Rustic Nakhon Nayok makes a fitting prelude to a tour of the ancient ruins of Prachin Buri
Writer: Story and photos by YVONNE BOHWONGPRASERT
Published: 27/08/2009 at 12:00 AM
Newspaper section: Horizons
There is more to picturesque provinces of Nakhon Nayok and Prachin Buri than the adrenaline pumping activities we generally know them for. The former also boasts a slew of farming communities, but only a handful offer visitors close encounters with their simple way of life and beautiful natural surroundings.
Our tour began in Nongsang, a village in Pak Phli district of Nakhon Nayok, which for last seven years has been offering visitors an opportunity to tour their community in ox-driven carts, something that these days is a rarity, thanks to Kamron Wongyah, 59, a retired school teacher.
It is an activity popular particularly among European tourists. The kilometre-long ride is bumpy, taking riders through a maze of forest and rice paddies to Kamron’s hideout where apart from rice, he also keeps farm animals such as horses, cows and ostriches.
Watching the farmers’ hard work should make urbanites appreciate the staple food all the more.
Reaching his farm we spotted cows and buffaloes grazing in pastures next to his hideout, which also doubles as guesthouse, where greeting us were Kamron’s dogs barking at full throttle.
His farm occupies 100 rai, and the guesthouse provides visitors with only the most basic of amenities such as mattresses, pillows and mosquito nets to ensure the atmosphere and ambience remain truly rustic.
After a leisurely stroll among farm animals we made our way to Hub Moey, a village in tambon Hintang of Muang district with a population of just 560, a majority of them elderly farmers and children and some construction workers. The village sits in a valley near Khao Yai National Park.
Hub Moey offers visitors a wider choice of activities to indulge in, starting with a museum that is repository of local culture, followed by a trek through a jungle dotted with towering trees, to the Hindad Waterfall in the company of student tour guides. This is a good place to while away the afternoon.
Visitors can also go bicycling and enjoy the natural beauty of the area. If you wish to observe the villagers at work making products accorded OTOP status, look up uncle Jampa Boonman, a man in his late 70s whose expertise is making wicker baskets, chicken coops and fishing nets: he will be more than happy to oblige, you can also buy the products from him.
This antique Buddha image is a reason why the Department of Fine Arts declared the temple a national heritage in 1996.
A few metres from his house lives aunty Thanom Seema. Her specialty include crispy banana fries and rice crackers with fruit and vegetable flavouring. Most residents in this part of village speak Lao and follow the traditional way of life. Also worth checking out is Wat Takinaram located in Muang district, built by Lao craftsmen around 1780.
Neighboring Prachin Buri, meanwhile, is famous not only for its natural attractions but also archaeological sites, like the ruins of Sa Morakot in Si Mohosot district, where the highlight is a pair of Lord Buddha’s footprints believed to be from the Dvaravati period ( 8th -11th centuries).
According to the local office of the Department of Fine Arts, the footprints are carved on laterite stones. Close by is a Khmer-style religious ruin dating between 12th-13th centuries, but very little of the original structure is still standing.
NakhonNayok and neighbour Prachin Buri are fascinating provinces worth exploring. The former, 106 kilometres from Bangkok, is a popular adventure destination.
NakhonNayok and Prachin Buri are connected by regular buses. For information onbus schedule, call 037-311-932.
For tour packages, call the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s NakhonNayok office at 037-312-282 and 037-312-284 or its call centre at 1672.
MrKamronWongyahcan be reached at 089-793-7654.
The ride in ox-driven cart to Kamron’s farm is bumpy most of the time but it offers visitors an opportunity to enjoy nature up-close, while the simple community lifestyle of farmers is a delightful experience.
Wat Takinaram, built by Laotian craftsmen from Vientian in 1780, is one of the oldest in the Nakhon Nayok. The most impressive structure of this temple, which sits by the river that lends its name to the province, is the ordination hall (ubosot).
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Former teacher Kamron Wongyah hopes to put together a complete ecotourism experience for visitors at his farm. Animals look relaxed and seem to enjoy the natural surroundings.
Kamron’s farm offers little by way of comfort, but it is a good place to spend the night if you enjoy camping. Houses, with rooms opens up to scenic mountain view, are also available. Trekking can be arranged on request.
Lunch at this tree-top restaurant is one of many memorable experiences awaiting you in Nakhon Nayok. Alternatively, you can feed fish or go whitewater rafting, which is a rejuvenating experience for city dwellers.
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Children welcome visitors to Wat Hub Moey School. The school runs a sustainable farm, a library and projects initiated by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn to improve the villagers’ quality of life and raise their literacy rate. Most students live with their grandparents because their fathers and mothers make a living working on construction projects outside the province.
A typical home in Nakhon Nayok, marked by wooden floor and wide open spaces.
Wat Hub Moey School has a museum where on display are old fishing, farming and cooking implements that remind its pupils of life in the yesteryear. Students take pride in showing visitors around. The school has its own vegetable garden and a fish breeding pond, which are there to teach children about sustainable farming.
The history of Si Mohosot in Prachin Buri is showcased in this museum next to Sa Morakot. It features archaeological evidence dating back to the Dvaravati and Khmer periods.
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Eight-year-old Pik cooks dinner everyday, usually comprising pork and vegetable grown in her family garden. She is the grand daughter of Jampa Boonman now in his late 70s.
Sujitra Kongjanda of Wat Hub Moey School teaches eight subjects to students in the fifth and sixth grades because there is a dearth of teachers and funding. Yet she enjoys doing it.
A dharma wheel is carved in the middle of each of Lord Buddha footprints, presumed to date back to the 9th century.
Dating back to the sixth or seventh century Sa Kaew, excavated in 1989, is said to be the site of religious rites, mainly to do with fertility. Carved on walls of this manmade pond are figures of mythical animals, goddess Lakshmi and a water pitcher that is symbolic of agrarian societies. Two staircases connect visitors to the pond’s bottom.
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Fortune-tellers attract locals as well as visitors from outside the province.
In 1993 during the excavation of this well, located in front of the facade sheltering Lord Buddha’s footprints, a number of precious artifacts were found, among them Buddha images in meditation posture and others sitting under the seven-headed Naga.
Aunty Thanom Seema was instrumental in getting OTOP label for rice crackers her village produces. A pioneer in the field, more than a dozen households ply the trade today, which helps supplement the meagre income of villagers and support their families. Crisp and delicious, the crackers are much sought after both inside and outside the province.
A few kilometres from Hub Moey village is Hindad Waterfall, an ideal place to chill out. Crabs such as one in the photo (inset) are common here. In the past this area was home to animals, especially wild boar whose snout resembled a rat’s. In local speak the boar is called ‘Moey’, while ‘hub’ means valley, which is how the village got its name.
*Bron: Bangkok Post / www.bangkokpost.com *