A bit before Christmas, my wife and I took a long-planned day trip with a friend of ours to visit a few provinces north of Bangkok. Our main destination was Klang Dong, a district in nearby Saraburi Province. Saraburi is famous for its clean air, green hills, and natural beauty - as well as being significantly cooler than Bangkok, despite being just four or so hours north. It's perfect to visit in winter, when we can really take advantage of the lovely cool air!
We left Bangkok bright and early - just after 6am. Soon, we had left the city far behind, and were making our way down the highway in the cool central Thai countryside.
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| driving out into the countryside |
Our first stop, of course, was for breakfast. We had arrived on the edge of Nakon Ratchasima (also known as "Korat") Province, and when we stepped out of the car, I was amazed at how cool the air already was. Korat is most famous as the edge of the Issan (northeastern) region of Thailand and as home to the country's very first national park, Khao Yai.
Breakfast was at a famous open-air restaurant whose name means "Three Colors Rice". They are famous, of course, for their three-colored rice, a special blend of three varieties of rice topped with the side dishes of your choice.
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| breakfast! |
I got some stir-fried mustard greens, sweet Chinese sausage, and a fried egg - a very typical Thai-style breakfast.
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| three-colored rice |
After enjoying breakfast in the open-air restaurant, we were back on the road to drive the ten or so minutes on to Wat Thep Phithak Punnaram (more commonly called "Wat Khao", or "Mountain Temple"). Before us, the white concrete face of the temple's famous Buddha statue glinted in the bright morning sun as it rose high above the road, halfway up the mountain.
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| the Big Buddha on the hill |
The Buddha statue is called Buddha Sakolsima Mongkhon, a name bestowed upon it by the late King Bhumibohl (Rama IX). The statue sits in the mudra, or posture, of blessing.
The large Buddha statue we had seen on the drive in was situated 112 meters up the mountain along a steep path of 1250 steps. Huffing and puffing and out of breath, we reached the top and gazed out across the countryside.
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it was kind of a tiring walk up to the Big Buddha
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Farmland stretched out before us as far as the eye could see, and it was hard to believe that we were only a few short hours outside of the big city.
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looking back over the farmland of Klang Dong District
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1250, the number of steps up to the Buddha, holds special significance in Buddhism. According to Buddhist teachings, 1250 is the number of disciples who miraculously and spontaneously traveled to witness the Buddha's sermons without being summoned. This event is today celebrated in Thailand as Makha Bucha Day.
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| at the shrine on the hill |
As we came back down the mountain, we passed by the huts where the monks live. The temple is home to a fantastic collection of exotic fowl, including guinea fowl and Indian peafowl (peacocks), which were strutting around all over the place.
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| there were peacocks at the temple |
We soon found why the birds loved it here when one monk came out of his hut and began talking to, petting, and feeding the birds!
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| a monk had befriended the peacocks which lived at the temple |
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| No matter how many times I see them, I'm still delighted every time I encounter one of these beautiful birds! |
Leaving the temple, we drove a short distance to visit a local farm called "Rai John Norn", or "Sleeping John Farm". John, the eponymous owner and farmer, was a big name designer in Bangkok before retiring out to the countryside to grow crops and manage his quiet little farm. It's a peaceful place, and we were greeted by P'John and his lazy orange cat when we arrived.
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| scenery in the Thai countryside |
P'John offered us a pot of his homemade yogurt topped with a drizzle of warm honey, and we set off to explore the small and well-maintained farm, where flowers, fruits, and plants of all types were growing in neat rows.
P'John was growing chamomile plants, and was excited to show them off. He was getting ready for New Year, when he expected people to flock to his farm to purchase flowers and potted plants as gifts for their friends and family.
After spending some time at the farm, we drove on to Reservoir Lam Takhong, a reservoir and wind power farm operated by EGAT, the Energy Generation Authority of Thailand.
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| at EGAT, the Energy Generation Authority of Thailand |
A government agency, EGAT is responsible for providing electricity to the kingdom. Interestingly, they've also opened up the reservoir and its surroundings as a recreational area. As we drove in, we passed as small campsite, and after passing the COVID screening checkpoint, we walked through a vibrant food market.
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cycling around the reservoir
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The best way to explore the reservoir is by renting a bike, which is exactly what we did!
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it was a cool, sunny afternoon
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It's not a very far way to cycle around the whole reservoir, but it offered some of the most incredible views of the surrounding countryside, and we stopped every so often along the way to take some photos of the beautiful landscape.
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the EGAT site has been opened as a great recreational area
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| looking across the countryside |
Besides the reservoir, which I assume provides hydroelectric power, EGAT also operates several huge windmills in the area. It's very windy up in the hills of Nakhon Ratchasima Province!
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| fresh produce |
By now, it was late afternoon. We still had to drive the 4 or 5 hours back to Bangkok, and we were getting sleepy. There's only one solution... coffee time!
We had a trio of "sunrises", a trendy blend of orange (or mango) juice and coffee with a refreshing spring of rosemary. The coffee woke us up and energized us for the long car ride back to the city.
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| coffee with orange and mango |
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| "sunrise" |
It was the last big adventure of 2021, and a fantastic way to wrap up a crazy year!
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a fun day out of Bangkok
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