Wat Manik

I imagine Manik temple and the surrounding Manik area of Phuket is not on most visitors "must see" lists, but if you are passing this area near Cherng Talay, on the road between the Heroine's Monument and Surin Beach, you can find a very nice local temple and a very green and as yet relatively undeveloped area of Phuket. We took a drive around this area a few weeks ago - it's a habit of ours to follow back roads, plus I had read about a waterfall in the Manik area, so we tried to find it...

We followed one dirt side road for several miles up into the hills. The road became narrow and twisty and steep. And we don't have a 4x4. The hillside was covered in rubber plantations and in the valley below was a small waterfall, though I guess not the one I had read about. The road suddenly ended and I had to make something like a 15 point turn to point the car back downhill!

Oh well, no waterfall, but the surrounding scenery is lovely in this part of Phuket.





Being a fan of temples, I wanted to stop at Manik Temple (Wat Manik) for a quick look. Another well cared for and peaceful local temple. You can't find much information about it, though apparently several dogs that live at the temple are looked after by a local dog-lovers club. Can't say I actually saw any dogs, but I did like the temple. Just down the road a few km is Cherng Talay temple, and also along the same road is Bang Tao Mosque - the largest mosque in Phuket. So, if you like religious architecture, this is a road worth exploring... We'll have to try another time to find the waterfall, though.



 




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