Stairs Wat Tham Suea

The 1,237 steps of Tiger Cave Temple are an attraction in their own right — a near-vertical concrete staircase bolted to the limestone, climbing from the monastery to the summit Buddha. It's a leg-burner and a lung-buster, shadeless most of the way, with a false summit or two to test your resolve. Handrails help. People do it as a sunrise challenge or a penance; either way the view up top is the reward. Free. Go early, carry water, and pace yourself — it's steeper than it photographs.

Highlights