang Cave

Petchaburi is not only a province with a rich history that reflects the local culture and way of life, but also has many places of worship such as temples, especially the cave temples found in the scattered mountains. throughout the province.

Five kilometers from the city center towards Khao Wang, a cave temple is built on a small hill just 92 meters high. It is not too difficult to get there because the road to the temple is not too steep so you can walk or drive up. The cave temple is only about a hundred years old. It was built in the time of King Chulalongkorn, who wanted to build a temple on top of Khao Luang in honor of King Mongkut, who once visited Tham Khao Luang cave.

King Chulalongkorn said that the cave is very attractive with stalactites and stalagmites covered in the cave. The cave also has a large hatch, through which sunlight enters and hits the rock, making the cave colorful and allowing visitors to see all the beauty of the inside of the cave. . In addition, this hatch also allows cool air to flow into the cave, keeping it from getting wet. King Mongkut, who saw the beauty of the cave, built 10 meter long concrete steps from the foot of the mountain into the cave and there are also ancient Buddha statues kept in the cave before the Rattanakosin period was monastic. fix. It is thought that the statues, such as the 6-meter-long reclining Buddha and the large Buddha in the Mara posture, were brought from another place and worshiped here by pilgrims.

King Chulalongkorn wanted to build a proper temple in Tham Khao Luang cave in memory of his father, King Mongkut. He made new Buddha statues to keep them in the cave mixed with the old ones. He also had the names of the first five kings to wear the Chakri Dynasty coat of arms engraved at the foot of one of the newer Buddha statues. Today, tour guides provided by temples and shops are available to visitors. In addition, there are many monkeys living in the temple.

The atmosphere inside the cave is very peaceful and quiet, Buddhists will be respectful in front of Buddha statues burning candles and incense. There are about 170 Buddha statues in Khao Luang cave. One of the most beautiful is the giant reclining Buddha, which symbolizes the Buddha's final Nirvana.

The rays of the sun through the holes in the ceiling illuminate the caverns, giving the golden Buddha statues a mysterious look. In addition to Buddha statues and stupas, you'll find stalactites hanging from the cave's ceiling, formed over the centuries from drops of water.

The caves are accessed via a paved staircase close to the parking lot. The way up to the cave and in front of the cave are herds of monkeys waiting for visitors to feed them. If you like to feed them, you can buy food at one of the stalls in front of the cave. However, be careful with your belongings, monkeys are very bold and may follow your bag if they think there is food in it.

At the foot of the hill is a large temple complex called Wat Bunthawi, also known as Wat Tham Klaep. Here you will find a very large sala used for different purposes and a Thai style temple.

Near the Khao Luang cave, King Mongkut has a Palace built on top of a hill open to visitors, the Phra Nakhon Khiri Palace.

Khao Luang Cave is located just north of Petchaburi town and a few kilometers from Phra Nakhon Khiri historical park. The best way to get there is by private taxi. The drive from Bangkok is about two hours, but if you go from Hua Hin, you can reach Khao Luang cave in less than an hour.

Opening hours: daily, from 09:00 to 16:00

Ticket price: free.