4 Days 3 Nights

Takehighway No.321 and, when

you reach 163 km, take a left

turntoKhunChangRoadto WatPhra

Rup to pay homage to a wooden

Buddha footprint and a reclining

Buddha statue, which is said to have

the most beautiful face in Thailand.

Back to the main road, turn left to go

to Wat Pa Lelai to worship a huge

sitting Buddha image named “Luang

Pho To”, 23 metres in height and visit

the “Khum Khun Chang” traditional

houses.

Leaving Wat Pa Lelai, turn right

to the city inbound route. When you

spot the dragon pillars of the City

Pillar Shrine, go straight until you reach

Wat Peung and then turn left to Sompan

Khong Road and highway No 3507.

About 100 metres down, you’ll

find Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat,

featuring ancient Khmer-style prang

(pagoda) and wihans. Next is Wat

Khae to worship four Buddha footprints,

and a giant tamarind tree that has

a 10-metre trunk and is about a

thousand years old. Also visit the

“Khum Khun Phaen”, a traditional Thai

house built as part of the literature

and historical conservation park.

Next, visit Wat No Phutthangkun

to admire beautiful murals in the old

ordination hall that were painted

during the reign of King Rama III.

Travel a little further, you will find

Wat Phra Loi where visitors can enjoy

feeding thousands of fish in the

sanctuary in front of the temple and

watch monkeys, bears and turtles at

a small zoo.

Recommended: Wat Phra Non

(Unseen Thailand) It houses a special

reclining Buddha image, lying supine,

instead of lying on one side as in

other images.

Take a right turn at the intersection,

cross the bridge and go straight

ahead through another intersection

to highway No 340 towards Sri Prachan

district. At the area around 110 km,

there are petrol stations and souvenir

shops along both sides of the road.

At 115-116 km, there is the Buffalo

Village where visitors can enjoy shows.

The place also provides Thai

traditional houses as accommodations to

visitors (0-3558-2591-3). Approximately

5-6 km further down, is located the

country’s largest soil-less plantation

where vegetables are grown on

hydroponics system.

At the Sam Chuk intersection,

turn left, cross a bridge and turn right.

Recommended: The century-old

Sam Chuk Market, offering traditional

food and Thai traditional style

coffeeAlso visit Museum of Ban

Khun Jamnong Jinarak.

Then head to Bueng Chawak.

Along the way, you will pass Doem

Bang Nang Buat Police Station at 142

km (0-3557-8022).

Recommended: Bueng

Chawak Chalerm Phra Kiet, the

country’s largest underwatertunnel displaying freshwater fish,

the zoo, local herb gardens while

there are also many restaurants

around the lake for you to enjoy

lunch.

Bueng Chawak Resort offers tree

houses on riverbanks as accommodation

(0-3543-0099, 0-3543-0100). Visitors

can also enjoy boat rides around the

1,700-rai lake.

Head towards Chai Nat

province and, when you reach the

Saphan Mai intersection, turn left to

visit Wat Pak Khlong Makham Thao.

Use highway No 3183 and drive along

the canal before turning right to pass

Wat Singha Hospital (0-5643-0189,

0-5646-1344). When you reach a

roundabout, go straight, following the

temple sign. This old temple is located

on the Tha Chin riverbank and visitors

come here to pay respects to the

late revered monk Luang Phu Suk,

who was a teacher of Krom Luang

Chumphon Khet Udomsak, the father

of the Thai navy.

Return to highway No 340 until

you reach the intersection between

Phaholyothin Road and highway No

1. Turn right until you reach 280 km

and then turn to highway No 311.

You will see the Chao Phya Dam

around which many restaurants are

located.

In front of the park, there is an

OTOP shop, selling the province’s

iconic souvenirs and products

Leaving the dam, take a U-turn

and go straight for another 2 km to

visit Chainat Bird Park to admire bird

models from straw wickerwork and

visit the region’s largest bird cage

covering over 26 rai of land.

From the bird park, go straight

to the intersection between the Asia

Highway and highway No 32 and turn

right at 135 km towards Lop Buri. Pass

Tha Wung Hospital (0-3648-1208),

where you can look for a place to

stay in downtown area of Lop Buri.

Thep Thani Hotel operated by

Rajabhat University (0-3641-1023)

Next morning, start with the city

tour in Lop Buri with San Phra Kan.

On the left of this former Brahman

shrine is a parking lot that charges

Bt10.

Just opposite the shrine is a

Khmer-style pagoda Phra Prang

Sam Yod. Another ancient place

worth visiting nearby is Wat Nakhon

Kosa.

Cross the railway track, turn left

and keep going straight, to Wat PhraSi

Maha That. This temple features the

tallest Prang in Lop Buri. After this visit,

make a U-turn towards the market

and take the first left turn to visit

the Tourism Authority of Thailand to

admire the ancient teak building and

get some tourist information.

Go straight down the road and

you will see Phra Narai Ratchaniwet

(King Narai’s Palace), which also

houses the Lop Buri National Museum.

Go straight through the

intersection, turn right at the Prang

Khaek intersection to return to San

Phra Kan. Drive on to Narai Maharat

Road and then highway No 311. Pass

the special warfare command to the

Sa Kaew Roundabout whose inner

circle is called Sri Suriyothai Road.

