Wat Khao Rang temple & Night market
October 17, 2016
So since we decided to go to a temples on a Saturday, we thought that we should avoid the crowds and go to one that isn't as popular anymore. The temple and Buddha that we decided to visit is called the Wat Khao Rang Temple and sitting Buddha. It was one of the first Buddhas built on the island of Phuket, but has since been over seen thanks to never and bigger Buddhas.
Getting there isn't a simple task though, it is hidden in the jungle, which adds to it beauty. I will attach a google map of it here but it is up Khao Rang Hill, Phuket Town, you take the road Soi Vachira, leading from the Vachira Hospital, the temple is a few hundred meters up on the right. We went in the late afternoon and it was basically empty. We saw maybe 6 or 7 other tourists but not nearly as many would be at the "Big Buddha" in Phuket.
Just some tips before you go: tank tops, short shorts, bathing suits and any other revealing clothing are prohibited. You can wear long shorts but try to keep it modest. There are monks who are worshiping there so you need to be respectful of their place of worship.
Now to get up to the main temple, you have to walk up a giant staircase that is guarded with Naga snakes and their bodies stretch all the way up to the top. The detail in the work is truly gorgeous.
Once you get to the top, you are asked to take of your shoes and then you can continue to the temple. Inside the temple there are paintings all along the walls and stunning gold architecture. Don’t miss a chance to walk around the temple to see some of the incredible Thai art forms including a statue of Yommaraj (the Lord of Death) and giants in Thai myths as well as traditional carving on the temple’s doors and roofs. Sitting in a row are the images of monks who were highly respected, and who passed away years ago. They are among the top attractions of this temple. You are allowed to take pictures inside as well as walk around. We enjoyed the view from up there and getting to see the giant Buddha next to it!
What made this temple famous is not only its interesting religious images but its founder Lung Pu Supa (locals sometime refer Wat Khao Rang as Wat Lung Pu Supa). Born more than 100 years ago in a rural area of Issan, he is also known as ‘The Living Monk’ as he has lived through the reigns of five Thai Kings of the Chakri Dynasty, from King Rama V to the current King, King Rama IX. He began his monkhood at the age of nine and was ordained as first a samanen (apprentice) and later a monk and has never left it since. In his younger years Luang Pu Supha never settled anywhere for long, and was always on the move to meditate and study Dharma as well as helping people. He chose Phuket as his final home probably because of his age and health. After spending many years at Wat Khao Rang, he now lives permanently in Wat Silsuparam (aka Wat Mai Luang Pu Supha) in Chalong.
Getting there isn't a simple task though, it is hidden in the jungle, which adds to it beauty. I will attach a google map of it here but it is up Khao Rang Hill, Phuket Town, you take the road Soi Vachira, leading from the Vachira Hospital, the temple is a few hundred meters up on the right. We went in the late afternoon and it was basically empty. We saw maybe 6 or 7 other tourists but not nearly as many would be at the "Big Buddha" in Phuket.
Just some tips before you go: tank tops, short shorts, bathing suits and any other revealing clothing are prohibited. You can wear long shorts but try to keep it modest. There are monks who are worshiping there so you need to be respectful of their place of worship.
Now to get up to the main temple, you have to walk up a giant staircase that is guarded with Naga snakes and their bodies stretch all the way up to the top. The detail in the work is truly gorgeous.
Once you get to the top, you are asked to take of your shoes and then you can continue to the temple. Inside the temple there are paintings all along the walls and stunning gold architecture. Don’t miss a chance to walk around the temple to see some of the incredible Thai art forms including a statue of Yommaraj (the Lord of Death) and giants in Thai myths as well as traditional carving on the temple’s doors and roofs. Sitting in a row are the images of monks who were highly respected, and who passed away years ago. They are among the top attractions of this temple. You are allowed to take pictures inside as well as walk around. We enjoyed the view from up there and getting to see the giant Buddha next to it!
What made this temple famous is not only its interesting religious images but its founder Lung Pu Supa (locals sometime refer Wat Khao Rang as Wat Lung Pu Supa). Born more than 100 years ago in a rural area of Issan, he is also known as ‘The Living Monk’ as he has lived through the reigns of five Thai Kings of the Chakri Dynasty, from King Rama V to the current King, King Rama IX. He began his monkhood at the age of nine and was ordained as first a samanen (apprentice) and later a monk and has never left it since. In his younger years Luang Pu Supha never settled anywhere for long, and was always on the move to meditate and study Dharma as well as helping people. He chose Phuket as his final home probably because of his age and health. After spending many years at Wat Khao Rang, he now lives permanently in Wat Silsuparam (aka Wat Mai Luang Pu Supha) in Chalong.
