CHIANG DAO CAVE
ABOUT chiang dao cave
The Chiang Dao cave history is an integral part of the Chiang Dao area, to the Thai people. The caves have been part of Thai folklore for over 1,000 years. With numerous statues and offerings throughout the over 12km of caves in Chiang Dao, this is a long standing place of worship. You will see carvings, statues and chedis within the cave.
Both the Thai and Shan people revere the caves, and have traditions surrounding them. The cave mouth is surrounded by a stairway, and an ancient Shan Chedi that provides you with a sense for how important the Chiang Dao Caves are to the Thai and Shan People. The temple surrounding the cave leads right into the mouth of the cave itself, through an ornamental staircase.
The history and legends surrounding the Chiang Dao Cave are extensive and consequently fascinating. They include legends of a man who lived in the cave for 1000 years, a soldier who fell on misfortune after stealing from the cave, and hidden secrets in the darkest depths of the cave.
The legend of Chiang Dao Caves says that a solider stole a marble Buddha statue from the caves. Once he returned home he placed it in his house, and thought nothing of it. When he moved the statue, his son drowned. He believed that removing the statue from the cave had caused this, and gifted the statue to his brother.
His brother was an air force pilot, and soon suffered two plane crashes. Knowing that the statue was causing this, he gifted it to his commanding officer. From there the officer lost all of his belongings, and then passed away shortly after.
Finally the statue ended up in the hands of a man who was respectful to it. The new owner’s father died shortly, along with his wife becoming ill. Reading into the history of this statue, the new owner decided to return it to it’s true home, the Chiang Dao Caves. As the legend goes, the Phrom Ruesi appeared to him in a dream, and told him to return the statue. This was the same night he had made his decision to return the statue. He was to do it as quickly as possible or he would suffer as well.
WHERE CAN I FIND chiang dao cave?
The Chiang Dao Cave is about 73 km north of the City of Chiang Mai, Thailand. Therefore, it makes for a perfect day trip if you're staying in central Chiang Mai. It is nestled in the mountains of Doi Chiang Dao, outside of the Chiang Dao National Park. The drive to Chiang Dao Cave is on a main highway, so it will take approximately 1 hr 30 minutes to complete. Traffic in the mid-afternoon can get a bit busy, so it is recommended to leave as early as possible if you are taking a scooter. You can get to the caves by Taxi, Red Truck, or by scooter.
our review
We visited the Chiang Dao cave during our trip to Chiang Mai. It is about a 1.5 hour drive away from central Chiang Mai, however we hired a taxi service out for the whole day which cost us 1,500 baht (around £30-£35) as there were a few places we wanted to visit (we visited the Karen Long Neck Village just before here at opening time to avoid queues). If you are getting a taxi from the airport in Chiang Mai to your hotel it's a good idea to take his WhatsApp number and use him throughout the trip as they can usually give you a good deal.
We we're a bit sceptical about entering the cave as there had been a lot of bad press about the boys which had got trapped etc (and it looks a bit dodgy upon entrance) but we can safely say that we made our way through the cave safe and sound.
When you arrive at the cave you have to pay 40 baht (£1) for entrance. Once inside there are numerous tour guides with gas lanterns – you HAVE to hire a gas lantern if you are entering the cave as it is impossible to see in there without one. The tour guides also know their way around and can help you through to avoid finding yourself in a tricky situation. To hire a lantern it was 200 baht (£5) and you pay your tour guide a fee upon departure (usually around 200 baht per person). Our tour guide was really good and she was telling us about the different myths/legends etc so we tipped a little more as the light was REALLY hot and almost burning her hand (I don't actually know how she managed it).
Overall there were a lot of interesting things to see in the cave (as well as lots of bats, so if you are afraid of these then I would suggest you didn't enter however they really are harmless and after all, it is their home!)
TOP TIPS
Wear comfortable shoes as the floor is uneven and wet (there will also be some bending through tight areas as you can see below).
Also, you must not enter the cave without an gas lantern, however all the guides have one of these so shouldn’t be a problem as long as you are travelling with them.
COST
Entrance 40 baht
The cost of gas lantern hire is 200 baht and you tip the guide on departure (a fair tip is usually around 200 baht each).
CONTACT
Telephone: +66 88 788 8926
OPENING HOURS
Monday 7:00am – 6:00pm
Tuesday 7:00am – 6:00pm
Wednesday 7:00am – 6:00pm
Thursday 7:00am – 6:00pm
Friday 7:00am – 6:00pm
Saturday 7:00am – 6:00pm
Sunday 7:00am – 6:00pm