Phattalung

Khao Ok Thalu Pierce Heart Hills

First point - I need to explain Phattalung is a small obscure province north of Hat Yai, Songkla. Very agriculture in nature i.e. like rice farming and do not boast of having interesting sites for tourist. Driving north from Hat Yai, Phatatalung is an essential junction town. If you understand Cantonese dialect - Phattalung is same as "Phat Tang Loong" or Eight Lanterns.

Just in town, the town - a settlement which is located within a vast plain of rice fields, there stand two monolith karsts Hills. One of which has structure standing out like a shark fins protruding from the rice filed. Both these Hills are shown in the aerial map below

There is a folklore behind the scenes of these two karsts hills - According to the myth, this mountain is a result from the fight between a wife and a mistress. The wife hit the mistress’ head with a shuttle while the mistress hit the wife’s chest with a pestle. The pestle hit her so hard that it went through the chest. Both were dead and became the mountain. The wife turned into “Khao AokTalu” and the mistress became “Khao HuaTaek” or “Khao Kuhasawan” which is just nearby

1 Khao Ok Thalu Phattalung 

The hill on the right contains the OK Thalu - "Hole-in-the-heart" opening

2 Way to Phattalung 

My favorite Interstate road signs - right lane goes up a ram and turn left to head for the province of Trang while keeping left would be a right turn to go under the ram into Phattalung town.

3 Plains of Phattalung

Across the rice fields - the two hill locks in the middle of a plain

4 Lone Monolith - Khao Ok Thalu

This lone monolith at one edge of Khao Ok Thalu contains the "hole" in the mountain

5 "Hole" in Khao Ok Thalu

See carefully - the see-through hole is in a spot after the middle line on the left. Only picture with a see-through

6  Khao Ok Thalu Phattalung

This monolith is 250 meters high

7 "Hole" view Khao Ok Thalu

Another view of the "hole" from the ground level. From this angle no see-through view

8 Close-up  Khao Ok Thalu

9 Now-That opening!

10  Phattalung Town

View of the forest clad hills as seen from town

11 White Lotus Pond

12 Ascending Khao Ok Thalu

The entrance to the hike and steps

13  Khao Ok Thalu

Signage at the "old" entrance

14  Khao Ok Thalu

The whole stairways right to the top had 1,066 steps. From here turning left would be the Meditation centre

This is the old and original way up. Today, there are in place, two sets of cement stairs: of course the older and more obscure steps on the right, if one is facing the mountain, lead straight up to the top,

Then the second and newer stairs whose entrance would be marked by a pair of three-headed naga statues is on the left. This steps way meander through a forest monastery before ending at a meditation hermitage for Buddhist nuns. Many time restricted visitors head straight up to the top using the old way. But the locals would recommend choosing the less-demanding temple trail.

 trail.

15 Khao Ok Thalu

Here are the cables of the pulley system bringing supplies to the center. Since our last visit, much changes had brought in to this place. First. a newly built concrete meditation hall with a grand statue. Building materials were carried up the mountain by way of a pulley system with carts attached to steel ropes.

 Inside the new hall, installed Buddha marked by a svastika. This is an ancient Indian symbol that in Mahayana Buddhism. It represents the Buddha’s serene mind. Further up the path are two Chinese-style pagodas joined by an image of Kuan Yin with 13 heads and over 200 hands

16 Khao Ok Thalu

After this levelled mountain plain, came the hard climb right to the top.

17  Khao Ok Thalu

On the way - Wild flowers

18  Khao Ok Thalu

Domesticated Keamperia ginger

19 Khao Ok Thalu

Whip snake

20  Khao Ok Thalu

Finally, the end of steps and the place of the opening

21  Khao Ok Thalu

Well fenced for most part looking down through the "hole" but not the looking backwards segment

22  Khao Ok Thalu

View of the other hill - turning to the backwards view

23  Khao Ok Thalu

View of the plain from this narrow ledge.

24  Khao Ok Thalu View Point

Peeping through the canopy of trees - the town. The best view would ne the short climb using the rope to the summit. But we had enough of hiking for one day

25  Khao Ok Thalu

Through the 10 meter wide opening. The town!

26 Khao Ok Thalu

Another photo with flash this time.

27  Khao Ok Thalu

An official plaque!

This time around, the addition of the new meditation center is now built on top of the hill. Then a guide rope added for visitors to reach the summit of this krast hill for a panoramic view of the surrounding. Phattalung is a province off the beaten track. We were there for the waterfalls and bird watching. Climbing hills and visiting temple not included in our plans. This place on the contrary - Not the type of lure that general tourist would go for