Wat Arun - the
temple of the Dawn
The Wat really looks better from a
distance than close up, and you're not missing out too much even
if you only view from across the river. The grounds are fairly
pleasant and peaceful though, with good murals and a main Buddha
image supposedly designed by King Rama II. The mythical guardians
here are also quite impressive, though very similiar to those at
Wat Phra Kaew. It is possible to walk a limited way up the (very
steep) stairs of the main prang, which gives a reasonable view of
the Chao Phraya river.
Despite it's name (coming from Aruna, the
Indian god of the dawn), the best views and photos of Wat Arun
are in the evening with the sun setting behind it. There are some
restaurants on the opposite side of the river that are good for
watching this, though you'd be lucky to see the image of Wat Arun
that's on all the postcards - that of the red sky sunset with the
sun setting directly behind the temple. Sunset is around 6pm -
7pm all year round in Bangkok
Click on the picture to get
a larger version
| Steep
entrance to a great view over the river and Bangkok |
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| Nice |
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