Anthony Tuttle

Located in the area of Angkor, it lies near the hill of Phonm Dei, 25 km (16 mi) north-east of the main group of temples that once belonged to the medieval capitals of Yasodharapura and Angkor Thom. It is built largely of red sandstone, a medium that lends itself to the elaborate decorative wall carvings which cover the majority of the Temple. These factors have made the temple extremely popular with tourists, and have led to its being widely praised as a “precious gem”, There are Guards or Garupas with various style of heads guarding the entrances.

We chose to go the local way on a longtail boat that takes twice the amount of time. On the way to Yao Noi you pass thru these beautiful clear waters and see the views of the neighboring islands that make Phang Nga Bay famous. Once we arrived at Ko Yao Noi we grabbed a local open air taxi to take us around the island and to our villa for the night. You see tropical fruits growing along the road slowly ripening Fishing is still an important income for many of the locals and you will see boats waiting to go our for their next catch

Phatthalung province is located in the southern part of Thailand and is less traveled than the more popular destinations. Dotted along the coastal waters you will see houses perched above the waters with nets to catch local fish A great place to see the fishing nets and grab a nice Thai lunch is at Sri Pak Pra. Weekends are busy and they also have bungalows available for overnight stays.

Once you get closer you start to see other tourists in boats as well as the vendors selling their wares. While on the boat you can also order items to eat while taking the tour. Although not too large of a market it is a nice unique experience that I have only seen in Southeast Asia. Just about an hour outside of Bangkok you can hire half day and full day tours that will pick you up at your hotel and drop you off after.