Thailand Kanchanaburi: visit to Wat Tham Suea and surroundings Kanchanaburi, Central Provinces, Travel to Thailand 5 (12)I was talking to you previously about the Kathina ceremony, which we had come to attend in Kanchanaburi. As we were not going to make the round trip just for that, we took advantage of being in this beautiful region 3 hours from Bangkok to visit a little, despite the gloomy weather.Not staying very long either, we concentrated on the immediate surroundings of the city, the opportunity to see that there is not only the bridge and the museums devoted to the horrors of war in Kanchanaburi itself. Summary hide Cafes on the edge of the rice fields Giant rain tree Wat Tham Khao Laem The streets of Kanchanaburi Old Town Wat Tham Suea Accommodation Suggestion in Kanchanaburi Cafes on the edge of the rice fieldsLike almost everywhere in Thailand, Kanchanaburi is no exception with the presence of rice fields, which were then in this month of October, very full, with this characteristic green which naturally embellishes the landscape.And the fashion in recent years in Thailand is to dedicate a piece of field to set up a café with a view of the rice fields and if possible, combining it with a view of a local attraction. At a time when image dominates social networks, any site that lends itself well to an Instagram spot can quickly become a hit.And here, besides the rice fields, there is this view of the superb temple (Wat) Tham Suea, which dominates a bit of hill among the heights which surround the city.This was also our first stop, the day before going to the ceremony. I had spotted this group of cafes bordering the rice fields located behind the hill when I had first visited the temple a bunch of months ago. Before having this opportunity to test it myself, I had meanwhile seen photos of these spots, the most popular of which is undoubtedly the Meena Café.There were people…It was also towards the latter that we were heading after parking as best we could along the dirt road, lined with the cars of the many Thais on weekends. Not a premeditated choice at the base, but it was the one that seemed to offer the best infrastructure, an excellent view of the temple, and something to eat too, which, given the time, was important.After a few photos that were necessary, we managed to find a nice spot to sit down and eat, with for me one of my favorite basic dishes, a great Pad Kha Prao Moo (spicy pork with basil leaves). Once full, we finished the photo session despite the drizzle that spoiled the moment a little but didn't stop people from flocking in and doing the same.Just to have a dessert and out of curiosity, we then went to the neighbor's, which is more of a restaurant than a café. The latter is not at all laid out in the same way. No rice field in its midst, but a garden laid out around a pond filled with magnificent Koi carp of all colors, and always this view of the temple. The plus, scooters are made available to go around the said garden, the opportunity for a little dose of fun for this relaxing day.Giant rain treeIt is under this generic English term that you will see this tree spotted on Google Maps, also known under the scientific name ofAlbizia saman, often shortened to the single term "Saman". It is sometimes called " black wood from Haiti » or even Monkey Pod Tree, « monkey pod tree", in good French, it is also under this term that a sign indicates it once there. A multitude of names therefore to name this species originating from South America, which became common in Southeast Asia after its introduction in the region. But in order to remain consistent, personally, I will simply call it " rain tree"The question then arises as to why this term rain tree. One of the obvious assumptions is related to its very wide canopy, similar to a giant parasol, which can reach 40 m in diameter. But this is misleading, because although it offers a nice surface to shade under its trunk, this type of tree nevertheless willingly lets the rain pass between its leaves.Its particularity comes precisely from its leaflets (compound leaves), which fold up at nightfall, to reopen the next morning. A phenomenon that also occurs when the weather becomes overcast or rainy, the water can then reach the ground at the foot of the tree.If one of the most famous rain trees was the "Samán de Güere", located in Maracay, Venezuela, with a diameter of 60 m at the canopy level, the latter was torn off in 2000 following a strong storm, after 500 years of existence (estimated age). This leaves room for the specimen of Kanchanaburi as a good candidate with exceptional dimensions, because although of a more modest size than its elder from Venezuela, the rain tree of Kanchanaburi still reaches 52 m in diameter for a height of 20 m.Given its proximity to the rice paddy café area, a visit was a must. Long ignored, the venerable century-old tree was until recently accessible via a simple parking lot with no development around it. It simply stood there on the edge of a small local road before the local authorities decided to put it a little more forward.Under the rain tree in Kanchanaburi.During our visit, in addition to a parking lot that was still unpaved but a little more marked, we found the inseparable small market with something to nibble on and the tree itself is now surrounded by a wooden platform allowing you to walk around it. The facilities