Visit Wat Simalai Songtham (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Presentation Wat Simalai Songtham

Rarely mentioned in the book guides or websites abour traveling in Thailand, Wat Simalai Songtham is located about twelve kilometers from the northern entrance of Khao Yai National Park which is the most used entrance to visit this immense natural area. Built on a hill, it is a quite unique in Thailand that will not leave indifferent even the most jaded of Buddhist temples. Its architecture loaded with statues, paintings and details that mix Buddhism, Hinduism and animism make it an almost unreal place coming out of a fairy tale. It also offers a nice panoramic view of the surroundings.

The temple was originally a monastery with a pavilion and a cave where monks came to practice dharma. The cave is still a popular place for that activity but, for a curious tourist, it is rather the whole upper part that is worth the detour. Between the gardens below and all the elements up to the top, it would take hours to appreciate every detail of the decoration of this temple whose construction still goes on.

I couldn't verify but it seems there are illuminations at night which are also worth a look.