Khao Mai Kaew Cave
Khao Mai Kaew Cave
4.5
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.5
317 reviews
Excellent
187
Very good
86
Average
22
Poor
8
Terrible
14
andersint
Copenhagen, Denmark9 contributions
Feb 2020 • Friends
The cave was so impressionive, definetely go.. The guide did not speak a Word english. So of course there was no safety instructions or instructions what so ever. Our Group of people felled back and lost track of the others and went the wrong way! When our guide found us, a Guy and hes son had already decided to go back because, it was not a cave for a 5 year old kid! The guide could not tell anything about the cave, but only point at thinks. I dont think he liked hes job either.. So.. The cave was good, but I believe they should hire or update a qualified guide, I am sure that cave has a lot of stores to be told. Og yea, and.. Dont were flip flaps, you will regret.
Written February 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dan R
Chelmsford, UK19 contributions
Mar 2023 • Couples
Tourist trap! They try to charge you 300 baht PER PERSON to enter if you are a tourist. They also refuse to help you find the free way in, very rude people, nothing but an extortionate tourist trap. Avoid at all costs. Its people like this that are pushing tourists out of this country and into the neighbouring countries.
These people see you as NOTHING more than a cash cow, they treat you like dirt and try to take every last penny from you.
These people see you as NOTHING more than a cash cow, they treat you like dirt and try to take every last penny from you.
Written March 26, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alastair007
Greyton, South Africa87 contributions
Dec 2022
We got quite a bit more than we expected. The whole trip requires some sure footedness. The walk to the cave is in the forest which is very pretty and they have made ladders in the difficult places. the cave is awesome but we were warned there are some difficult bits which turned out to be easily manageable as we are relatively fit and do walk at home alot.
We were lucky in that our guide spoke very good English and was really informative about the area, the history the culture and the farming, as well as the caves itself. It certainly enhanced our experience.
Most of the cave is spacious so I did not get claustrophobic as I have done in other caves previously.
We were lucky in that our guide spoke very good English and was really informative about the area, the history the culture and the farming, as well as the caves itself. It certainly enhanced our experience.
Most of the cave is spacious so I did not get claustrophobic as I have done in other caves previously.
Written December 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eamonn M
11 contributions
Jun 2016 • Friends
I already wrote a review for this cave which went along the lines of:
"nanananananananananananana Bat Cave"
but either Trip Advisor didn't think that qualifies as a review, or else they don't allow for Adam West Batman references.
This was a cave. It was dark. We had lights to make it less dark. There were cool things in the cave. Maitiú and I played the drums on hollow rocks. We had to crawl out at the end. It made me feel like I was in a low budget action film based in a cave in Koh Lanta where I had to go into a dark cave. But not like a dull low budget action film where a young man returns to his home town to discover what happened to his father many years ago by confronting the local gang with his epic kung fu moves. But he falls in love with the local beauty 'Nicola' who works in Spar. The local gang takes advantage of this new found love and kidnaps her, forcing the hero of the movie to either lose or die in the local Bealtaine tournament. But in the end he wins and rescues Nicola while killing the man who killed his father. Isn't that ironic! No, the cave was nothing like that at all. Quite the opposite.
I've included some pictures of the cave.
"nanananananananananananana Bat Cave"
but either Trip Advisor didn't think that qualifies as a review, or else they don't allow for Adam West Batman references.
This was a cave. It was dark. We had lights to make it less dark. There were cool things in the cave. Maitiú and I played the drums on hollow rocks. We had to crawl out at the end. It made me feel like I was in a low budget action film based in a cave in Koh Lanta where I had to go into a dark cave. But not like a dull low budget action film where a young man returns to his home town to discover what happened to his father many years ago by confronting the local gang with his epic kung fu moves. But he falls in love with the local beauty 'Nicola' who works in Spar. The local gang takes advantage of this new found love and kidnaps her, forcing the hero of the movie to either lose or die in the local Bealtaine tournament. But in the end he wins and rescues Nicola while killing the man who killed his father. Isn't that ironic! No, the cave was nothing like that at all. Quite the opposite.
I've included some pictures of the cave.
Written June 21, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
JoeAl92
Wendlingen am Neckar, Germany1 contribution
I went there and paid 300 baht. For what?
Seeing an abolutely unspectacular cave, getting dirty and disturbing the bats living there.
They are resting there to get some energy when going to find food at night.
How would you feel being disturbed every 45 minutes the night before you have to work?
Definetely not worth the time and the money.
Seeing an abolutely unspectacular cave, getting dirty and disturbing the bats living there.