Surrounding this roundabout are shops,

banks, and restaurants as well as the

Lop Buri Zoo (open daily from 8am

to 5.30pm)

From Narai Maharat Road,

turn left to Naresuan Maharat Road

and cross the bridge over the

irrigation canal. Turn right and then

leave to the road along the canal.

The area has many groups making

soft-prepared chalk (Thai traditionalstyle

body powder), so you can see

the demonstrations and local way of

life. You can also stop by the OTOP

Centre near the bridge for such

souvenirs.

Back to the Sa Kaew Roundabout,

turn left and go straight to the Phra

Narai Roundabout. This area has

many government offices, including

the city hall and the Lop Buri Provincial

Police Bureau (0-3641-4416).

Stop for lunch and move on

along the inbound Phaholyothin

Road (Bangkok- Saraburi). At about

4 km, turn left at the intersection to

highway No 3017, you will pass the

Sap Lek Reservoir, which was built

during the reign of King Narai. Head

to the Phatthana Nikhom district to

visit the Sunflower Fields along the

way.

TIP: The sunflowers will bloom from

early November to late January.

Drive straight through all

intersections along highway No 3017

to pass Phatthana Nikhom Hospital

(0-3649-1341) and Phatthana Nikhom

Police Station (0-3649-1339).

Recommended: Pa Sak Jolasit

Dam

The dam is located at the end

of the road. This is the longest earthfilled

dam in Thailand with a clay

core (0-3649-4243). If you want to

travel across the reservoir by train on

a railway constructed along the dam

ridge.

You can opt for a horse carriage,

which charges Bt50 per adult and

Bt30 per child, or use a monorail,

which charges Bt25 per adult and

Bt10 per child.

At the dam, you can also enjoy

shrimp and freshwater fish dishes

offered by restaurants in the area.

Nearby there are many resorts.

Use the two-lane highway

No 3017 to visit Ban Pong Manao

Archaeology Site to admire ancient

artifacts.

At the intersection, go straight

to reach Saraburi’s Wang Muang

district. You will pass the Yana Farm,

which raises ostrich, lambs, goats,

cows, birds and chicken as well as

grows grapes. You can stop by at

its restaurant to buy fresh produce

(0-3636-4353, 08-1806-9079).

At 30 km, take a left turn to

highway No 2273 then take a right

turn at the three-pronged intersection

to highway No 2282 and follow the

sign of Ban Pong Manao Archaeology

Site.

Return to highway No 2282 and

go back towards Ban Manao Wan.

Take a right turn at an intersection to

highway No 2338. Go straight until you

spot the Sap Jampa Water Tank and

take a right turn at the intersection to

Rural highway No 4022. Take another

left turn at the first intersection, you

will reach a garden known as Suan

Jampi Sirindhorn, featuring magnolia

sirindhorniae and a natural trekking

route about a km long.

Once you are back on highway

No 2273, head towards Muak Lek

district. At 10 km, take a right turn

to highway No 2224. Exercise more

caution while driving along downhill

curves in this area. Visit Chet Sao Noi

Fall and Muak Lek Fall before finding

a place to stay for the night.

In the morning, leave Muak

Lek district using Mitraphap Road

(highway No 2). Stop by to buy good

quality milk and the famous curry puff

before heading to Saraburi’s Muang

district.

Mitraphab Road is the main

route to the Northeastern region

and there are many petrol stations

and garages along the way. Before

reaching the elevated road, there

is an LPG station, which is open 24

hours a day near Kasemrat Saraburi

Hospital (0-3631-5555-94)

Take a right turn to Saraburi’s

Muang district through Phaholyothin

Road (highway No 1), cross the

railway and keep straight ahead

then turn left at Municipality 5 Road

and highway No 3225. You will notice

the entrance to the Weaving Centre

of Tambon Ban Ton Tan.

Recommended: Handwoven

fabrics.

Here, you can find home-stay

accommodations, Khan Tok dinner

with shows, and tour bus service.

Contact Tambon Ton Tan (0-3672-

5268). Nearby is Wat Khao Kaeo

Worawihan, an old temple on the

foothill where King Rama V used to

visit. In front of the temple, there is

the Thai-Yuan Museum to learn

about the local way of life.

Get back to Phaholyothin

Road and head to Phra Phutthabat

district. At the Na Phra Lan intersection,

there is an OTOP shop to buy souvenirs.

Pass Phra Buddhabhat Hospital

(0-3626-6111) and, when you reach

136 km, visit Wat Phra Phutthabat

Ratchaworamahawihan to pay

respects to the Lord Buddha’s

footprint covered by the Mondop,

a square building with a seven-tier

castle roof on the foothill. Also visit the

Phra Phutthabat National Museum

at the main temple hall.

TIP: Every Buddhist Lent Day, there

is a ceremony for public members

to offer flowers to the monks on

their special alms visits here.

Use Phaholyothin Road to return

to Saraburi’s Muang district and go

straight on the Bangkok-bound route.

When you reach 102 km, take the

parallel road to visit Wat Phra

Phutthachai. At the cliff you will find

a shadow of the Buddha, and some

pre-historic line drawings dating back

to some 3,000 years-like those found

at Ubon Ratchathani’s Pha Taem

National Park.

Inside the dam area, you can rent bungalows or tents (0-3649-4243).

Phetcharat Pasak Resort (0-3635-9196-7)

Magnolia siridhorniae is a new magnolia flower found only in this place.