DSLR – THE INSIDE LNE

Sucking up the humidity at Khao Bin Cave

January 16, 2016April 13, 2017 James BaileyPlaces to visit, Preplanning your escape

I woke up today thinking I want to go somewhere new, but most of my local Thailand bucket list was ticket off. Well so I had thought anyway. I decided to jump on the bike and head towards Ratchaburi and make a 'B' line for the mountains in behind it. With no real expectation I just rode and enjoyed the scenery. Well that was until I saw a sign for the Khao Bin Cave, I didn't know the name and was quite sure I hadn't been there previously. As it turned out I hadn't been there and WOW just really sums up this place. Khao Bin Cave is located 20km from the Ratchaburi city, approximately 85km from Bangkok along the road to Chom Bueng. You turn off the main road and travel along a 2km along an access road, be wary on this road as sections will be at a crawl as it is littered with monkey's. I parked the bike in the carpark and walked towards the entrance of the cave, and was ushered back down the path to a ticket window. Now if you have followed my posts, you will know I have a Thai drivers licence. This comes in handy sometimes and this is one of those times. Farangs pay 200THB to go into the cave, but with me speaking Thai and having a Thai licence I am essentially a Thai in their eyes so I got in for the princely sum of 20THB. Now to suggest that Khao Bin Cave is just another cave is an understatement. You walk down some small tight tiled stairs into the first cavern, if you have even the slightest hint of claustrophobia this may not be the place to go. Once you enter the main cavern, you will notice that the humidity is horrible, you will be dripping in sweat within minutes of exploring. There are no holes in the ceiling letting light in, no ventilation aside from the occasional electric pedestal fan. The moisture on the ground, walls and stalactites (stones hanging from the ceiling caused by water dripping over limestone for many years) gives it a very damp and dank feel. All of that aside, the cave, which extends a massive 300mtrs from the main mouth offer some truly amazing sights and experiences. If your game to explore all the pathways, you will almost find yourself crawling through small spaces into more caverns that seem to go on forever. It is a beautiful cave and it extends 300m from the mouth and offers truly amazing scenes of plentiful stalactite and stalagmite formations. Warning: The air inside is quite heavy and humid, by the end of the walk (approximately 45minutes) I was out of breath, dripping in sweat and eager to exit.

I woke up today thinking I want to go somewhere new on the bike, but most of my local Thailand bucket list was ticket off. Well so I had thought anyway. I decided to jump on the bike and head […]