also include a small flower garden at the foot of the tree.It must be admitted that this kind of natural wonder does not leave you indifferent, the tree is impressive and well worth a little stop, because if access was controlled due to Covid, it was still free (and thank goodness). Casually, taking our photos and touring the site, we stayed a good half hour before moving on to our next visit.Its imposing trunk.Its neighbor is of much more modest size.The small local market at the parking lot.Wat Tham Khao LaemI was the one who had noted it in my "to see" list. The first reason being that this temple is in the process of building an imposing statue of Buddha, seated on the hillside. And who says Buddha + hill = view that goes with it. To get there, we passed the meadows and stud farms of the royal horses, used in particular during important ceremonies such as the coronation of Rama X.Out of curiosity, we also stopped quickly behind another small local temple to admire the view surrounding it before heading towards Wat Tham Khao Laem.Short stop on the road to Wat Tham Khao Laem.Upon arrival, it was very quiet and a contrast to previous visits. A few monks and locals seemed to be finalizing preparations for a party, probably to host a Kathina ceremony themselves.Although the construction of the Great Buddha is still in progress, I was able to visit the construction site, although on that day there were no workers working on it and I had previously asked the local monks for permission to have a look.Overview of Wat Tham Khao Laem.The stairs leading to the Buddha under construction.I was alone when I started up the steps, Jitima being lazy and preferring to say hello to the temple dogs. It is a particular feeling to find oneself in the middle of this imposing construction site on hold, alone, even if I guess the presence of monkeys in the surroundings as evidenced by the paw prints in the dried concrete of the steps leading up to it.I am in explorer mode, and make my way to the platform at the foot of the statue by climbing a few rickety ladders, not without taking a few photos, just to have a before/after. I am now treading on the future terrace which will undoubtedly attract curious people eager for a viewpoint. From here, we dominate the south of the city of Kanchanaburi and the hills located to the west.The advantage of this season is that everything is very green and that if the sky is very overcast, visibility remains excellent. From my favorite spot, I can also see below the famous River Kwai, which, on this section, is crossed by many floating restaurants rented by families or by companies to celebrate events there.And given the power of the sound systems, you won't be able to miss them from here, because you can hear them very well parading on the river, breaking the tranquility of this moment of communion with the nature that surrounds us. Once I thought I had enough photos, it was time for me to go back down and join our next stop, the old town of Kanchanaburi.The streets of Kanchanaburi Old TownContrary to popular belief, the old town of Kanchanaburi is not around the bridge, which was actually built outside of it at the time. The old town of Kanchanaburi, which dates back mainly to the second half of the 2th century, is located 4 km east of the bridge, and includes Pakprak Road, as well as the area around the city's sacred pillar (City Pillar Shrine).In addition to the remains of the ramparts that protected the small town, there are some beautiful house facades, with in particular a Sino-Portuguese architecture that I particularly like, but also typical wooden houses and some more upscale shacks.A view of the old city walls of Kanchanaburi.A well-preserved piece of wall.To tell the truth, and I am the first, the city draws its attraction first from the bridge, few people push the visit to the old town, which is therefore off-center compared to the latter. But when I knew that there was interesting architecture there, I always told myself that I would take a look. The opportunity during this passage in Kanchanaburi was therefore the right one.As an aside, I parked behind the old paper mill, which dates back to the Second World War and produced paper pulp for making bank notes. This venerable factory, a still little-known local attraction, is set to become a museum and houses a few beautiful buildings in its large surrounding garden, one of which can be seen clearly from the edge of the main road through the city centre.The abandoned factory.The old main entrance gate of Kanchanaburi.Parking there allowed me to take a few pictures of the place and then walk along the old wall to get to the interesting part of the street. What I didn't know anyway was that I wouldn't have been able to park further down the street that day, because it was a Saturday, the day of the night market (along with Sunday). Barriers were therefore being put up to give the merchants free rein to set up their stands.Even though it was still mid-afternoon and despite the bad weather, a few stalls were already there when we entered the street, just after the part of the wall encompassing the old entrance to the old town.After about a hundred meters, we came across a beautiful renovated house, with a yellow facade, which has become a café, the Baan Sitthisang. The drizzle becoming insistent, we tell ourselves that a little caffeine stop would not be