The Phraya Nakhon cave consists of two chambers. The ceiling of both chambers are open allowing the rays of the sun to come inside, illuminating the caves giving it a mystical appearance. The atmosphere inside the cave is tranquil and serene, especially when there are not many people around.
The first thing you will see when entering the cave is a dry waterfall in the first chamber. This chamber also contains stalagmites and stalactites, as does the other chamber. The main chamber to the left of the entrance chamber contains the famous Kuha Karuhas pavilion.
The Phraya Nakhon cave is best known for the Kuha Karuhas pavilion in the main chamber. The pavilion was built at the end of the 19th century for the visit of King Chulalongkorn the Great (Rama V). Later, King Prajadhipok (Rama VII) and the present King of Thailand, King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) also visited the cave.
The main chamber contains the signatures of both King Rama V and King Rama VII on the wall. The best views of the pavilion can be had early morning, when most sun light enters the cave through the open ceiling. The provincial seal of Prachuap Khiri Khan contains an image of the Kuha Karuhas pavilion.
The climb to the cave
Reaching the cave requires quite a bit of effort. The trip involves two legs.
The first one starts at the car park of Bang Pu village where you can either climb across the hill (around 30 minutes) or take a short longtail boat trip to Laem Sala beach. The boat round trip will cost around 150 Baht per person, but usually only runs when there are enough people to fill up the boat.
The second leg of the trip starts at Laem Sala beach. A few hundred meters walk will take you to the start of a rather steep and rocky path to the cave. About half way up the hill is a view point where you can taka a break and enjoy great views of the beach, the sea and a number of small nearby islands.