[Thailand] If you're visiting temples on Koh Samui, check out Wat Phra Yai and Wat Plai Laem

[Wat Phra Yai] 📍Location: Bo Put, Ko Samui District, Surat Thani 84320 Thai 🕰️Opening hours: 7:00-18:30 [Wat Plai Laem] 📍Location: Wat Plai Laem, 4171, Thailand, Amphoe Ko Samui, Chang Wat Surat Thani 84320 Thai 🕰️Opening hours: 7:30-18:00 It was just after 9am when I left Bangkok and arrived at the hotel on Koh Samui. Of course, I still had more than half a day until check-in, so I left my luggage at the front desk and rented the hotel's free bicycle (no steps). If I had an international driver's license, I could have rented a motorbike, but I'm not good at driving motorbikes, so I had to settle for a no-step bike. Before the heat got too bad, I went on a bike tour of the temples for the first time in several years. The roads on Koh Samui are fairly well paved, but there are some sidewalks and some that are not, and there are many steps that make it difficult to pass, so I walked along the edge of the road while being careful of cars and headed to Wat Phra Yai first. Wat Phra Yai is a temple with a large Buddha statue, commonly known as the Big Buddha Temple. It was a gentle uphill climb from the hotel near Bophut Beach to Wat Phra Yai, so it took about 3 minutes by motorbike, but about 15 to 20 minutes by bicycle. The hotel concierge told me to wear a helmet, but by the time I set off, the heat was at its maximum. I was relieved to finally arrive, but unfortunately there were stairs to my destination, the Big Buddha. It was hard on my tired legs after a long time of cycling, but I did my best to climb. At the top of the hill, if you're lucky, there's a pleasant breeze and you can see Bophut Beach from the shade. After cooling off in the shade, looking around at the Big Buddha, and taking photos with the monks in training as we went down the stairs, I was satisfied and headed to my next destination, Wat Plai Laem. The road from Wat Phra Yai to Wat Plai Laem was flat, so it took about 10 minutes to get there. I went to Wat Plai Laem without doing any prior research, so I was surprised when I arrived. The main hall was surrounded by ponds, and on the right was a large statue of the Thousand-Armed Kannon, and on the left was a large statue of Ebisu. Unfortunately, the Thousand-Armed Kannon was under construction, so I could only take photos from just before the bridge. Apparently, stories about Buddha are painted inside the main hall in the center, but since I can't read Thai, I tried to understand them by looking at the pictures. There are tilapia in the surrounding ponds and you can feed them, but I was scared of the excessive amount of tilapia and the many pigeons trying to get some of the leftovers, so I quickly retreated. Since the trip there was uphill, I thought it would be easier to go home on the way back because there were mostly downhills, but the pedals of the stepless bicycle turned with incredible force and I was scared, so I ended up going home while using the brakes which were not very effective. By choosing to go by bicycle, the trip was difficult, but I was able to take my time touring the temples that are typical of Thailand🇹🇭, so it was a recommended route for sightseeing in Koh Samui. #Thailand #Koh Samui #Big Buddha #Temple tour