“Are you sure we’re going the right way?”
“Does that overgrown muddy trail look like something he would’ve called a road?”
Alyssa and I were hiking through rows of cassava plants searching for a Buddhist Temple in the jungle our friend had told us about. Both our shirts were soaked with sweat and we had paused under a sliver of shade to go over our directions for the fifth time.
They were pretty simple. “Turn left along the main road and turn right at your second road and you’ll find it. Well, maybe you turn left… Well, right or left and it’ll be right there.”
We weren’t sure if we were counting roads the same, or if we were even heading in the right direction. The map on my iPhone had lots of roads on it, but the temple was maybe too small to be listed.
“Maybe we should go back and have another try early tomorrow morning before the sun gets so hot. Maybe we shouldn’t have brought the quadcopter and camera along…” We grudgingly decided to keep going – it couldn’t be that much further.
Then we saw it, waaay off in the distance between the hills!
Our spirits jumped now that we had seen the finish line!
We passed another overgrown road, making road number 4, and decided it was too muddy to lead us to the temple that had now disappeared from sight. A mile later and a few more turns we came to a sign in Thai and we knew we were close!
Hidden Buddhist Temple in the Jungle
We had made it at last! The parking lot was packed because it was Buddhust Lent Day, and nobody else seemed to have walked. And here we are, showing up all hot and sweaty when everyone else hops out of an air-conditioned car or motorcycle. That’s alright, we have to burn off our ice cream calories somehow!
There were quite a few temples and statues all around the grounds. The buildings were so shiny and beautiful – they looked like they had just been painted yesterday. The statues and engravings were so intricate and detailed. I wondered how old each of them was.
Aerial Video – Hidden Buddhist Temple in the Jungles of Thailand
The view of the temple from above with my DJI quadcopter was amazing! It was tucked in the hills and looked so peaceful. I’m glad Alyssa didn’t convince me to leave the drone behind!
The hills surrounding the temples were so lush and covering. It would be a very quiet place to live and study.
I’m glad we made it to the hidden Buddhist temple in the jungle so we could share it with you!
How long would YOU have hiked before turning around!?
This is pretty cool. Bet it was awesome without all the tourist, you would find in a normal temple
Thanks Rebecca! It was neat being the only tourists around! We love finding off the beaten trail type of places! Glad you stopped by!
Great article! Glad you found it!
I’m so so so glad that I stumbled upon your blog. Your adventures are so interesting, and your photos are stunning! Can’t wait to read more!
The pictures of the Buddhist temple, Buddha temple in yellow outfit and the beautiful lush surroundings are stunning. I love the picture of the jungle with the red roofs of the temples standing out. It looks like an ideal place to enjoy silence and peace. You are your wife were courageous to keep going. Probably I would have turned around the moment I had doubts about the correct route to get to the Buddhist temple