Lets go! An impulsive trip because a bunch of friends decided to go. The only excuse being that the kids were away at their grandparents’… Where do we go? Place chosen on the basis of the 2 C’s – closest and cheapest… Hardly the decision-making process recommended for great holidays.
The place chosen was Thailand – I heaved a huge sigh at the prospect of 4 days of t-shirt shopping, road-side haggling, taking in oft-seen tourist sights, drinking and nursing hangovers…
And that (as the tele-shopping network presenters would say), is when we remembered a program that we had seen on the Tiger Temple somewhere in Thailand where they rear tigers as pets! We spent some time in Bangkok figuring out where this place was, and that, folks, was the highlight of the tour (apart from some parasailing, etc., in Coral Island, Pattaya).
The Tiger Temple is in SaiYok province in the northwest of Bangkok in the hills beyond the river Kwai. We left at about 6 in the morning from Bangkok.
About two and a half hours of deep, exhausted and good air-conditioning fuelled sleep later, we were at the Kanchanaburi war cemetery. This is a place where the graves of thousands of British, Australian, Dutch and Indian soldiers are meticulously cared for and maintained in a pristine compound.
The place chosen was Thailand – I heaved a huge sigh at the prospect of 4 days of t-shirt shopping, road-side haggling, taking in oft-seen tourist sights, drinking and nursing hangovers…
And that (as the tele-shopping network presenters would say), is when we remembered a program that we had seen on the Tiger Temple somewhere in Thailand where they rear tigers as pets! We spent some time in Bangkok figuring out where this place was, and that, folks, was the highlight of the tour (apart from some parasailing, etc., in Coral Island, Pattaya).
The Tiger Temple is in SaiYok province in the northwest of Bangkok in the hills beyond the river Kwai. We left at about 6 in the morning from Bangkok.
About two and a half hours of deep, exhausted and good air-conditioning fuelled sleep later, we were at the Kanchanaburi war cemetery. This is a place where the graves of thousands of British, Australian, Dutch and Indian soldiers are meticulously cared for and maintained in a pristine compound. Incidentally, Kanchanaburi was the site of a Japanese POW camp where many Allied soldiers were interred. They were used for building the railroad which would give the Japanese forces easy access to India through Burma (since the sea-route was too heavily guarded by the British).
From there to the War museum which is constructed on the site of the old POW camp – shocking is the word when one reads and sees photographs of the conditions in the camp… And then to the bridge
over t
he river Kwai which is about a 20 minute drive away. Incidentally, the destruction of this bridge is chronicled in the classic film “Bridge over River Kwai”… Apparently this bridge was of great strategic significance for the Japanese forces to move forces and supplies by train across to Burma. The old bridge still stands. But there is a new one now over which a train passes once in a while (at which time one has to step off!).
And then to WangPho where we had a fabulous Thai lunch in the midst of stilt houses and overgrown vegetation.
Post lunch, it was fifteen minutes from there to the Tiger Temple. Many years ago, apparently the head monk of the monastery was a kind-hearted gentleman who
took on the care of a tiger cub that was abandoned by poachers in the jungle after they killed the mother in the forests adjoining Burma nearby. The cub responded and started growing up devoted to the monk. Word spread, and many more cubs were dropped off at the monastery including other animals which were destined to be abandoned or killed – peacocks, old buffaloes, goats, etc. The Buddhist monks of this monastery believe it their duty to care for such animals and give them the chance to live.
Today there are 46 tigers in the monastery –
its now called the Tiger Temple. Lots of people 
volunteer to work there for some time for the chance to do something worthwhile and spend quality time with the big cats. We got to pet the tigers, tickle them, take them on a walk and most importantly, overcome the mind-numbing fear that grips one when one looks into the fierce eyes
of a full grown tiger…
There is no describing this experience – at least I can’t. It is just so overwhelming! It has to be experienced…
It is not without danger though not many incidents happen since the tigers are al
ways accompanied by the monks who have
raised them from the cub stage. But, as one of the volunteers put it, “These are 500 pound cats on dog leashes – if they decide to go after you, nothing much can be done!”
The visit to the Tiger Temple was the single most exciting trip I have done in the recent past. Folks, do make it a point to visit. It is genuinely a must-do – for the sheer thrill, the mind-numbing fear, the chance to see one
of nature’s most feared predators up close and oh-so-personal, the novelty of it all and last but not the least to show off to your kids. ;-)
Incidentally I met a volunteer there – an American who has taken a sabbatical from work and is volunteering at the monastery taking care of the ‘cats’ for the last year – meditation, free food and stay, the company of tigers, no worldly pressures… believe you me, I was sorely tempted... ;-)
From there to the War museum which is constructed on the site of the old POW camp – shocking is the word when one reads and sees photographs of the conditions in the camp… And then to the bridge
over t
he river Kwai which is about a 20 minute drive away. Incidentally, the destruction of this bridge is chronicled in the classic film “Bridge over River Kwai”… Apparently this bridge was of great strategic significance for the Japanese forces to move forces and supplies by train across to Burma. The old bridge still stands. But there is a new one now over which a train passes once in a while (at which time one has to step off!).
And then to WangPho where we had a fabulous Thai lunch in the midst of stilt houses and overgrown vegetation.Post lunch, it was fifteen minutes from there to the Tiger Temple. Many years ago, apparently the head monk of the monastery was a kind-hearted gentleman who
took on the care of a tiger cub that was abandoned by poachers in the jungle after they killed the mother in the forests adjoining Burma nearby. The cub responded and started growing up devoted to the monk. Word spread, and many more cubs were dropped off at the monastery including other animals which were destined to be abandoned or killed – peacocks, old buffaloes, goats, etc. The Buddhist monks of this monastery believe it their duty to care for such animals and give them the chance to live.Today there are 46 tigers in the monastery –
its now called the Tiger Temple. Lots of people 
volunteer to work there for some time for the chance to do something worthwhile and spend quality time with the big cats. We got to pet the tigers, tickle them, take them on a walk and most importantly, overcome the mind-numbing fear that grips one when one looks into the fierce eyes
of a full grown tiger…
There is no describing this experience – at least I can’t. It is just so overwhelming! It has to be experienced…It is not without danger though not many incidents happen since the tigers are al
ways accompanied by the monks who have
raised them from the cub stage. But, as one of the volunteers put it, “These are 500 pound cats on dog leashes – if they decide to go after you, nothing much can be done!”The visit to the Tiger Temple was the single most exciting trip I have done in the recent past. Folks, do make it a point to visit. It is genuinely a must-do – for the sheer thrill, the mind-numbing fear, the chance to see one
of nature’s most feared predators up close and oh-so-personal, the novelty of it all and last but not the least to show off to your kids. ;-)Incidentally I met a volunteer there – an American who has taken a sabbatical from work and is volunteering at the monastery taking care of the ‘cats’ for the last year – meditation, free food and stay, the company of tigers, no worldly pressures… believe you me, I was sorely tempted... ;-)
