Day 5 - Sunday 29 November 2015

Khao Lak exit……..When I drew up my original plan for this southern Thailand tour, my stay in Phang Nga province was expected to be brief but it’s already day 4 here and my main destination has yet to be reached. The last couple of days have justified my change of plan. It’s been a pleasure staying in Takua Pa district. With little mileage covered my budget it looking much healthier now I’ve stopped using boats. It’s even healthier when I walk up to the market to get something for breakfast. Waking quite late I’m just about ready to depart at 11am. I’m heading further south past Khao Lak National Park towards the furthest point on this tour but that’s not far away.
Detour……..After twenty minutes I head away from the coast along highways 4240 and 4090. It’s a straightforward run-in to Phang Nga City from here. But having taken the shorter route rejoining Highway 4, I have a rush of blood to the head and head away from the city.
Three temples tour……..While I was in Khao Lak I noticed several tour agencies offering a Three Temples Tour. To visit all three temples from Khao Lak takes all day. Not surprisingly it works out quite expensive per person. Obviously as long as I don’t need a boat it will be cheap for me. The question is; do I need to visit more temples? When I identify the three temples and locate them on the map, it’s clear they are all in the general area I’m heading. In addition all are historically important, high profile and unique. I’ve already made a plan to visit each in turn; once I reach Phang Nga so why is it when I see a sign to one of them do I break the plan before I’ve even got started? When I see a sign to Wat Bang Riang Temple I figure it’s not too far even though I will pass it on my way back north at the end of this tour and save time. But time doesn’t seem a priority at the moment as I’ve already decided to stay in Phang Nga tonight. It soon becomes clear that I should have confirmed the distance first before I took the detour.
Mountain pass……..Highway 4 soon begins its climb out of the coastal strip and there are no signs to tell me how far Wat Bang Riang is but when I reach the summit of the pass, I stop to get my bearings. I’m still on route 4 but it will be another 15 minutes before I reach the turning to the temple. I realise I’ve come too far to turn back as there is another route back to Phang Nga. The road now falls away towards Thap Put.
Wat Kiriwong……..On the way down the pass another temple, shown on my map, appears but it’s not one of the three. Wat Kiriwong lies between the main road and a limestone rock cliff. A small troop of monkeys occupy the rock face while a small nature park can be reached through a cave under the mountain. Reaching Thap Put the route 4311 heads towards Phang Nga but it is also the junction for the 4118 which I will use on my way back home. Interestingly from here it’s only a few kilometres to the provincial border with Krabi. As Wat Bang Riang is just 8 km along the 4118, it’s seems best to carry on to it now.

Wat Bang Riang……..On reaching Wat Bang Riang, we stop for lunch, now around 1.30pm. The actual Wat Bang Riang, also known as Wat Rat Upatham, lies at the base of Khao Lan Mountain but it’s the chedi on the mountain top which is the attraction. By royal decree this temple now has the name, Phra Mahathat Chedi Puttham Ban Lue. There is vehicle access to a car park near the top but it’s very steep. From the car park, steps edged with the Naga head and body, lead up to the chedi. It’s clearly a most sacred place. Inside the chedi a monk is conducting a service with a sermon and prayers and Katoon wants to join in. This is always the hard bit for me when I haven’t a clue what’s going on. Instead I go through the motions which culminate in a new robe or band being wrapped around the inner shrine which the monk explains contain a Buddha tooth relic brought from India over 700 years ago. Ok I’m just reporting what I’m told. The service goes on for ages and I’m nearly asleep. Finally I get to see the views of the valley below. From the car park there is a really steep road to two other important sites, a seated golden Buddha image and a large statue of Kwam Im, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy in fine Thai temple architecture. These two statues are well visible from the chedi in all their glory. All but the most righteous will be happy with the view. Incredibly it’s 4pm and yes you guessed it: It starts to rain and not just a shower. It looks like it’s in for the rest of the day. Already what promised to be an easy day is far from it but given the time it’s taken here I would probably be compromised anyway on the way back to Bangkok.

Phang Nga........Finally we reach Phang Nga around 4.30 but it’s still raining. It’s not a major problem right now but I soon discover that Phang Nga City is not really tourist friendly despite whatever else there is in the province. It is truly the poor relation of Phuket not that far away. In fact it’s clear that few people stay here, preferring to travel from there. It becomes a struggle to find anything modern. Most accommodation is old but I don’t want to travel far now as my final destination is so near. I settle for Phu-nga Hotel on the road to Phuket.
Phu-nga Hotel......... Phu-nga Hotel is a two story hotel which looks quite smart from the road. It fact the interior at reception gives the impression of some class photo.. Even the toilet is wonderfully decorated. I’m not surprised when the quote 750 baht for the room. That makes it the most expensive so far on this tour south. All the same it’s worth taking a look at the room before I decide. Then, oh dear: What a letdown. Rooms poorly decorated and furnished and not enough room to swing a cat. They’ve managed to squeeze everything in and breakfast is included. With travel weariness still not far away I’m not in the mood to look around anymore. The hotel has a restaurant as you’d expect but again I’m not that excided to try anything special. Besides it’s a Muslim hotel. I can’t even get a beer. As I finish my blog for the day I feel deflated after the comfort of Sangsawan Resort but things always seem better in the morning after a night’s sleep. Next Page.