For a very long time, mystical pictures of the temples in Chiang Rai took our breath away, and we, therefore, couldn't wait till the eleventh hour to book our flight tickets to this heavenly land of temples! It only took coming to Thailand thrice, but we are so happy that we finally got a chance to see this side of Thailand! Honestly, what we have learnt so far is that if you are into spellbinding architecture, you will most definitely hit the jackpot in Thailand!
To be honest, it could take a lifetime to visit all Chiang Rai's temples. So, after exploring a couple of temples, we have put together a list with the most incredible temples around the city ♥️
1) White Temple/ Wat Rong Khun
Chiang Rai, the northernmost city in Thailand, has over 300 temples! But, the White Temple will surely take your breath away! You have to see this one to believe it. It not only looks beautiful because of its pure white color & intricate details, but also because it starts to sparkle as soon as the sun is out. Oh yes, out comes the sun, and this one feels like a piece of heaven!
Everywhere you look is a scene straight out from a postcard!
Timings: 8am – 5pm
Entry fee: Rs. 120 per person
2) Blue Temple/ Wat Rong Seur Ten
Blue Temple, located a few kilometers outside of Chiang Rai, is the most recent edition to Chiang Rai's tasteful and holy panorama.
Blue temple, covered in a vivid Indigo hue, is bound to stupefy you.
We were enthralled looking at the exterior and interior walls of the temple, covered in vivid indigo hue embellished with gold! You could easily lose track of time observing the intricate paintings and artwork, all over the ceiling and walls.
Timings: 7am – 8pm
Entry fee: Free
3) Wat Huay Pla Kung
This temple was the only reason for us to visit Wat Huay Pla Kung, not just because of its majestic size, but also because it looked so different from the rest of the temples we visited. I vividly remember how we were able to see the statue from miles away, while driving towards it. Dude, it is HUMONGOUS!
This enormous 23 stories high statue of The Goddess of Mercy (someone who has reached a state of nirvana, and decides to reach out to people who cry out for help) is mostly mistaken for Big Buddha!
You can reach the base of the statue either by climbing the flights of stairs, or by taking the free pink shuttle from the parking lot ✨
From there, you can take the elevator up to the viewing deck at the 25th floor, for just 40 baht (Rs. 96).
The 'Third Eye' of the statue is actually a circular window to have a bird's-eye view of the city and the 9 tier pagoda. And let me tell you, it's magical!
Timings: 7am – 9:30 pm
Entry fee: Free
Do put these temples on your bucketlist, whenever you plan on visiting this northernmost city in Thailand 💙
Happy Travels!
Do put this temple on your bucketlist, whenever you plan on visiting this northernmost city in Thailand 💙