Chedi at Tiger cave temple in Krabi, Thailand.

That's an excellent landmark to focus on! Tiger Cave Temple (Wat Tham Suea) in Krabi is one of the most physically and spiritually rewarding spots in Southern Thailand, especially when you talk about the Chedi (stupa/pagoda).

Here is an overview of the temple, focusing on the incredible climb and the chedi at the summit:

⛰️ Tiger Cave Temple, Krabi: Conquering the Stairs to the Sky

Wat Tham Suea (Tiger Cave Temple) is not famous for its cave alone, but for the grueling, yet rewarding, climb to the summit shrine, where a spectacular Chedi stands guard over the entire region.

The Summit Chedi: Phra That Chedi Yot Khao Kaew

The main chedi you're referring to is the Phra That Chedi Yot Khao Kaew (The Crystal Mountaintop Stupa), or simply the great chedi on the mountaintop.

• The Reward: It sits majestically at the top of Khao Kaew (Crystal Mountain), providing a stunning 360-degree panoramic view of Krabi town, the surrounding limestone karsts, and the Andaman Sea.

• The Challenge: To reach the chedi, you must ascend a notoriously steep and uneven staircase of 1,260 steps (the exact number varies slightly by source, but it's a lot). The climb is a pilgrimage in itself, testing the resolve of every visitor.

• The Shrine: The chedi and the platform around it are the main focus for merit-making and meditation, housing a massive golden Buddha statue and a replica of the Buddha's footprint. The chedi and the large statues at the peak were constructed with incredible effort, using a cable pulley system to haul materials up the sheer cliff face.

The Lower Area: Caves and Construction

While the summit gets all the fame, the ground-level complex is equally significant:

• The Tiger Cave: The temple gets its name from the cave where the founding monk, Ajahn Jumnean, once meditated and supposedly saw a tiger, or from the rock formations inside resembling a tiger's paw print. It is an active meditation center.

• A Second Chedi: Down in the main temple area, there is also a newer, large chedi under construction (or recently completed) called Phra That Chedi Rakang Yai (The Large Bell Pagoda), a multi-tiered, towering structure that dominates the flat area.

In short, when people talk about the "Chedi" at Tiger Cave Temple, they are almost certainly referring to the ultimate prize: the Phra That Chedi Yot Khao Kaew atop the 1,260-step mountain, which offers the most breathtaking viewpoint in Krabi.

Would you like me to elaborate on the history of the temple or give you some tips for climbing the 1,260 steps?