Wat-Tham-Erawan

Located on the border of Loei and Nong Bua Lamphu provinces Wat Tham Erawan is an off-the-beaten-path temple nestled high up in a karst mountain.
As a large cave chamber that’s punctuated with a golden Buddha statue Tham Erawan is a sanctuary of tranquility that’s only surrounded by the silence of rural rice fields Above all it’s a peaceful day trip away from the chaos of Thailand’s bustling cities – a worthy day trip from Loei.
Wat Tham Erawan is accessed from the lower temple grounds via a winding staircase of 600 steps. The stairs start at the bottom of the hill (known locally as Pha Tham Chang) and wind their way up to the mouth of the cave where you’ll find a large Buddha statue in front of the chamber.
The ascent takes ~15-25 minutes to scale and the stairs aren’t too steep (unlike Wat Phu Tok). There are also several rest stops along the way in the form of shaded gazebos. Thankfully each rest stop has its own view of the beautiful valley below.
Wat Tham Erawan consists of a main chamber that’s divided into smaller rooms that are adorned with multicolored stalactites and stalagmites. The path through the cave is ~300 meters long and must be backtracked on the way out. During our trip the cave was pitch black and required a flashlight to explore (don’t worry your phone’s light will suffice).
According to local legend this is where the Isaan-Lao folktale of Nang Phom Hom or the Fragrant Hair Lady(นางผมหอม) took place. For a quick synopsis it’s a legend about the daughter of the King of Elephants and her life as she’s turned into a monkey by a vengeful ghost.