Description
Wat Pa Phu Mai Ruak (วัดป่าภูไม้รวก) is a small hilltop temple located about 500 meters from the Phu Mai Ruak Reservoir. The entrance to the temple isn't easy to find. If you look on Google Maps, you don't travel down the main road that leads to the reservoir, but a small road 200 meters north of it which looks like it stops far short of the reservoir.
This small road (ถนนสายห้วยยาง - ภูไม้รวก) doesn't actually stop, but will lead to the entrance to Wat Pa Phu Mai Ruak and eventually reach the reservoir. You can turn into the entrance and travel up a tiny road to reach the this small Buddhist temple on the hill. It doesn't look like you can make it to the top by car, but you actually can. Or you can drive up by motorbike or walk.
The name of Wat Pa Phu Mai Ruak translates to The Forest Temple of Bamboo Mountain. The word "phu" means mountain and "mai ruak" is a kind of bamboo. Mai ruak is a budget friendly wood that Thai will use to making fences, trellises, thatched roof frames, and other structures. The baby mai ruak shoots are also eaten. It grows wild in this area, thus the name of the mountain.
The temple only has one small pavilion for worshipers to gather, and a small pagoda with two replicas of the Emerald Buddha in front of a larger white Buddha. It is a very tranquil temple, providing visitors with a lovely place to meditate.
