| The Phraya Nakhon Cave
Tips for visiting this magical cave in Thailand
“WOW!” was our first reaction when we entered the first part of the Phraya Nakhon cave. “Just wait until you reach your final destination,” our guide replied, “then you will definitely say that again”. He was right. We walked around the bend and what followed was the image shown here above.
The Phraya Nakhon Cave is perhaps the most magical place in Thailand. It is a bit of a challenge to get there and it is a bit off the tourist track, but that makes it extra special. Even though it is one of the most beautiful places to visit in this amazing country, you won’t find many tourists here.
In this blog, you will read everything you need to know before visiting the Phraya Nakhon Cave.
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About the Phraya Nakhon Cave
The Phraya Nakhon Cave is a limestone cave located in the Sam Roi Yot National Park. Many decades ago, part of the roof of the cave collapsed, exposing the inside of the cave to the most amazing morning light we’ve had ever seen. This has allowed plants, and even trees, to grow.
The cave was discovered by chance 200 years ago by its namesake Chao Phraya Nakhon Sri Thammarat, a Thai man who wanted to take shelter from the rain. At the end of the 19th century, the small temple was built in honour of a visit by the then King Rama V.
The Kukha Karuhas Pavilion is the smallest temple in Thailand and was built without the use of screws or nails. It is a special piece of craftsmanship, in which the wood has been worked in such a way that it fits together seamlessly.
The temple and cave are most beautiful in the winter months between December and March, around 10.30 am. In this period, the morning light is at its most beautiful and shines directly on the temple.
How to get to the Phraya Nakhon Cave
The Phraya Nakhon Cave is located in the province of Prachuap Khiri Khan on the east coast of Thailand, a 45-minute drive from the famous resort city of Hua Hin. From here, you can travel to the cave in various ways.
We did this with an organised tour. As said, the Phraya Nakhon Cave lies somewhat from the tourist track, as such we didn’t feel comfortable in trying to reach this hidden gem on our own. Taking a tour made us feel a bit more at ease in visiting this place, and it allowed us to learn a bit more about the history of the cave and the surrounding area from an expert guide.
After visiting the cave, our guide took us to a local restaurant, where we ate the most delicious Thai dishes, whilst enjoying the view of the mangrove forest next to us. We would have never found this place on our own. But you can find this restaurant here.
→ The tour we did is the Sam Roi Yod National Park & Praya Nakhon Cave Private Tour from Hua Hin.
If you don’t want to go on an organised tour, you can also visit the Phraya Nakhon Cave by taxi or by driving yourself to the beach of the fishing village Bang Pu. Here you will find a car park with a number of shops and restaurants on the beach. Here is also the entrance where you pay 200 Thai Bath as a tourist to visit the park.
There are two ways to continue your journey from here: by a hike of 30 to 45 minutes, or by fishing boat. The latter will take you directly to Laem Sala Beach, where the real (relatively tough) hike to the cave will start. The boat trip will cost about 150 THB extra per person.
Prepare yourself for a decent hike!
From Laem Sala Beach, it is a good 400 metres hike to the cave. This will take you about 45 minutes. Make sure you bring enough water and wear good walking shoes. The path is uneven and quite steep.
Halfway through, there is a lookout point where you can rest and enjoy the view of the bay. There is also a good chance that you will encounter some dusky leaf monkeys on the way. Unfortunately they weren’t around when we were there.
At the bottom of the climb, you will find a restaurant on the beach. It’s nice to be able to relax here after the hike and have a cold drink. Here you will also find toilets.
The best period to visit Phraya Nakhon Cave
It is best to plan your visit to the Phraya Nakhon Cave in the period December to March. Our guide told us that the light that falls into the cave is at its most beautiful in these months. Try to arrive at the cave at around 10.30am, so that you can be sure to see the light directly illuminating the temple. This is around 11.00 o’clock.
How long should you allow for a visit to the cave?
We would allow about half a day for a visit to the Phraya Nakhon Cave. It took us about three and a half hours from the time we started the first hike to the time we returned to the car park.
Near the Phraya Nakhon Cave
The Sam Roi Yot National Park
As described earlier, the Phraya Nakhon Cave is part of the Sam Roi Yot National Park. In this beautiful park, there is more to do than just the cave. It is also a paradise for birdwatchers. The park contains a large freshwater swamp over which a wooden boardwalk has been created.
Sam Roi Yot literally means “mountain with 300 peaks”, which refers to the limestone mountains you find in this area. You will also find mangroves, beautiful beaches and small islands here. It is therefore unsurprising that Sam Roi Yot was appointed the first marine national park in Thailand. It is also possible to make a boat trip through the mangroves here. In the vicinity, boat trips are also organised to spot dolphins.
The Kui Buri National Park
At about a 50 minutes’ drive from Sam Roi Yot, you will find another special national park: the Kui Buri National Park. This is the place in Thailand to spot wild elephants. Tour operators say that there is a 98% chance of seeing these magnificent animals here. We were among those lucky ones who indeed got to see multiple families.
The park cannot be visited without a local guide and it only opens at 2pm (until 6pm at the latest) to ensure that the animals are not too disturbed by tourism.
We visited Kui Buri ourselves with this tour. But you can also drive to the park and book a safari there. This is cheaper, but the disadvantage is that you will not have an English-speaking guide in the car.
Hua Hin
The most famous place near the Phraya Nakhon Cave is the town of Hua Hin. This is a famous seaside resort that has been a favourite of the Thai royal family for generations. Here, you will find many luxurious accommodations, such as the Rest Detail Hotel where we stayed and which we can definitely recommend to others.
Staying in such a luxury resort is actually the only way to enjoy seaside views in Hua Hin. The coastline is completely built up and the beaches are for the most part owned by the hotels.
To be honest, there are many more beautiful resort towns in Thailand than Hua Hin, but they are all very famous and quite crowded. A visit to Hua Hin gave us the opportunity to take a route less travelled, with the Phraya Nakhon cave as our absolute reward.
Hi, we are Samira & Maurits, a travel-hungry couple with a passion for photography.
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