This week i found myself in Hua Hin which is in the southern part of Thailand about 200 km from Bangkok city a three hour drive you can travel there by bus, minivan, train, or taxi. Train is a good option costing you $8 US one way and you get to see more of the country side. I traveled there with some friends from Bangkok in a minivan costing us $6 US each one way. Hua Hin is well known for it's 4 km stretch of white sandy beach it use to be the number one location for tourist years ago but now it is a much quieter and more pleasant actually.
Our one main reason for going to Hua Hin was to see the Phraya Nakhon Caves in the national park and also to get away from the hustle and bustle of Bangkok city. So yesterday early morning we headed over to the caves we had organized a taxi boat which cost us $5 US per person to take us all across the Gulf of Thailand to the national park about a 20 minute boat ride you can also walk to the national park along the beach enjoying a nice scenery over the bay but we wanted to save our energy for the mountain climb up to the caves.
The park opens at 8 am we were there just after 8 am it's highly recommended to do this adventure early morning for certain reasons i will explain further down the post.
Once we reached the national park there is a entrance fee of $6 US into the park after paying our fees we prepared ourselves for the 430 meters climb up to the limestone caves following the signs , i particular liked this sign it made me think what have we gotten ourselves into here...lol..it sounded like it was going to be a tough climb.
The climb was 430 meters it's not a steep climb and not long, but it is tasking in the heat and the steps are in poor condition very uneven like steeping from one rock to another doing balancing tricks at the same time , they say one of the caves up there has a beautiful gold and green pavilion or little temple house built inside the cave so we really wanted to get to the top of this limestone mountain and inside this cave.
We all made the exhausting 430 meter climb safely to the top and were all ready to enter the cave after taking a few deep breaths , it has been said by the tourist guides that it is a privilege if you have made it to the top because it is a hard cave to reach and only a handful of dedicated visitors will make the effort to climb to the top but if you do make it to the top you will be rewarded with the most stunning views and a vision in the caves that looks like something straight out of an Indiana Jones movie.
View of The Gulf of Thailand from top of the mountains.
They say that the Phraya Nakhon Caves are one of the most mystical and mysterious landmarks of Thailand and seeing these limestone mountains from the inside it did really have that spiritual feeling and the most amazing part we were the only ones here inside this cave it felt so peaceful and tranquil looking at the sun rays shinning down on the pavilion felt like we were in heaven with them lush green fern trees around the pavilion made it even more picturesque.
I was amazed how the inside of this limestone cave the rocks and cave walls were all so lime in color mainly because it is limestone...lol..but also because of the cooler climate condition in the cave it gave it that mossy look which was so refreshing to look at.
All the time climbing up to the caves , i was imagining i was going to be entering into a dark scary pit but it turned out to be that these caves have a open ceiling you could say and looking up through this open ceiling was just breathtaking seeing the blue sky and the sun rays shinning down on you, looking above was a walkway between the two opening which they call the "Hell Bridge" made by mother nature through erosion how amazing.
Why these caves had that peaceful spiritual feeling , i came to know that three generations of Kings had visited these caves King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V) , King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) and including the latest King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) and all these Kings left signs of good luck and blessing engraved into the cave walls.
There are actually 3 different caves, two of them with openings in their ceilings all huge, beautiful and mysterious.
Just a few tips to make your adventure a happier and more enjoyable one , you need to be at least in medium/good shape. Try to be inside the caves between 10.30 and 11.30 am when the sun directly illuminates the temple so give yourself time by getting to the park between 8-9 am. It'll also be a lot cooler for the hike up. On the way up and back have a cold fresh mixed fruit juice or water and you'll have had a great morning. So now it was for our climb back down a great adventure and experience had and a great workout but very worthwhile 😊
And it was back to Hua Hin Beach for lunch !!
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