Travelers coming to Phuket often combine beach vacations with sightseeing. Many tourists visit the island's numerous temples. Today, I'd like to tell you about one such structure, called Wat Chalong.
A Walk Around Wat Chalong Temple
Wat Chalong was built in the early 19th century. The complex's website states that its official name is Wat Chaiyathararam. Despite this fact, all tourists know the place as Wat Chalong, and this is the name you'll see on the sign directing you to the temple from the road.
Wat Chalong is a fairly large temple complex, with several buildings on its grounds. Some of them were open to tourists on the day of my visit, while others were closed.
On the day of my trip, a ceremony was taking place near the main temple building, where brightly dressed worshippers were walking around the temple, dancing and singing. I'm not sure what this ritual meant, but the vivid spectacle was quite impressive.
Next to the temple building is a vihara, one of the names for a Buddhist monk's residence. Inside the structure, several statues are covered in gold leaf. Online, I found information that visitors can make a donation and receive three pieces of this material to attach to the sculptures.
The newest building in the complex is a 60-meter chedi. The site is known for housing a fragment of one of Buddha's bones. Travelers will find this structure interesting because visitors can climb to an observation deck to view the architectural ensemble from above.
Another building is a small one-story house with a couple of rooms. It is likely the residence of the abbot, and I came across mentions of this building online.
How to Get There
You can reach the temple by car, taxi, or bus. You can also plan a visit as part of an organized tour group.
Entrance to the Wat Chalong complex is free, and guests are asked to follow the visiting rules: remove shoes when entering the temples, wear clothing covering the shoulders and knees, and refrain from touching the statues and Buddhist relics.
Next time, I will tell you about a trip to Mai Khao Beach, a place interesting for those who want to take unusual photos of planes flying directly over the heads of vacationers.
Have a nice trip!