They are resting there to get some energy when going to find food at night.
How would you feel being disturbed every 45 minutes the night before you have to work?
Definetely not worth the time and the money.
Written March 17, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yvonne B
Princetown, Australia4 contributions
May 2017 • Family
We went to this cave yesterday with our 9 year old daughter in tow.
I wish I would have known what we are in for. The lady who sold us the tickets said a lot of kids have done this hike . I honestly think it's way to dangerous for anyone to do.
First you hike up through the jungle for 30 min, climbing up ropes and ladders (flimsy bamboo) . By the time you reach the cave most people were spent already. Then the horror starts , you have to climb down a hole and 1 hour trek through the cave starts .
I was actually scared for my life and my daughters life .
You need to climb more flimsy ladders with nothing to hold on too. The worse are the small bridges you need to balance over to reach the other side of the cave . Again nothing to hold on too . It's so dark and one wrong step you fall to your death !
A lot of big spiders are sitting on the walls . If you're are afraid of spiders this is not for you...
At the end of the cave you need to crawl through a very small and tight tunnel . If you're on the bigger side you won't fit through . We had some bigger man with us and they had a hard time squeezing through.
I don't recommend this to anyone!!!
I wish I would have known what we are in for. The lady who sold us the tickets said a lot of kids have done this hike . I honestly think it's way to dangerous for anyone to do.
First you hike up through the jungle for 30 min, climbing up ropes and ladders (flimsy bamboo) . By the time you reach the cave most people were spent already. Then the horror starts , you have to climb down a hole and 1 hour trek through the cave starts .
I was actually scared for my life and my daughters life .
You need to climb more flimsy ladders with nothing to hold on too. The worse are the small bridges you need to balance over to reach the other side of the cave . Again nothing to hold on too . It's so dark and one wrong step you fall to your death !
A lot of big spiders are sitting on the walls . If you're are afraid of spiders this is not for you...
At the end of the cave you need to crawl through a very small and tight tunnel . If you're on the bigger side you won't fit through . We had some bigger man with us and they had a hard time squeezing through.
I don't recommend this to anyone!!!
Written May 13, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jondalar2015
Bangkok, Thailand1 contribution
Apr 2015 • Friends
horrible and dangerous place. no warnings, no guides, just a few greedy people outside charging five times the "thai price" for white people. inside there are arrows pointing toward lower and lower caves along slippery passages. i pity anyone trying to do this who is not in fit condition. not for kids. not for older adults. not for anyone. stay away!
Written April 28, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Henrik G
Sollentuna, Sweden33 contributions
Apr 2015
Don't get me wrong, caves are great but NOT with small children! We made the tour with out 4 children where the youngest is 4 and it was a struggle! We did ask but strangely we were not discouraged by the lady that sold the tickets nor the guide? People coming out of the caves even encouraged us to go! Anyways it was a struggle and tanks to the help from my oldest daughter we managed to get through without any injuries but I would never do this again! I guess the guides poor english was a factor as well and it' a shame, would have been nice to learn something abort the caves...
Written April 12, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Steve G
Hong Kong, China91 contributions
Jan 2015 • Solo
As everyone says, this is not something to be taken lightly, but does provide a welcome break from eating, drinking and swimming.
I was staying at Kong Nin beach, so this was only a 5-10 min scooter ride (closer than it looks on the map), and the roads are well signposted. Drive trough the rubber trees on a short dirt road until you reach a little cafe which sells the tickets. A guide will come shortly. In the meantime, you can enjoy some Thai food at half the price of any beachside restaurant.
You first set off along a dirt road, but the fun (?!) really starts when you start hiking uphill to the caves. Yes, you will need not only shoes, good legs and good fitness, but also the use of your hands and good balance as you pull yourself up rocky footholds and jump over stepping stones and streams.
A point here: I saw people turn up in flip-flops, sandels, white dresses; some expecting it to only take half an hour; and even one woman with a baby strapped to her front, for god's sake! All turned around and left after being informed in broken English of what was in store for them. Surely 2 mins on Tripadvisor would have told them what to expect...
Down into the caves, it is damp and dirty - though you won't really suffer too much grime until you have to crawl on your belly though a narrow ~2m long tunnel at the end. The main problem is the humidity. Even though the caves are not overpoweringly hot (in Dec) you will NOT be able to stop sweating, and if you wear glasses they will be in a constant fog (wearing contacts advised). DO take drinking water - the more the better! You will not regret it.
