Huahin and Cha-Am: Caves
Tham Khao Luang
This cave is located approximately five kilometers from khao Wang. From the foot hill, there are concrete stair cases leading to the cave entrance. Khao Luang is a small-sized hill having a height of 92 meters at the peak. However, Khao Luang Cave is regarded as the Largest and most important cave of Phetchaburi province because the important ornamented Buddha image built by King Rama V and dedicated to King Rama III and IV is enshrined here.
This cave had been a royal picnic site since the King Rama IV period. He was very fond of this place so that he commanded the renovation of several old Buddha images in the cave. On the right hand side of the entrance at Khao Luang foot hill, there is a big beautiful monastery called by Phetchaburi folks Wat Tham Klaep which is now Wat Bun Thawi.
There are some interesting items to be seen in this monastery such as a hude multipurpose pavilion, and beautiful wood carved door panels of the main shrine hall which was designed and constructed by the Lord Abbot who was a famous artisan. The old legend told by Phetchaburi folks for centuries is that the entrance of the cave at this monastery is the entrance of a twilight zone town where inhabitants are only young maidens.
Tham Khao Yoi
This cave is located on Khao Yoi Hill, 22 kilometers prior to arriving at Amphoe Muang Phetchaburi. The Hill is outstanding on the edge of Highway No.4 the cave is in the east part of the hill which is located behind the railway station.
There are many Buddha images of several size and attitudes enshrined in the cave like those of Khao Luang Cave or Khao Bandai It Cave. According to the history, those Buddha images were enshrined long ago before the place was renovated by Phra Khru On of Wat Thai Talat. The legend also says that when King Mongkut was in the monkhood he once made a pilgrimane and stayed overnight for several nights, firstly in front of the hill and lately moved in to the cave, for meditation practice.
Khao Bandai It
This is a small hill having a height of 121 meters at he peak. It is located two kilometers from Khao Wang. On the hill there is a very old monastery called Wat Khao Bandai It, and built in the Ayutthaya era. It is a famous school for meditation practice where King Sua of the late Ayutthaya era used to apply himself a student of the Lord Abbot Saeng. Besides Wat Khao Bandai It, there are several caves which are huge in size and are located underneath the hill.
The first cave is called "Tham Prathun" which has buddha images enshrined along both walls of the cave. If one goes further inside the can reach another cave called "Tham Phra Chao Sua". The name was give to the cave because King Sua came here to visit his teacher, Lord Abbot Saeng, who was offered a two-meter standing Buddha statue this statue is in the attitude of calming the ocean and has been enshrined in that cave over since then.
Another cave located deeper inside is "Tham Phraphuttha Saiyat" which literally means the "Reclining Buddha Cave". Such name is given to the cave because a seclining Buddha is enshried inthat cave. Besides the Buddha image, there is also (in the cave too) a very old wooden boat roof which was offered to the Lord Abbot Saeng by King Sua. In addition, there are several more caves such as Phra Athit Cave, Phra Chan Cave, Duke Cave (the name given to the cave after a visit made by Duke Johan Albert), Sawang Arom Cave, and Chang Phuak Cave, which may satisfy cave visitors to a high degree.
