Viking Cave in Phi Phi Island

Viking Cave is one of the most notable natural sites on Koh Phi Phi Leh. Located at the bottom of a tall limestone cliff on the northeastern side of the island, it takes roughly 30 minutes to get there by long-tail boat from Tonsai Bay (the main pier of Phi Phi Island).

Locally called Tham Phaya Nak, Viking Cave owes its name to the paintings found on the eastern and southern walls of the cave – they represent various types of boats, including what resembles a Scandinavian Drakkar (Viking ship). These paintings were possibly made by sailors taking shelter in the cave during a storm.

Viking Cave in Phi Phi Island - one of the highlights of Koh Phi Phi Leh and 15 Best Things to Do in Phi Phi Islands (Read all about Ko Phi Phi here)

Highlights of Viking Cave

Visiting Viking Cave is an excellent way to discover one of the most profitable local industries – the harvesting of swiftlet birds’ nests. Particularly prized in Chinese culture, these edible nests are believed to promote good health, specifically for the skin. A local legend says that a long time ago, sailors lost their boat during a storm and got stuck without food on one of the limestone islands lying in the mouth of the Phang Nga Bay.

A cave located on this island was home to a colony of swiftlets, and the men were able to survive by eating their nests. The harvest of bird’s nests is rather a risky job – scaffolds are built with bamboo, on which the hunters climb in the dark to collect these valuable nests.

Location: Koh Phi Phi Leh, Ao Nang, Krabi, Thailand

Stephan Audiger | Compulsive Traveller

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