Wat Khao Chong Krachok

A royal-grade Buddhist temple, Wat thammikaram Worawihan, was just down the road from our guesthouse in Prachuap Khiri Khan. A trio of novice monks were cleaning the temple ground and carrying big potted trees - laughing and joking with each other as kids tend to do.

The inside of the temple hall seemed as if it was being set up for some sort of royal ceremony. Holy white strings hung suspended in the air, running from large portraits of members of the Royal Family to the central Buddha statue at the front of the hall.

Wat thammikaram Worawihan was beautiful, to be sure, but I was even more interested in the nearby Wat Khao Chong Krachok, a hilltop monastery that can be seen from all over the town. It's the first sight that you see as you enter by train or road, and one of the main landmarks in Prachuap.

     

From the foot of the hill just outside the gates of the royal temple, it's a steep 395 steps to the top of the hill where the shrines of Wat Khao Chong Krachok are. The surrounding areas are fairly flat, which meant that we were immediately treated to far-reaching views over the surrounding countryside.

It was good to get some exercise in the fresh morning air, but I admit that my legs were a bit shaky at the top!

A nickname for Prachuap Khiri Khan town is "Mueang Sam Ao" - the City of Three Bays. Looking out from the top of the hill, we could see each of the three bays along the gulf coast.

To the north, we could see the edge of one of the bays, and a few mountains along a sandy beach. This was Khao Ta Mong Lai, where we would be going next!

It was quiet at the top of the hill. There were a few shrine buildings, a golden chedi, and a sleepy old dog who was basking in the warm sun.

We enjoyed the cool breeze (I really love the winter in Thailand) and the beautiful scenery as we caught our breath after the brisk climb.

Stepping into one of the shrine buildings, we met one lone monk who invited us to light incense and make a wish in front of a Buddha footprint shrine.

You can't visit the city without climbing up the hill, and once we were at the top, we noticed a sign saying that we should report to the local tourism office to pick up a certificate for climbing up. Unfortunately, it was the weekend and the local tourism office was closed.

Oh well. We know that we made it to the top!

Climbing up wasn't so bad, but it was steep. The biggest challenge was going back down without slipping! Fortunately, we made it back down without incident.