Tiger Cave Temple Krabi (Wat Tham Suea)

The stairway starts beside the temple buildings at the foot of the hill and climbs in a series of steep concrete flights, with painted numbers counting the steps as you go. The risers vary a lot. Some are an ordinary height and some come close to your knee, and the steepest sections near the top feel more like a ladder than a staircase. There are railings most of the way, and covered landings where people stop to drink and rest. The trees shade much of the lower half, while the top third is more open.

Pace beats speed here. Take short steps, stop on the landings before you need to, and drink at every second or third one. The descent is the part your legs remember, because the steep risers push all your weight onto your knees, so go slowly, use the railings, and turn sideways on the tallest steps. The stairs aren't lit after dark, which is why I'd plan to be off the top well before 18:00.

The summit is a tiled platform with a large golden Buddha, a golden chedi, a small shrine and a Buddha footprint, and shoes come off once you step onto the tiles. The view runs right round, over the karst towers of the Kiriwong valley, Krabi Town and its river, the farmland and, on a clear morning, the islands in the Andaman Sea. There's a drinking-water tap at the top, so one bottle you can refill is enough to carry up. Give yourself 20 or 30 minutes up there, because the breeze and the view are what you climbed for.

Wat Tham Suea was founded in 1975 by a meditation monk, Ajahn Jamnian, around a cave whose rock marks look like a tiger's paw prints, and that's where the name comes from. There are no tigers here, and nothing to do with the old Tiger Temple in Kanchanaburi. The cave shrine with its tiger statues and Buddha images sits by the main buildings, and it's a working monastery, so speak quietly and dress as you would for the summit.

Beside the Kuan Yin pagoda, a much shorter path of fewer than 200 steps leads up and over into a valley of huge old trees, cave shrines and the monks' huts, which some guides call Wonderland. It's cooler and much quieter than the main stairway, it takes about 20 minutes to walk, and it's the part I'd tell anyone not up for the big climb to see. Stay on the path and away from the huts, since monks live and meditate in them.

The temple is in Krabi Noi, about 15 minutes by road from Krabi Town and 25 to 30 minutes from Ao Nang.

Wear light clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, or bring a sarong to tie on, and pack a spare shirt, because you'll be soaked by the top. Sneakers or hiking shoes with grip beat flip-flops on the tall, sometimes damp steps. Bring one water bottle to refill at the summit tap, sunscreen and a small towel, and a headlamp for a sunrise or sunset climb. There are toilets, cold showers and a small food and drink stall at the base and no toilets on the stairs, so use them before you set off. Carry everything in a zipped backpack, which is the monkey rule too.

Anyone used to walking hills can do it slowly, and children who manage long walks at home usually make it with plenty of stops. It's hard work in the heat, though, and there's no medical help on the stairs, so I'd skip the summit with heart or breathing problems, bad knees, or very young children you'd have to carry. The temple, the cave shrine and the valley walk at the bottom are still a good visit on their own.

Most Krabi agencies sell Tiger Cave Temple as the last stop of the full-day jungle tour. A van collects you around 08:00 from Ao Nang or Krabi Town, you soak at the hot spring waterfall, swim at the Emerald Pool and eat lunch, and the temple comes last before you're back around 17:30. One Ao Nang operator lists ฿949 for the full day and collects the ฿50 temple fee on top, along with the Emerald Pool and hot spring fees. A tour suits you if you want all three in one day without arranging transport. It won't suit you if you want the stairs in the cool of the morning, so for that, go on your own at 06:00 and do the pools another day.

Yes, if you climb it early. At 06:00 the steps are cool and nearly empty, and the view from the golden Buddha over Krabi's karst country is one of the best in southern Thailand for the price of a songthaew. At 13:00 in March it's a punishing slog in full sun, and that's when people come down saying it wasn't worth it. With only a day or two in Krabi and calm seas, I'd put Railay and the islands first, and fit Tiger Cave in as an early morning before a beach day or on the way back from the Emerald Pool.