Travel in Thailand: Koh Larn and the Sanctuary of Truth

The past weekend I traveled two hours south, to the city of Pattaya. Pattaya is one of the closest beach cities from Bangkok, and although it has a reputation as a party spot, it recent years, they have made an effort to make the area more family-friendly. 😀

What to See

One of the must-see attractions in Pattaya is undoubtedly the jaw-dropping temple, The Sanctuary of Truth.

The Sanctuary of Truth 

The Sanctuary of Truth is a wooden temple covered in intricate Buddhist and Hindu sculptures. The hand carved sculptures are reminiscent of Khmer architecture, similar to the striking temple, Angkor Wat. The sculptures showcase religious motifs from Cambodia, Thailand, India and China.The temple really exudes elegance with its intricate design and regal allure.For this reason, it’s described as, “The Magnificence of Heaven Recreated on Earth.”The temple hopes to use art and culture as a way to show how humans are connected. Regardless of religion, we are bonded by the universe, all striving for goodness and peace. 🙂

The temple displayed many lovely quotes, including the following:

Physical beings deteriorate, ravaged by the time, but truth and goodness are immortal.

“Beauty is rather a light that plays over the symmetry of things than that symmetry itself.” – Plotinus

Overall, the Sanctuary of Truth is absolutely massive, and its grandeur warrants a visit to Pattaya for this site alone. In fact, the temple is still under construction, with an estimated due date of 2050. Currently visitors must wear hard hats when walking around the site.As such, I can only imagine how spectacular the site will be upon its completion. An absolute must-see! 😀Cost: The entrance fee is a rather steep 14 USD, but it does an include an English tour guide, plus the site has other family friendly attractions, like ATV rides and a petting zoo. 🙂
Anyway, after a day in the sun, we were ready to refresh by the pool. 😀We found an event at the Pullman Pattaya Hotel, with free entry, drink specials, and DJ beats, all with a fabulous beachfront view. 😀
They even had festive floaties! 😛

The cocktails were priced around 5-10 USD, which is reasonable considering the upscale atmosphere at the hotel.
The perfect place to watch the sun go down. 🙂

Where to Eat

Now since my friend had spent two years living and teaching in South Korea, we decided to dine on Korean food that evening. 🙂
To start, the restaurant brought out a complimentary kimchi platter, which included chili pickled cabbage, radish, and cucumber, as well as, seaweed, sliced egg, and a sweet potato salad. For dinner, we had a traditional bibimbap, consisting of rice, vegetables, and fried egg with a red pepper paste. As well, I tried a kimchi jigae, or spicy cabbage stew with pork.

Where to Stay

Courtesy of booking.com, we found a great deal at a hotel called Sutus Court. The room was less than 30 USD, and the facilities we quite nice. And although the pool may have been littered with old fogies, we had our hearts set on the beach, so we didn’t mind. 😛Anyway, to get to that beach, we took a ferry to the adjacent island of Koh Larn. 

Koh Larn Island

The 45-minute ferry ride was less than $1 and dropped us right off at Tawaen Beach.  The water was a crystal clear blue, and the sandy beaches were well-maintained. For added comfort, we rented a few lounge chairs for 3 USD, and indulged in the ultimate beach getaway. 😀This was the prime spot for people watching, as we noticed many couples (in matching swim suits) having a DIY photo shoot on the beach. Adorable! ❤Overall, a fabulous and budget-friendly getaway from Bangkok.

Now my next big excursion will be to the historic city of Sukhothai. In the meantime, I hope to update in the next post about school happenings thus far at Assumption College. Until then. Have a great week everyone! 😀