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We were only able to get to chamber 1, around 200m from the entrance of the cave, and we could already see how wild the cave is and one can only imagine how the divers navigated it when it was fully flooded. The site is beautifully maintained, with memorials, exhibits, and tributes to those who made the rescue possible. Many of the items of the boys, and items from the rescue could also be seen. Walking through the area, we were reminded that heroism doesn’t always come in grand gestures — sometimes it’s found in quiet perseverance, in collective will, and in people showing up for each other when it matters most.
We took a flight from Bangkok to Chiang Rai. Its a short flight of around 75 mins, and there are several direct flights from Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports of Bangkok. Tham Luang cave is around 50 KM from Chiang Rai airport, and we took a local taxi for a round trip. In case you like to drive, there are several self-drive options as well. The drive from Chiang Rai to Tham Luang gives a glimpse into Thailand’s rural areas, and is truly beautiful. The drive takes around 1 hour. All Taxis and vehicles had to be parked 2-3 KM away from the cave, and we were shuffled into local jeeps at a nominal cost. Locals were quite helpful, and there are enough directions written across the place.
From Chiang Rai airport, our visit to the cave and trip back to the airport took 4 hours in total. We had our return flight around 9PM, and we explored the town of Chiang Rai. Coming from the bustling city of Bangkok, the calm and faint town of Chiang Rai felt beautiful. We visited some wonderful places like White temple and Singha park, and these are easily accessible by local taxis or Grab.