Attractions Near Udon Thani - Erawan Cave
Erawan Cave is an absolute 'must see' attraction in Udon Thani Province, and the only cave we have visited where you can walk in and go exploring, although there are parts of the cave that remain off limits to visitors. Sometimes, with really good attractions in Udon Thani, it involves a certain amount of leg-work to get the most out of your visit, and the Erawan Cave definitely falls in to that bracket with 611 steps to ascend, as the entrance is some way up a large limestone hill. On these hot and humid days, you may want to take a break or two on the way up, and the good news is that there are places provided for this very purpose, with several benches en-route.
At the entrance to the cave is a huge Buddha guarding it and warding off evil spirits, and you can only marvel at just how much work must have been involved to make this, and especially where it was made. Inside the Erawan Cave, as you might reasonably expect are a whole load of odd shaped formations, created by the limestone and the elements it comes in to contact with, including one well-known and somewhat rude shaped structure, which resembles a large and erect phallic symbol.
The walk around inside the cave is a bit up and down, so if you thought the climb to the entrance was the last of the 'uphill' bit, you were wrong, although the inclines inside are generally more gentle. All this effort however is very well rewarded, and the Erawan Cave is not something you are going to forget quickly, for one reason or another. Certainly the Big Buddha made a serious and long-lasting impression on me.
The inside of the cave has electric lighting installed, making everything clearly visible to the naked eye, and you could easily spend a couple of hours taking everything in. On arriving at the cave entrance, you can be fooled in to thinking there is not a great deal to see, as the immediate view is quite limited, but just keep going and gasp at the size of it. Footwear should be something pretty sturdy, as flip flop style shoes probably will not be good enough. It is also worth remembering that the inside of the average cave is considerably colder than it is outside, so you may want to take a thin garment to wear over your t-shirt when visiting here.
At the entrance to the cave is a huge Buddha guarding it and warding off evil spirits, and you can only marvel at just how much work must have been involved to make this, and especially where it was made. Inside the Erawan Cave, as you might reasonably expect are a whole load of odd shaped formations, created by the limestone and the elements it comes in to contact with, including one well-known and somewhat rude shaped structure, which resembles a large and erect phallic symbol.
The walk around inside the cave is a bit up and down, so if you thought the climb to the entrance was the last of the 'uphill' bit, you were wrong, although the inclines inside are generally more gentle. All this effort however is very well rewarded, and the Erawan Cave is not something you are going to forget quickly, for one reason or another. Certainly the Big Buddha made a serious and long-lasting impression on me.
The inside of the cave has electric lighting installed, making everything clearly visible to the naked eye, and you could easily spend a couple of hours taking everything in. On arriving at the cave entrance, you can be fooled in to thinking there is not a great deal to see, as the immediate view is quite limited, but just keep going and gasp at the size of it. Footwear should be something pretty sturdy, as flip flop style shoes probably will not be good enough. It is also worth remembering that the inside of the average cave is considerably colder than it is outside, so you may want to take a thin garment to wear over your t-shirt when visiting here.
Erawan Cave
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Erawan Cave
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Erawan Cave
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How to get to Erawan Cave
From Udon Thani, head westbound on route 210, through Nong Bua Lam Phu, and keep heading toward Loei. In the small town of Na Wang, turn right on to rural road 3012, heading north. This road will take you directly to the cave, some 16km further on.
GPS Co-ordinates 17.345228, 102.018623
GPS Co-ordinates 17.345228, 102.018623
