We woke up at 8.35am and we just drove out to find something to eat as our breakfast.
As usual we had normal some rice and noodle soup. The food were not so nice if compare to the previous meals that we had.
After we checked out from the City Park Hotel, we proceed to the first destination of the day – Wat Khuha Sawan.
Wat Khuha Sawan is the oldest and most important temple in Phatthalung, and the first temple in the province to be granted royal status.
It had established during the Ayutthaya Period and it is located near the centre of Phatthalung. It is easily access from the Phatthalung Railway Station.
We parked our car at the parking area just outside of the temple. The location is actually just next to a school.
After we came out from the car, the immediate thing that we saw is a stone staircase at the side of the huge banyan trees which lead to a small shrine.
It draws our curiosity then we just follow our instinct and went up to check and have a look.
It is the Nang Khlot Cave, which is a small cave with some very old shrines amongst the roots of several large banyan trees and is home to lots and lots of monkeys.
There is a small shrine with seated Buddha statue. There are bats inside the cave which behind the small shrine. Luckily that we we did not see monkeys there.
A short way after Nang Khlot Cave you come to Wat Khuha Sawan itself. The main part of the temple is a flat area with a medium sized ordination hall.
The more interesting structure, and the one which is generally shown in tourist brochures of the area, is the elaborate chedi with green multi-tiered roof.
There is also an attractive small shrine hall containing holy relics. Behind the area with the main structures are the more interesting and famous parts of Wat Khuha Sawan are located.
Behind the ordination hall is a cemetery, and behind that is Khuha Sawan Cave, which is series of caves over three levels.
Khuha Sawan Cave has received a lot of visitors over the years, including several of the Kings of Thailand who have left their signature marked permanently in the walls of the cave.
The best example of a royal signature (King Rama V) is on the right hand side as we enter the cave.
The area around the cave is believed to have been in use by Buddhists since as far back as the 8th Century, with a formal temple having been established in probably the 17th or 18th Century.
Beyond the first cavern in Khuha Sawan Cave is a staircase that leads down two levels to a much smaller cavern at the bottom.
The small lower cavern is not particularly interesting, but the walk to get there is.
The walls and ceiling of the cave are brightly coloured as a consequence of staining by the minerals seeping through the rock above with rain water.
There are a few stalactites and stalagmites which have formed also as a consequence of the constant drips of rainwater.
After the visit to the Khuha Sawan Cave we came to an old stone staircase. The staircase looks rarely used as the path is overgrown. We tried our luck to climb to the top of the hill.
It was too tired for me to continue further up, but Alvin and Issac did go up to the top. At the top of the first flight of stone stairs is a clearing with a very old looking bell tower and a small shrine hall.
It is difficult to date exactly how old these structures are. Artefacts have been found at Wat Khuha Sawan which suggest that the site has been used as a place of worship from as far back as the 8th Century.
We did not go up further, from the middle of the hill we can see an ancient shrine which is at the other side of the hill top of the Nang Khlot Cave.
It is feel amazing to think that there is still ruins of remains there. But I do not think that we are able to get up there.
It is such a great time that we are able to visit here. It was around 10.00am when we left Wat Khuha Sawan to another temple.
