The first and probably chief feature that strikes you about Krabi is the limestone karst formation. The entire archipelago is an assembly of karsts as they arise from the sea in small or large sizes. Some are also wide enough for an entire city to be built over or around and that is how the town of Krabi came into existence. A mellow yet unique part of Thailand, it should certainly be on the itinerary of any traveler.
There are tours galore to take you into the still pristine interiors of this island, even as hordes of tourists can be found everywhere; the bounty of nature seems to hold strong against the tides of civilization as the forests continue to regenerate under the tropical sun. This is a rather curious fact, considering that most of the karst is actually stone—limestone, to be precise.
It is said that an ardent monk made his barefoot ascent to the top of the karst on which he laid the foundation of the Wat Tham Suea, better known as the Tiger Cave Temple—the original staircase stills stands though it is no longer in use given its extremely steep incline of almost seventy degrees and also the extremely narrow width of the steps therein. Hazard warnings promptly direct modern ascetics and adventurists alike to use the new stairs that have been built alongside, making up all of 1260 steps to the summit. The gradient is still steep in many places; only the bravest of strength and spirit attempt the arduous climb.
I was indeed fortunate to be among them, though it was literally one step at a time as I paused to catch both my breath and the spectacular scenery that unfolded at the end of every section of the winding stairs. Blessed would be an understatement for the feeling of having made it finally—transcendental, or surreal, would be apt.
