We woke up early this morning to catch a 6am bus out of Bangkok’s main bus terminal, Mo Chit Northern (most of the locals just call it Bangkok Bus Terminal, so be careful referencing the name Mo Chit as this is a BTS (skytrain) station on the other side of Chatuchak Park). Anyways, today is the day we truly began our “banana pancake loop” around Southeast Asia. From Bangkok we took a 1st class bus to Kamphaeng Phet, which costs about 260 baht per person (approximately $8 USD). It was about a 5.5-6 hour trip on an air-conditioned double-decker bus with picturesque views of the countryside once into the Chai Nat, Uthai Thani, and Nakhon Sawan provinces. When we arrived to the Kamphaeng Phet bus station, there were plenty of songthaews waiting to take us across the Ping River to our hotel for 100 baht (just under $3 USD).
Once we arrived in Kamphaeng Phet, we got settled in our cute little bungalow, which is right along the Ping River. We spent some time around the grounds of this beautiful site, enjoying the river view with the picturesque mountains in the background. The grounds were full of natural beauty with a little charm that was very unique. It seemed like each traveler left a little memento her that made it feel like a quant bed and breakfast.
After spending some time here and getting some much needed R&R, we headed off to the Kamphaeng Phet Historical Park (UNESCO) with two bicycles that our hotel lent us for the day. We are staying right across the street from this relatively quiet site compared to most others, and today it truly seemed like we were the only two tourists in the entire park!
Our first stop once inside the gates was Wat Phra Non, a large complex that fits perfectly into the forest.
Next, we biked to Wat Nak Chet Sien, which seemed like a perfectly preserved chedi.
Wat Phra Si Ariyabot was next on our list, but it’s 20ft-tall standing Buddha image has seen better days. The other three sides once had walking, seated, and reclining Buddhas.
Just north of Wat Phra Si Ariyabot, we found Wat Singh(a). This Wat translated to “Lion Temple.” The seated Buddha is in a subduing Mara posture, showing steadfastness during temptation. Each side has images that some say represent the Buddha’s two chief disciples, Sariputta and Mogallana.
Wat Chang Rob (Rop) was Joey’s favorite because of the beautiful base of nearly 70 elephant sculptures. Though no trunks remain, the intricate detail still present in the elephant’s bodies draw you close enough to find the incredibly steep stairways that bring you to the top of the magnificent structure.
We had plans to go to the local night marked for some food, but as soon as we got back to the room it started to downpour! We figured we’d wait it out, but Mother Nature didn’t take our stomachs into consideration. Luckily, our hotel owners had us in mind and offered to get us some local food! We had beautiful spread of Thai basil chicken and two servings of mixed seafood fried rice with shrimp, squid, and baby octopus…it was so delicious! We went to bed early to catch up on some sleep for tomorrow, because we have a full day of exploring! We are now off to Sukhothai, Thailand’s beautiful and historic old capital, so stay posted!
And you thought you were lucky, I made the arrangement so the whole park is empty and clear to yourselves. You just have to believe me and glad you have fun….