Monkey Mountain and Wat Khao Takiab

In Thai, Khao Tiakiab literally means "chopstick hill." This mountain is dominated by a 272 m high headland jutting into the sea, where it is clearly visible at the southern end of Hua Hin beach. At the top of the mountain, you will admire a statue of Buddha over 20m high and there are statues of other religious figures of both Thailand and China along with a statue of King Rama V.

At the top of Khao Takiab hill, also known as monkey mountain or Chopstick hill is Wat Khao Lad temple, also known as monkey temple, because there are many monkeys living there.

There are several ways to reach the top of the mountain and Khao Lad temple. One is to take the stairs, the other is to go by road by taxi, tuk tuk or motorbike. Walking up the stairs gives you some very interesting views of Hua Hin, which is located north of Khao Takiab. On a clear day, you can even see Cha-Am beach in the distance.

Starting from the small beach next to the restaurant, you will see a huge 20-meter-tall Buddha overlooking the sea. Going a little further is a steep staircase up the mountain. Upon reaching the top of the stairs, there is a small shrine and some great views of the area, including several small islands. It's usually quiet there with a very peaceful atmosphere. If you wish to enter the temple, like any other Buddhist temple, please take off your shoes and dress appropriately.

A short walk up the mountain you will also see a beautiful Chinese temple. The temple has a large number of small altars and statues all beautifully decorated in blue, red and yellow colors and also has a remarkable statue of Buddha Guan Yin, the thousand-armed Goddess of China. Country.

Inside the temple, you will find paintings telling ancient stories of the Chinese. Like in many Chinese temples there is a large statue of Maitreya Buddha, also known as the Laughing Buddha. Maitreya Buddha is considered by the Chinese to be the protector of children and the poor. For good luck, you can try tossing some coins into the hole in the statue's belly.

The special thing about Khao Takiab mountain is that there are a large number of monkeys living on the top of the mountain, in the area near Wat Khao Lad temple. This is a great opportunity to see them up close and much better than in the zoo, as they live freely here and are not kept in cages.

If you like to feed them, you can buy food such as bananas, corn and peanuts at a small shop near the temple. Monkeys are curious and quite cheeky animals. They love to take things and if they know you have food somewhere, they will try to get it. If you're uncomfortable with them, just throw the food on the floor and walk away. Even though they are used to humans, they are still wild animals, do not try to touch them, because they may bite you. Especially for children, it is a fun experience to see the monkeys from up close, feed them and watch them peel bananas like everyone else does.

To reach Khao Takiab mountain you can take a tuk tuk or motorbike taxi from Hua Hin. Make sure you agree on a price before you depart. The cheapest way is probably to take the songthaew, a kind of small local bus that looks like a covered pickup truck with seats in the back. You can board from one of the main roads in Hua Hin, Phet Kasem Road and get off anywhere you like. The fare from Hua Hin to Monkey Mountain is about 20 Baht.

Opening hours: 05:00 - 18:00

Ticket price: free