Khao Kob Cave in Trang
Coming from a tropical country with many caves, I believe this place has to be one of the most exciting caves I have visited. The nearest town or city is located in the Trang Province, and a tiny area here is Hat Yai.
Khao Kob Cave in Trang
The caves are also located along the way from Hat Yai to Krabi, so it would be easy for drivers to stop here.
Judging from the picture above, you may wonder what goes on inside this cave, locally known as Tham Le Khao Kob and part of the Kao Kob Mountain in this region.
As we arrived, we suddenly saw a small office complex at the main entrance to the Kao Kob Caves. Just nearby, two bright gold walls serve as the caves’ main entrance, while well-manicured landscaping surrounds the opening.
We then crossed a short bridge over a small river, where the natural scenery looked untouched. The name is Khao Kop, and the sign clearly mentions Le Khaokob Cave. Was this meant for the French Cavers? I’ll never know, as I just remembered that I had to ask my guide.
As we crossed the bridge, there was a jetty with several paddle boats waiting for us, each with a local boatman who would take up to six persons per boat.
Here’s the fun part – The boatman will decide who sits on which boat, as there were about 8 of us here. Reasons I will explain later.
Once everyone was on board, we made our way through the little river, which had lots of green on both sides. It was refreshing to see so much nature here.
As this was purely paddling power, there was no electrical or motorized activity, making this a very Eco-friendly place.
In the beginning, the journey takes about 10 minutes before we reach the cave entrance. First stop, we head in and disembark at a natural platform where we start trekking inside the caves.
It was very well-lit, and the colours were reds, greens, and yellows. Each highlighted the unique areas of the caves. While some would dread the colours here, they looked beautiful.
The trek inside led us to another exit where the paddle boats were waiting for us, and we continued to the next cave.
Entering The Dragon’s Torso
As we get deeper inside, the passageway over the water starts to become narrow and lower. This magnificent cave waterway stretches over 800 meters long in here.
Once the ceiling lowers, the captain tells us to lie in the boat, and we will want to do that.
I thought this was a fun ride but did not think much about it as I am used to adventure. Little did I know what was awaiting ahead.
Looking up, I noticed the ceiling was getting lower and lower. I was about 70 degrees laid down trying to take pictures (the ones you see here) while Mr Captain told me to lay flat down more seriously. Alright, jokes aside, I better listen to the captain then.
I swear, this was the most thrilling ride in my life. As we manoeuvred slowly through this narrow section, I dared not move my head. Parts of the ceiling touched my nose as we skimmed through here.
Talk about needing to lose weight. My friends laughed while lying horizontally, and they managed to reverse the boat to move a few inches to the right to pass this section.
I tell you, it was no joke seeing the ceiling pass through a few inches from your eyes, and this was definitely one of the most thrilling adventures I have experienced in my life.
It was known as the dragon’s stomach and could only be accessed when the water level was low. When it rains, the boats cannot go as the waters rise inside the caves.
As incredible as the pictures look, I spent a good time trying my best to photograph these with an 80% success rate.
This is because we had a tight schedule ahead, and the boatmen had informed our guide that rain was approaching. We would have been stuck here if it had rained heavily and the waters had risen.
Colourful pieces of cloth were wrapped around certain stalactites, which were prayed to. Each time we passed one, the guide would grasp his palms together and perform the ‘wai‘ in respect.
Seeing him do it made us all follow as well. I asked him who the ‘god’ was, and he said some were guardians of the caves.
The boatman spoke to our guide in Thai and then translated it as saying that the gods waited for us to exit before it started raining. It was a good sign, indeed. It was an experience worth telling everyone about and something I will never forget: Water Caving in Thailand.
It takes skill to do this, and I hear they are paid very little. So, we chipped in and gave them both a token of appreciation.
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The cave office. |
There are many other caves in the area for serious cavers, namely the Konthan Cave, Thongprarong Cave, Paeng Cave, Petch Cave, Sawanh Cave, and Ply Caves. Arrangements can be made with the local authorities.
More information about Trang is from Wiki.
How to go to Kao Kob Caves?
Directions to the caves are tricky; if you are driving or riding a bike, below is the information.
- Take the Petkasem Road (Highway 4 from Trang to Krabi)
- Pass through the town of Huai Yot and turn left at the 7km marker onto the concrete road of the Office of Accelerated Rural Development
- Travel for 700 meters and the Tourist Center of Tham Le Khao Kop is located at the end
A tip is to avoid visiting this place during the rainy season as you cannot experience it due to the high waters.
You can read about my travels around Krabi, as I have written several articles covering Ecotourism, nature, and general tourism.
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