PHUKET TRAVEL DIARIES: Whatchadoin in Wat Chalong?

According to our research, among the 29 Buddhist temples or Wats in Phuket, the Wat Chalong or Chalong Temple is the most important, the biggest and most ornate one. So we made sure to see it during our short weekend trip. 

Super-long Sidenote:

We hired a car for a 5 hours to check off the following things on our Must do list in Phuket:

1. Buy loads of cashew nuts – Don’t judge me! They’re super expensive here in Jakarta! =P CHECK! Click here to see pics!
2. Visit the Wat Chalong and have my fortune told – CHECK! I didn’t get to have my fortune told though. Pictures below.
3. Watch the sunset from Cape Promthep, then dine on seafood at Kang Eng Restaurant in Chalong Bay – We didn’t get to do this exactly but we did get to eat seafood lunch at Chalong. Check out my next post tomorrow for pictures!

To be honest 5 hours wasn’t enough, we exceeded it by more than an hour. And next time, if I’m staying in a fabulous resort like Sala which is one hour away from almost everything, I’d rather not waste my money on renting a car and going around for 3 hours. But hey, this was our first time and at least we got to do some touristy stuff. Next time we’re staying holed up in the hotel! I swear!

While walking around we were startled with the sound of fire crackers…

You will see people hanging strings of Chinese firecrackers in beehive-shaped “ovens” near the wat’s sermon hall, then igniting them. Although this is unusual in other wats around Thailand, it is a common occurrence in Wat Chalong. People do this to show gratitude for prayers that have been answered.

The most sacred artifact at Wat Chalong is the Phra Borom Sareerikatat relic, a piece of the Lord Buddha’s bones brought over from Sri Lanka. It is in a chedi at the top of a three-storey 60-meter high pagoda. The chedi is a mixture of southern, central and northeastern architectural styles. The pagoda is decorated with wall paintings depicting the Buddha’s life story and also features various Buddha images and other religious figures.

Sad that I didn’t get to have my fortune told because we were pressed for time already. But when my hubby was asking me if it was really important (because If I really wanted to, then we would make the time), I couldn’t think of a single question to ask. My most pressing question before was when I was going to meet The One, and now that I was with him, there are are no pressing questions in my mind. (Except, maybe, for the baby question – but I’d rather leave that as a wonderful surprise.)

Good to know:

• Wear appropriate clothing. It is inappropriate to show your shoulders, chest, belly or legs. (It was very warm walking around. I had to wear a cardigan over my sleeveless dress)
• You will be asked to remove your shoes at certain places. So wear shoes with socks so you don’t have to go completely barefoot. And don’t wear expensive shoes incase someone mistakenly walks off with yours (I had to go walking around the Pagoda barefoot. Hubby and I were also wondering about what if someone picks up your shoes! LOL.)
• Do not to stand over, or position yourself higher than any Buddha images
• If all else fails, check what the other people around you are doing and follow their example

Location:

Chalong Temple is located between Phuket Town and Chalong. If you’re coming from Phuket Town, take the Bypass Road heading south towards Chalong for about 8 kilometers. Wat Chalong will be on your left.

References:

• Phuket Guide
• Phuket Hotel Booking
• Phuket.com