too much. The interior is pretty and rather highlights the antique aspect of the building. Unfortunately, the quality of the coffee itself was not up to par and did not encourage us to hang around here while sipping our beverage…So we left more quickly than expected, not without taking a look at their terrace, accessible via an external staircase, located behind the house.Then we set off again into the street despite the rain that is no longer letting up. We pass a few more houses that are no longer young, the interiors of which have kept an air of yesteryear. An example with the Chuan Panich's house, which dates from 1929 and whose sign at the entrance tells us that Pakprak Street, where we are, once ran alongside the River Kwai, whose course has been diverted over time, today 200 m away.The current owner was sitting at the back waiting for the customer, an opportunity for Jitima, curious, to ask a few questions. We stayed there for a good quarter of an hour chatting before continuing our walk, still in the rain. We then passed a few other beautiful facades, including the slightly curious one of Toem Thong Residence, whose entrance door looked like a Chinese temple.Further on, we came across the old two-story shop, Boonchai Panich House, which mixes Chinese and European architecture. Further and further, we saw a sacred building, surrounded by its green setting, hidden behind the wall delimiting the property. Shortly after, we turned back because we could no longer see any other interesting houses and after 500 m in the rain, we felt tired, or at least, a certain weariness.Boonchai Panich House.Detail of the decoration of a beam of the Boonchai Panich House.On the way back, we passed a shop with fresh vegetables, taking the opportunity to do some shopping, before making a detour to the Kanchanaburi fresh market (Mueang Kanchanaburi Fresh Market).A few minutes later, we were back at the weekend market, which remained very quiet with this rotten weather, and that ended this little tour in the old town of Kanchanaburi, which is frankly well worth a little stroll if you like history and architecture. If it is certainly more pleasant with a beautiful sun, we still appreciated the discovery.Wat Tham SueaThis visit took place after the Kathina ceremony, the day after the other main visits of this stay, which I have just mentioned above.Just before, we went back to the Meena Café with a couple of friends in Jitima, and although I had been there the day before, I didn't miss taking a few more photos, because this time it wasn't raining.The temple, seen while driving through the small paths between the rice fields.The temple being next door, I wanted to go back there, because if I had already been there before, I had never taken the time to climb the tower and above all, I had not been able to enjoy the view with the rice fields full. This time, I did not use the small funicular that you can take for 20 baht, but the strength of the legs when climbing the steps.The temple seen from the parking lot.After taking pictures of the imposing Buddha and the view of the rice fields behind, we went up to the large 7-story pyramid tower (Phra Chedi Khiri Borommathat Pagoda), to enjoy the breathtaking view of the temple and its surroundings. At the top, the area has several Buddha statues and is conducive to prayers, which Jitima did not fail to do.On one side, we have a view of the Mae Klong River, on the other, in addition to the mountains in the distance and the rice fields, we can clearly see the Chinese tower of the neighboring temple, Wat Tham Khao Noi. With all these steps, it was not a relaxing visit, but the atmosphere of the temple and the view make it a must-see in Kanchanaburi and perfectly concluded this short stay.The great tower of the temple.At the top of the 7-story tower.Prayer break.The view from the side.View of the Mae Klong River.The tower of the nearby Chinese temple.Accommodation Suggestion in KanchanaburiI had already given you a selection of hotels where you can stay in my article summarizing the 6 Must-See Places to Visit in Kanchanaburi but because my favorite spot (the At Bure – Homestay) was not available, I had to fall back on another choice. And while I'm at it, why not try a new place!Latima Boutique Hostel was therefore our joint choice, because it offered good value for money from the photos, it is close to the bridge for those interested, and there is a swimming pool. Although the establishment is on the main road, the noise did not bother us as the rooms are not on the road side. The bed was comfortable, the room is a reasonable size and everything is modern in appearance, the hotel having opened at the beginning of the pandemic.Although we were unable to try breakfast because we were leaving too early the next morning, we were able to try a local restaurant located on the street leading to the hotel behind (access to the car park, as opposed to the main road passing in front), while the annual Kanchanaburi fair was being held nearby.We couldn't enjoy it because of the rain we had...The restaurant not far behind.The fair in the rain… Otherwise there would be more people. Did you like the article? Vote on the article Note globale 5 / 5. Number of votes: 12 No votes yet. Be the first to rate this article! Did you like the article? Follow me on social media Gastronomy Historic Districts Temple 0 8 Roman 28/07/2021
