If you are in Bangkok and wanting to visit one of the many temples in the city, then Wat Arun is probably somewhere near the top of the list, if not at the top. It’s a popular place. Wat Arun Ratchawararam Ratchawaramahawihan to give it it’s full title, is located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River, and is the largest Wat I’ve visited.

Kay & I have tried to get here several times. Last time we got close, having survived the bus of death (at one point the driver faced off with police and we though he might just run them over!) This time we tried the MRT Blue line to Itsaraphap station and walked about 10 or 12 minutes to get there. Nice and easy (and no life threatening bus rides). You’ll soon know when you are there. The Wat is a large site, walled off, and on the opposite side of the soi are shop after shop after shop selling traditional Thai costume with photo packages.

Entry is free for Thai nationals and 200 baht for foreigners and you get a free bottle of water, which given the heat, was gratefully received. There are plenty of shops & cafes within the Wat, so you can easily find ice cream, drinks and elephant pants if you need to cool down. (In fact we found elephant pants for 100 baht – bargain!) People may joke about the old elephant pants, but honestly, on hot days, you will be very glad to be wearing them.

The main attraction of Wat Arun is the large Prang. It’s a stunning sight, but be prepared, most of the people who bought photo packages will be around here and in some places it’s hard to move, so patience is required.

The main Prang is surrounded by four smaller Prang and each is covered in a white render embedded with pieces of porcelain, which give it a little colour and reflect the light. There are the usual Thai motifs of Garuda, Naga and Yaksha all over the Prang, and plenty of Pixiu standing guard throughout the Wat.

As amazing as the Prang was, it was good to get away as there were just too many people. It felt less like a temple and more like a tourist trap. Away from the Prang and things get a little calmer. There are several Viharn on the site and in one we were able to get a blessing from a monk. The blessing is simple, you kneel, hold out your hand while he ties a string around your wrist and then sprinkles water on your head and shoulders. One highlight for me was that I was already wearing an orange bracelet from a temple in Loei and when he saw that, he gave me a thumbs up and extra oomph in his blessing (something along the lines of be safe, fearless, merciful, supported, meritorious & rich in wealth).

There is also an ordination hall in which you can pray and this was nice and quiet. The walls and ceilings were painted in a vast mural. I tried to photograph it, but they didn’t come close to capturing the detail or the scope.

Wat Arun originates from the Ayutthaya period, and you can certainly see the similarities with some of the sites there. It’s nice to see the Wat be so well maintained. Having been to Ayutthaya, I wondered what those sites would have looked like had they not been destroyed, and Wat Arun gives us a glimpse of what they might have looked like back in the day.

I can see why it is such a draw for tourists, the whole Wat is massive and the Prang is spectacular, but for me it was just too crowded, and of all the Wats I’ve been to, my favourites have been the quieter ones, but after trying to get here for so long, it was good to finally tick this one off the list.