Have you ever stood next to a tiger, walked with it or put him on your
lap??? If the answer is no, here is a place in Thailand where you can do
it all...
Tiger temple known as Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampango in Thai is in Kanchanaburi province in Thailand. It was started as a wild life conservation by the current head monk Abbot phra acharn phoosit(chan) kanthitharo in 1994 by the order of his teacher Luangta Bua Yannasampango. Tiger temple started with an injured fowl given to the monk by the villagers which was nursed by him. It was then followed by various other animals which included tiger cubs. Now this temple is a home for various animals, the main attraction being the big cats.
Getting there: To get to the tiger temple you can either hire a taxi
from Bangkok or even take a bus from southern bus terminal in Bangkok.
Tiger temple is located at about 250 Kms from Bangkok and it would take
around 2 and a half to 3 hours to get there.
From Kanchanaburi you can take a bus from Saiyok and tell them to drop you on the main road near the tiger temple. However, it is about 1.5 kms from the main road to the temple and it could be a difficult to walk here because of the humid weather. Other way to get here is to take a motor bike taxi from Kanchanaburi till the temple. It takes 45 mins from Kanchanaburi to tiger temple.
Timings:
The tiger temple opens at 12 p.m everyday until 4.30 p.m. The ticket counter closes at 3.15 p.m. The ticket costs 600 THB per person.
Meeting the tigers:
The long wait of meeting the tigers, as we wait near the entrance, finally gets over at 12 p.m when the volunteers get the big cats for a walk. It is such a great sight to see the majestic walk of these animals. We are then allowed to walk to the tiger canyon where we are allowed to take snaps with the tigers. However, before the photo session starts there are a list of instructions given by the volunteers which are to be followed for our own safety.
After the photo session visitors are allowed to walk with the tiger and the photos are taken by the volunteers in our cameras. And once all the tigers are taken to the next place, we are again allowed to pictures with them. There are other programs here for which we can pay and participate. Taking a family picture with the oldest tiger costs 1000THB/ per family and one family member can take the tiger on the lap. Having the tiger on the lap is one of the best and most thrilling things I have experienced. It is truly worth the bucks.
Other programs include feeding the cub for 45 minutes and morning program where visitors can have a sneak peak into the everyday activities of these tigers and they also get to have breakfast with the monks. The morning program is from 7.30 a.m to 11 a.m.
For more information on this you can contact 034-531-557
Dress code:
Wearing any bright colors such as reds and pinks is not permitted as the animals here are not tamed and most of them are left free.
Any kind of flowing dresses such as skirts or scarves and fabrics which produce sound such as rain jackets are not permitted.
Strong smelling perfumes are not permitted.
Dress code for ladies:
As this is a Buddhist monastery, ladies are expected to dress appropriately. Ladies are required to have their shoulders and legs covered. Any kind of short and revealing dresses are not allowed in the temple.
Tiger temple from before has had visitors with mixed feelings. While some cherish the memories of this place, few others don't feel the same. There have also been rumors about these tigers being drugged. However, when we spoke to one of the volunteers here, we were quite convinced with the answers he gave as to why these tigers remained so calm even with so many people around.
I have visited tiger temple twice in one year and it has truly been one of the most memorable trips till date.
Tiger temple known as Wat Pa Luangta Bua Yannasampango in Thai is in Kanchanaburi province in Thailand. It was started as a wild life conservation by the current head monk Abbot phra acharn phoosit(chan) kanthitharo in 1994 by the order of his teacher Luangta Bua Yannasampango. Tiger temple started with an injured fowl given to the monk by the villagers which was nursed by him. It was then followed by various other animals which included tiger cubs. Now this temple is a home for various animals, the main attraction being the big cats.
From Kanchanaburi you can take a bus from Saiyok and tell them to drop you on the main road near the tiger temple. However, it is about 1.5 kms from the main road to the temple and it could be a difficult to walk here because of the humid weather. Other way to get here is to take a motor bike taxi from Kanchanaburi till the temple. It takes 45 mins from Kanchanaburi to tiger temple.
Timings:
The tiger temple opens at 12 p.m everyday until 4.30 p.m. The ticket counter closes at 3.15 p.m. The ticket costs 600 THB per person.
Meeting the tigers:
The long wait of meeting the tigers, as we wait near the entrance, finally gets over at 12 p.m when the volunteers get the big cats for a walk. It is such a great sight to see the majestic walk of these animals. We are then allowed to walk to the tiger canyon where we are allowed to take snaps with the tigers. However, before the photo session starts there are a list of instructions given by the volunteers which are to be followed for our own safety.
After the photo session visitors are allowed to walk with the tiger and the photos are taken by the volunteers in our cameras. And once all the tigers are taken to the next place, we are again allowed to pictures with them. There are other programs here for which we can pay and participate. Taking a family picture with the oldest tiger costs 1000THB/ per family and one family member can take the tiger on the lap. Having the tiger on the lap is one of the best and most thrilling things I have experienced. It is truly worth the bucks.
Other programs include feeding the cub for 45 minutes and morning program where visitors can have a sneak peak into the everyday activities of these tigers and they also get to have breakfast with the monks. The morning program is from 7.30 a.m to 11 a.m.
For more information on this you can contact 034-531-557
Dress code:
Wearing any bright colors such as reds and pinks is not permitted as the animals here are not tamed and most of them are left free.
Any kind of flowing dresses such as skirts or scarves and fabrics which produce sound such as rain jackets are not permitted.
Strong smelling perfumes are not permitted.
Dress code for ladies:
As this is a Buddhist monastery, ladies are expected to dress appropriately. Ladies are required to have their shoulders and legs covered. Any kind of short and revealing dresses are not allowed in the temple.
Tiger temple from before has had visitors with mixed feelings. While some cherish the memories of this place, few others don't feel the same. There have also been rumors about these tigers being drugged. However, when we spoke to one of the volunteers here, we were quite convinced with the answers he gave as to why these tigers remained so calm even with so many people around.
I have visited tiger temple twice in one year and it has truly been one of the most memorable trips till date.
Superb!! Just cant wait to visit this place!!
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