Yala is the capital of Thailand's southernmost province of the same name, a predominantly Muslim city with a strong Malay cultural character. The province is known for its Buddhist cave temple of Wat Tham Khuha Sawan, traditional bullfighting (where two bulls contest rather than a matador), and the lush Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary on the Malaysian border — one of Southeast Asia's last intact lowland rainforests.