I'll say I'm not usually into visiting Buddhist temples (Wats). I've visited many of them but by now I've seen my share and they're seldom a surprise. But not so with this Wat in Nong Khai, Thailand.
I was doing a self drive along the Mekong River in northern Thailand when I came across this incredible Wat in the jungle. It's certainty off the beaten path and on my visit there was no one there but me and the monks. What an amazing experience to be at this place in such solitude at the time of my visit.
Wat Phu Tok
Top of the ledges
The Wat is located on a ledge. A very steep vertical ledge! A stairway is built into the ledge where you ascend into the Wat:
The walkway built into the ledge:
How safe are they?
This is not a journey for the timid. These wooden walkways were not built by engineers. They are not maintained by the government or any agency with expertise in ledge walkway building as far as I know. How secure are they?
If you fall from the walkway you would surely fall to your death. It is a vertical drop onto the rocks below. Some areas of the walkway do not even have handrails to contain you!
And yes you will be sharing the path with the monks as they traverse the Wat:
Hmmm... do I pass on the right or left?
During my climb I encountered many monks. They mostly paid me little attention unless I asked them for a picture. They were quite obliging in that regard, even taking the picture for me in one case. But they never smiled. Are they truly that unhappy? Or is it a lifestyle choice?
Stoic monk faces. Maybe I should have used deodorant that morning? They kept their distance!
The Wat was built in the late 60's. Monk Ajahn Juan started the construction in 1968, but the poor guy died in a plane crash in 1980. He and other monks were flying to Bangkok for the Queen's birthday when the plane went down. Ironic to die in a plane crash and not during the construction on these ledges!
The Wat is built on seven levels, representing the seven levels of Nirvana. I think I experienced at least one level of Nirvana on the climb myself! The higher you go the more impressive the views:
But also the scarier looking down:
Yeah, I wouldn't want to fall!
I'll point out that in some areas the handrails were missing or were never installed. This made for an adventure, especially when passing a monk. I always felt it respectful to give them the ledge side and I took the scary side. But, if I lost my balance I was going to grab on to him and we were going down together! Just kidding, I think.
As you continue to ascend you approach the living quarters of the monks. Very simple living indeed:
More pictures of the walk to the top:
A reminder you are in a jungle.
At around the 5th or 6th level I came across a curiosity:
He was tucked inside a crevice in the ledge. At a passing glance, I thought he was a meditating head monk or something. But it warranted a second look, so I turned around and went back.
Turns out it was a statue! How silly I felt.
Then more statues:
Here you could place money if you want to support the charity and religious work here. Yeah the monks accept cash but not credit cards.
The 7th level was suppose to be closed to the public but you could enter if persistent. However, it came with a warning of snakes inhabiting that area. What do they eat?
I decided my adventurous nature stops at poisonous snakes. No thank you! Time to go back down.
This was the coolest place I've visited in Thailand. I never knew these places existed in the world before I began remote travel adventures. I only found this place because I stopped for the night in a nearby town and googled "attractions nearby" on the map This little stop ended up being the most memorable of this adventure.
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