We gave the beach and the barbecued shrimp a miss this time in order to check out a few sacred and subterranean attractions
YVONNE BOHWONGPRASERT
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The principal Buddha image in Khao Luang Cave is more than 3.5m tall and dates back to the reign of King Rama V.
Mention that you’re going to Phetchaburi and a lot of people will automatically think of Cha-am, the beach resort famous for its mouthwatering seafood delicacies. But this province, not far south of Bangkok, boasts a long and colourful history and several fascinating natural wonders that make it worth visiting at any time of the year.
We began our sightseeing tour in Muang district, home to the enchanting Khao Luang Cave, more commonly known as Tham Wimanchakri. A series of connecting limestone caverns, it’s a popular place of pilgrimage because of the plethora of Buddha statues enshrined here, some dating back to the reign of King Rama IV (1850-68).
We emerged from our car to be confronted by a large troop of monkeys, rowdy creatures that were harassing passers-by in hopes of getting a free meal. While it’s forbidden to feed them (there are signs everywhere), vendors openly sell bananas and bags of peanuts to visitors, who then pose for photos as the monkeys greedily wolf down the goodies. To avoid being pestered we were warned not to make eye contact with the animals and not to carry bottles of water (doing so apparently marks one out as a foreign tourist). The advice worked a treat and we made our way, without incident, to the concrete spiral staircase which leads to the entrance.
The cave gets its official name from that of the small hill - it’s only 92 metres high - from which it has been hollowed out over millennia by the erosive action of rainwater on the soft limestone. During the 19th century it was fashionable for members of the royal family and the nobility to picnic here.
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Statue of a revered sage in a cramped corner of the cave.
We descended a flight of stairs to reach the first chamber where medium-size Buddha images are arranged in the shape of an “L”. Over the years devout Buddhists have donated many more to the collection. “There’s over 170 statues here in all,” volunteered our guide, who goes by the nickname Deer. "Many of these statues were especially commissioned for the cave by King Rama IV and King Rama V, making it a place of great religious and royal significance.
“While the Buddhas are the genuine article, some of the other ones [effigies of animist deities] you see around are actually replicas,” Deer noted as I aimed my camera at a few figurines stashed in a huge fissure in the wall of the main chamber.
This enormous cavern is full of stalagmites and stalactites, some of impressive dimensions, plus a host of sacred objects. One’s eye is immediately drawn to a towering Buddha, more than 3.5 metres tall; it seemed to glow in the mid-afternoon sunlight which penetrates this far into the cave. Pilgrims can be seen venerating the statues, some individuals clearly deep in meditation. The original rough floor has been surfaced with concrete to prevent people stumbling on uneven sections.
A large Buddha reclines at the entrance to an adjoining grotto in which stands a majestic chedi commissioned by King Rama IV. In one dark corner, way at the back, is the likeness of a man long dead, a revered sage in his time, Deer told us; visitors pray to the statue, believing that it can bestow good fortune.
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Bats swoop out from their cave at dusk for a night of hunting insects.
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Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park, a popular spot for family outings and bird-watching excursions.
Our tour of the cave complete, we drove on to Cha-am. But not for sea, sand or seafood. No, we planned to get some fresh air at Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park, a laid-back spot popular with the locals. It attracts families and groups of young people who come here to picnic or to trek the 130 metres or so to the summit of one of the lower mountains in the range that dominates the landscape, its silhouette bearing an uncanny resemblance to a sleeping giantess.
This place offers plenty of photo opportunities, especially at sunset.
Thick forest covers most of the range which features a large concentration of interesting limestone formations. At lower elevations, near the valley floor, bamboo and banyan trees are prevalent. Medicinal plants like the neem (Azadirachta indica) and the khoi or toothbrush tree (Streblus asper), the leaves or bark of which are used in Ayurvedic and other types of folk remedies, can be spotted growing along the banks of a creek.
As for wild animals, you’d need to be very lucky to catch sight of the antelopes, linsangs, monitor lizards and dusky langurs which live here; you’re much more likely to see rabbits, bats and various species of bird. Deer and what we were told were originally feral pigs are kept in large pens; they are part of a wildlife conservation centre based in the park.
Before heading back to Bangkok, we decided to drop by Nayang Bat Cave, a stone’s throw away. We timed our arrival for dusk and waited for the impressive sight of millions of these little mammals flying out their den in search of food.
“Every day local people climb up there to collect bat droppings; they get a good price for the dung,” said Uthai, owner of the house we were using to watch the winged phenomenon unfold. “The bats usually emerge about six in the evening and return at 5am, but their arrival and departure times depend on the weather, believe it or not!”
Admission to both Khao Luang Cave and Khao Nang Phanthurat Forest Park is free. On weekdays, the cave is open from 9am to 4pm; the park from 9am to 6pm. On weekends both places close at 5pm. If you want to visit the bat cave, give the Nayang Municipality a ring first on 032-471-358.
Bangkok Post 13 March 2008 / www.bangkokpost.com