The Sanctuary of Temple is a unique temple in a country known for these ornate, Buddhist structures. It is unique in that it is entirely carved out of wood by hand.
The temple is located in northern Pattaya, just a few minutes drive from central Pattaya. Tours can be booked at any hotel lobby or any street vendor hawking tours. You get to the site via a min-van that picks you up at your hotel. Our tour was from about 10 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon.
"The magnificence of heaven recreated on earth" is the temple's theme. The idea for the temple was conceived by one very wealthy man who wanted to give something back to the community and remind them that religion, philosophy, and art need to be a part of their lives.
The temple is hand-carved completely out of wood and stands 105 meters at its highest point. Skilled craftsmen have been working on the temple for over 40 years and still have approximately 25 more years to go.
This is not just a tribute to Thai Buddhism, but also draws inspiration from China and India. The Sanctuary also honors the planetary gods, parents, children and the elderly.
Magnificent wooden statues, ornate pillars, and floors, walls and ceilings have all been created using rudimentary tools by hundreds of skilled craftsmen and women. You will literally stand in awe and ask yourself, "How did they make this?"
Once you get over your awe-inspiring tour of the temple, you can visit the grounds on horseback. A short 30-minute ride and it will be time for the dolphin show. They have two dolphins in a pool and you sit in shaded bleachers. They dolphins do the normal jumping through hoops and toss a ball back forth. When the show is over, you can go up and pet the dolphins and get your picture taken.
Time for a simple lunch and a relaxing beverage. We were served a hamburger, french fries and a cola. One more short visit to the Sanctuary for some more pictures, a short visit to the souvenir store, and it is time to head back to your hotel.
This half-day tour will set you back all of about $25 and that includes the temple tour, the dolphin show, horseback riding and lunch.
What I liked about this tour was that it was with a small group and was only minutes from my room. Once we arrived at the grounds, there were tour guides that asked where you were from to make sure that they had the correct language speaking guide. The young lady that toured us around spoke decent English and gave a very informative narration. The only complaint I had was that we had to wear a hard hat since it is still considered a construction area