Our guide was a cheerful quiet little guy who claims to have discovered these caves with his brother. Usually I would say this is just another Thailand tall tale, but their schedule really does seem that it's only 1 or 2 guys doing the tours. Still, I didn't wait more than 15 mins for him to arrive. Cost is 300 B, of which 100 B is given to the park ranger at the top.
According to our guide, everything in the cave seemed to have something to do with a mermaid palace, though I can't say we understood everything he said. We just nodded and laughed.
It takes 30 mins to the caves, 1-1.5 hours inside, and another 30 mins back, so prepare for a 3-hour expedition. See interesting rock formations, big spiders (that don't seem to move, thank god), even a weta, and also a cave of bats at the end, which you don't need to get very close to. Prepare to scramble up and down bamboo ladders and across short bamboo bridges, and up and down slippery slopes in complete blackness, save for your headlamp (OSH would love this!)
I was staying at Kong Nin beach, so this was only a 5-10 min scooter ride (closer than it looks on the map), and the roads are well signposted. Drive trough the rubber trees on a short dirt road until you reach a little cafe which sells the tickets. A guide will come shortly. In the meantime, you can enjoy some Thai food at half the price of any beachside restaurant.
You first set off along a dirt road, but the fun (?!) really starts when you start hiking uphill to the caves. Yes, you will need not only shoes, good legs and good fitness, but also the use of your hands and good balance as you pull yourself up rocky footholds and jump over stepping stones and streams.
A point here: I saw people turn up in flip-flops, sandels, white dresses; some expecting it to only take half an hour; and even one woman with a baby strapped to her front, for god's sake! All turned around and left after being informed in broken English of what was in store for them. Surely 2 mins on Tripadvisor would have told them what to expect...
Down into the caves, it is damp and dirty - though you won't really suffer too much grime until you have to crawl on your belly though a narrow ~2m long tunnel at the end. The main problem is the humidity. Even though the caves are not overpoweringly hot (in Dec) you will NOT be able to stop sweating, and if you wear glasses they will be in a constant fog (wearing contacts advised). DO take drinking water - the more the better! You will not regret it.
Our guide was a cheerful quiet little guy who claims to have discovered these caves with his brother. Usually I would say this is just another Thailand tall tale, but their schedule really does seem that it's only 1 or 2 guys doing the tours. Still, I didn't wait more than 15 mins for him to arrive. Cost is 300 B, of which 100 B is given to the park ranger at the top.
According to our guide, everything in the cave seemed to have something to do with a mermaid palace, though I can't say we understood everything he said. We just nodded and laughed.
It takes 30 mins to the caves, 1-1.5 hours inside, and another 30 mins back, so prepare for a 3-hour expedition. See interesting rock formations, big spiders (that don't seem to move, thank god), even a weta, and also a cave of bats at the end, which you don't need to get very close to. Prepare to scramble up and down bamboo ladders and across short bamboo bridges, and up and down slippery slopes in complete blackness, save for your headlamp (OSH would love this!)
Written January 7, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Davy M.
127 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
We just came back from a visit to this cave.
We drove to it with our own bike, the signs are very clear to follow.
Once arrived we got greeted by one of the guides. The entrance was 300thb per person.
We started our trip and had a walked up to the cave. The climb is challenging and you need to be a bit fit to reach the entrance of the cave. The tour is the cave was awesome !! A bit scary in the beginning, but it was a great experience.
The tour guide gives you a torch and takes you all the way down in the cave.
The paths are narrow and slippery. So make sure you are not too big, otherwise, you will get stuck.
A piece of advice is to wear loose clothes that you are not afraid to get dirty and proper shoes. Don't go with flipflops !!!
Highly recommended !!
We drove to it with our own bike, the signs are very clear to follow.
Once arrived we got greeted by one of the guides. The entrance was 300thb per person.
We started our trip and had a walked up to the cave. The climb is challenging and you need to be a bit fit to reach the entrance of the cave. The tour is the cave was awesome !! A bit scary in the beginning, but it was a great experience.
The tour guide gives you a torch and takes you all the way down in the cave.
The paths are narrow and slippery. So make sure you are not too big, otherwise, you will get stuck.
A piece of advice is to wear loose clothes that you are not afraid to get dirty and proper shoes. Don't go with flipflops !!!
Highly recommended !!
Written April 18, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Do you just go up there and book a guide on the spot or do you have to book a tour in advance?
Written January 28, 2020
Lidija R
Istres, France
Bonjour nous cherchons des avis aux personnes qui ont fait la thaillanfe
Nous sommes à chang mai et nous alllons rejoindre chang rai par la route et si des personnes o nt pu visiter une grotte et chutes d eau me dire et me donner l adresse mervi
Written February 8, 2020
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