Once you have enjoyed all that the temple has to offer, you can walk to the Sitting Buddha next to it. Along the way there are smaller statues that you can take pictures with. There are signs that will direct you to get to the top where the best view of the Buddha is and the best place to get pictures.
Now once you are done at Wat Khao Rang you have a couple of different options farther up the mountain. You can go to monkey mountain and Rang Hill. We decided to go to the hill today and try monkey mountain another day. Now when you exit the hill going down to the temples, you turn right and start heading up the mountain. There will be signs telling you where you are heading along the way. Once you get to the top, you will be at Rang Hill, it overlooks wide expanses of the town and out to sea. I recommend going up there to dine as well as to take in the views, with the long-running Tunk-ka Cafe and the Phuket View restaurant both offering some excellent Thai food.
We enjoyed spending time up there as well as some yummy mango ice cream! It was gorgeous seeing the city from different directions! Of course it looked like it was going to rain soon, so we hopped back on the scooter and headed home.
Once the rain settled and it became darker, we decided to hit up the Phuket Weekend Market. The market is located along Chao Fa West Road just outside Phuket Town not far from Central Festival, it is a fascinating jumble of secondhand goods, curios, pirated items, live animals and a large amount of great local food to sample.
The market divides into two sections – covered and open. In the covered section you'll find jeans, T-shirts, objects that don’t appear to have any function but simply look good and touristic souvenirs such as carvings and religious images. Outside in the ‘new’ section you will find stall after stall selling fluffy toys, mobile phones, all sorts of electronics, DVDs and CDs, shoes, bags, jewelry and fashion accessories, watches, more clothes and everything but the kitchen sink. To the right of the main entrance is the food part. Here, you can gorge on delicious boiled buttered corn on the cob, spicy sausages, grilled chicken, fishcakes, exotic fruit and even deep-fried insects. Generally speaking, the floor is mostly cemented over so you won’t get muddy feet like at other local markets. Things get going at around four o’clock in the afternoon when the sun isn’t so savage and it closes after nine at night. It’s a good idea to get there early to avoid the crowds and also to find a place to park as this is definitely problematic past 4:30. Phuket Weekend Market Opening Hours: Saturday & Sunday from 16:00 til 21:00.
We engorged in freshly grilled ribs, mangosteen fruit ( my favorite!) and baked goods. We bargained for good deals on gifts and souvenirs. It was hot, sweaty and crowded, but overall worth it for the experience.
Once the rain settled and it became darker, we decided to hit up the Phuket Weekend Market. The market is located along Chao Fa West Road just outside Phuket Town not far from Central Festival, it is a fascinating jumble of secondhand goods, curios, pirated items, live animals and a large amount of great local food to sample.
The market divides into two sections – covered and open. In the covered section you'll find jeans, T-shirts, objects that don’t appear to have any function but simply look good and touristic souvenirs such as carvings and religious images. Outside in the ‘new’ section you will find stall after stall selling fluffy toys, mobile phones, all sorts of electronics, DVDs and CDs, shoes, bags, jewelry and fashion accessories, watches, more clothes and everything but the kitchen sink. To the right of the main entrance is the food part. Here, you can gorge on delicious boiled buttered corn on the cob, spicy sausages, grilled chicken, fishcakes, exotic fruit and even deep-fried insects. Generally speaking, the floor is mostly cemented over so you won’t get muddy feet like at other local markets. Things get going at around four o’clock in the afternoon when the sun isn’t so savage and it closes after nine at night. It’s a good idea to get there early to avoid the crowds and also to find a place to park as this is definitely problematic past 4:30. Phuket Weekend Market Opening Hours: Saturday & Sunday from 16:00 til 21:00.
We engorged in freshly grilled ribs, mangosteen fruit ( my favorite!) and baked goods. We bargained for good deals on gifts and souvenirs. It was hot, sweaty and crowded, but overall worth it for the experience.
That's all for today's adventures! Hopefully the rain calms down so we can get explore the beautiful country of Thailand more later this week. XOXO