Monkey Cave Temple Near Phuket: Wat Suwan Khuha
Monkey Cave Temple is one of those easy day trips that most Phuket visitors drive straight past without ever knowing it is there. In this vlog, the Chocolate Man In A Van rolls north of the island toward Phang Nga and pulls up at Wat Suwan Khuha, the limestone cave complex that locals and taxi drivers usually just call the Monkey Cave. It sits near the Phuket Gate area, close to the road that carries most traffic on and off the island, so it is a genuinely convenient stop rather than a hard-to-reach adventure. What you get is a strange and lovely mix: a working Buddhist temple tucked inside a mountain, and a resident troop of wild macaques who have very much made the place their own.
Why the Monkey Cave Temple is worth the drive
Wat Suwan Khuha is a real cave temple, not a tourist mock-up. The main chamber opens into the limestone hillside and shelters a large reclining Buddha, with smaller Buddha images and shrines set among the rock. Light filters in from openings above, stalactites hang from the ceiling, and the cool air inside is a welcome change from the Phuket heat. Deeper passages and stairways lead to further chambers, so it rewards a bit of curiosity if you like to wander. It is the kind of place where the atmosphere does the work: quiet, a little atmospheric, and still very much used for worship by the local community.
Meeting the macaques
The monkeys are the reason the video exists, and they are the reason the temple earned its nickname. As the title jokingly asks what is wrong with these monkeys, the answer is simply that they are wild animals living their best lives around a steady stream of visitors. They lounge on the steps, groom each other, chase one another across the car park, and keep a very close eye on anything that looks like it might contain snacks. Watching them is genuinely entertaining, and the vlog captures that easygoing, unscripted energy well without ever pretending the animals are tame.
A real safety note before you go
Here is the honest part. These macaques are wild, and they can be bold, pushy, and occasionally aggressive. They are well practised at grabbing bags, snatching food, and going through anything left unattended. The simplest way to avoid trouble is to carry no visible food or drink, keep your bag zipped and held close, and do not feed them, no matter how cute the encounter looks. Feeding encourages the exact behaviour that leads to bites and scratches, and a monkey bite in Thailand means a trip to the clinic. Hold onto phones and sunglasses too, since anything shiny is fair game. Give the larger males plenty of space and never try to touch or corner one.
Because this is an active temple, dress modestly as well. Cover your shoulders and knees, keep beachwear for the beach, and be ready to remove your shoes where signs ask you to. A little respect goes a long way, and it keeps the experience pleasant for the monks and worshippers who use the site every day.
Making a day of it from Phuket
The Monkey Cave Temple pairs nicely with other stops on the way north, so it works well as part of a wider loop rather than a single destination. Getting there under your own steam gives you the freedom to linger, and a scooter or small bike is the classic Phuket choice for exactly this sort of run. If you need wheels, you can sort a bike through the Motorbike Rental Station Phuket listing before you set off, and it is worth checking your insurance and helmet before tackling the main highway.
Bring water, a bit of small change for the temple donation boxes, and sensible shoes for the uneven cave floor. Go early if you can, both to beat the heat and to see the monkeys at their most active.
If you enjoyed riding along with the Chocolate Man In A Van, you can find more Things To Do videos on the site, or browse all Phuket listings to plan the rest of your trip around the island.
