Back to Back Issues Page
Bangkok Travelbug November 2019 Nakhon Sawan City Attractions
November 07, 2019
Hello




Nakhon Sawan City Attractions

Welcome back to the November issue of the Bangkok Travelbug. In this issue of the Travelbug, we will take a tour of some of the attractions in Nakhon Sawan City and in the surrounding city district (amphur mueang).

We start our tour by going up a long ridge in the city centre on which is located a chedi and a tower that gives a panoramic view of the city.


Winding road up the long ridge

Join us and take a virtual tour of the attractions in Nakhon Sawan City.

Contents (click on the link to go directly to the topic)

Nakhon Sawan Tower

Nakhon Tower, one of the attractions located on Khao Khiri Wong, is 32 metres high and consists of 10 stories. The tourist information and ticketing counters are on the ground floor. The restaurant on the second floor unfortunately has closed.


Nakhon Sawan Tower

Take the lift up to the 10th floor, that's where we can have an all-round view of the city.


View of the city from the top of Nakhon Sawan Tower

There are information boards that provide photos and information of the view below e.g. Bueng Boraphet the huge fresh water lake at the start of the Chao Phraya or Phra Chulamani Chedi.


Pictorial information boards

The other attraction highlighted is on the same ridge as Nakhon Sawan tower; Phra Chulamani Chedi.


View of Phra Chulamani Chedi from the tower

Let's go over to the next attraction, Phra Chulamani Chedi

Contents


Phra Chulamani Chedi

Phra Chulamani Chedi is located at the other end of the ridge, which is called Khao Daowadueng. This glittering golden chedi, a prominent landmark in the city centre, is actually part of Wat Khiri Wong which is at the foot of the ridge. The main temple below was quiet during our visit and most of the visitors were up here at the chedi.


Phra Chulamani Chedi

Luang Maha Boonrod a former abbot of Wat Khiri Wong, initiated the construction of this chedi in 1981 with a budget of 35 million baht. This chedi is actually built over the base of an old chedi built in the 14th C during the late Sukhothai era.

Under the chedi dome, there are beautiful murals depicting the life of Buddha.


Murals under the dome of the chedi

Inside the chedi, four Buddha images are placed facing the four directions, with a scaled down golden chedi in the centre.


Buddha images in the chedi

Outside the chedi, visitors can get a beautiful view of the city.


View of Bueang Boraphet, the huge fresh water lake to the south

Contents


Sawan Park

Sawan Park is a huge public park right in the city centre that was created out of a swamp. It's 502,400 sq. metres in area with a 6,400 sq. metre island in the middle of a vast lake. There are two ring roads around the park and a hugh dragon greets visitors as soon as they enter the park.


Dragon at the gate


The lake

We would have loved to explore this park further but as this was our last day and we still had two more places to go. The next two places of interest are about 25 km from the city centre. But they are still located within the city district of Nakhon Sawan.

Contents


Wat Sri Uthum Porn

Wat Sri Uthum Porn is a beautiful temple 25 km west of the city centre. It's a temple dedicated to Luang Por Joi, a highly respected former abbot and preacher who was instrumental in developing the temple to its present condition.

The path leading to the ubosot (ordination hall) is lined with intricately carved Naga serpents, a wooden arch, statues of the three-headed elephant Erawan and chedis.


The elaborate approach leading to the ubosot

The body of Luang Por Joi is preserved inside the ubosot. Upon entry, the visitor is immediately struck by the beautiful murals on the walls all around.


The murals in the ubosot – the body of Luang Por Joi is preserved in the glass case to the left of the Buddha image

There was another structure that caught my eye on arrival at Wat Sri Uthum Porn. It's a monstrous head with its mouth wide open which served as an entrance. This huge head is an image of Hanuman the Monkey God, a devotee of Rama who helped Rama rescue his wife Sita from the demon Ravana in the Ramayana epic.


Hanuman flanked by two of his warriors

I could at least take comfort that I walked through the jaws of good and not evil! The interior of this building, which is another ubosot, is even more elaborately decorated. The ceiling, walls and pillars are studded with beautiful sculptures.


Inside the second ubosot


The altar with more than a dozen Buddha images

Contents


Wat Tham Bo Ya

Wat Tham Bo Ya as the name suggests is a temple in a cave, just two kilometres south of Wat Sri Uthum Porn. There are temple buildings at the foot of the hill but the real attraction is in a cave up the hill.

The temple is also known as Wat Thep Nimit Song Tham. The map shows these as two separate temples. This is not so. They are different names for the same temple.


The way up


The way in

The cave has different sections with each section dedicated to Buddha images in different postures.


Buddha subduing Mara posture


Buddha images in different postures

Surprisingly there are also altars with images dedicated to various Hindu deities.


Lakshmi – the Goddess of Prosperity


Siva the Destroyer


Brahma the Creator

Right at the end of the passage in the cave, we came across a Reclining Buddha.


Reclining Buddha

That brings us to an end of the exploration of Tham Bo Ya and Nakhon Sawan City attractions. See you next month when we will be exploring Khok Mai Den Ancient City, Nakhon Sawan.

Contents


Where to stay and dine

For accommodations and dining while you are in Nakhon Sawan City, please see where to stay and dine

Contents


Map of Nakhon Sawan



If the map doesn’t appear, click on this link

How to get there

From Bangkok take Phahon Yothin Road or highway 1 – highway 32 all the way to Nakhon Sawan. At the outskirts of the city, go straight on to route 117 which will take you through the city centre where the first three attractions are located.

For the other two temples that are on the outskirts of the city, to the west, take highway 1 – route 1072 – route 4065 till you get to the temples.

To get to Chateau de Bear, continue on highway 1, cross the Dechatiwong Bridge and turn off to route 117 that passes through Nakhon Sawan City. Proceed on route 117 till you see the hotel signboard on your left just before the second bridge.

The Kung Pao 2 Restaurant is just across the second bridge from Chateau de Bear and the Bear Head Kitchen is right in the city centre.

Opening hours

Opening hours of all the places mentioned here should safely be between 08:00 am – 04:00 pm.

Admission

Admission to all the places in Nakhon Sawan city attractions is free.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip! See you next month as we explore another part of Nakhon Sawan.

Contents


Next month

Khok Mai Den Ancient City, Nakhon Sawan

If you enjoyed reading this e-zine, please forward it to a friend. If you received this from a friend and found it interesting, please subscribe at Bangkok Travelbug.


What do you think of the Bangkok Travelbug?

We love to hear from you

What other subscribers have said

Till next month then.

Eric Lim
Tour Bangkok Legacies
Find us on Facebook

My Journey through Thailand Part I The First Steps

This is my second e-book and the first in the series of travel journals on my trips to explore the various provinces in Thailand. This edition, which covers my travels from late 2009 to mid-2013, will guide you to historical sites, cultural monuments and exquisite Thai handicraft, across a vast spectrum of cultural and ethnic diversity.

You can have a virtual tour with this e-guide book or take the first steps yourself in this journey through Thailand.


My Kindle e-book


Copyright@2008-2019 Tour Bangkok Legacies
All rights reserved

Back to Back Issues Page