We spent two nights in the town of Nang Rong, which in itself does not have many tourist attractions.
However, there are some interesting sights in the suburbs. We hired a motorbike in the town of Nang Rong and went for a day tour.
Here is an introduction to a one-day motorcycle tour from Nang Rong.
Bike rental in Nang Rong
Nang Rong is a town in the Northeast region of Thailand, part of Buriram Province.
Although the town itself does not have any special tourist attractions, there are some interesting sights in the vicinity, which is why we stayed here for two nights.
The attractions in and around Nang Rong are not easily accessed using public transport.
We decided to hire a motorcycle from P.California Inter Hostel, the guesthouse we stayed at.
The motorcycle was not the latest, but it was a Yamaha. The rental fee was 250 baht per day, plus a deposit of 1,000 baht.
When I told them that we wanted to visit the sights in the area by motorbike, they gave us a map of the area and explained it to us in detail.
Phnom Rung Historical Park
Phnom Rung Historical Park is located 25 km from the centre of Nang Rong. It is located at the top of an extinct volcano and ‘Phnom Rung’ means ‘big’. It is a Hindu monument and one of the most important Khmer sites in Thailand.
It is located on the line connecting the recently visited Phimai ruins and Angkor Wat in Cambodia. Like the Phimai ruins, it is said to have been built between the 10th and 13th centuries.
Just after the gate, go up the stairs and Phlab Phla can be seen on the right hand side. This is believed to be the place where kings and nobles prepared themselves before performing religious ceremonies.
The approach to the temple is made of laterite, and the first Naga crossing bridge is located behind it. The snake god Naga originates from Indian mythology, and here it is decorated with a five-headed Naga. This section is thought to have been built in the Angkor Wat style in the 12th century.
Past this, a staircase composed of five sets of stairs appears. At the top of the staircase is a small pond and laterite terrace. Beyond this is a second Naga crossing bridge, but on a smaller scale than the first.
In front of the central shrine are the outer and inner cloisters. The outer cloister is thought to have been a wooden structure with a tiled roof, of which only laterite blocks remain today. The inner corridor consists of a series of long, narrow chambers with arched entrances on all sides.
The Naga crossing bridge appears again in the corridor section up to the central shrine. The central shrine is built of red sandstone. The most important Buddhist monuments were placed in the main shrine. The pagoda is carved with motifs of dancing Shiva, Hindu deities and religious ceremonies.
Admission fee was 100 baht, but if you buy the combination ticket with Prasat Muang Tam, it will be 150 baht. Parking was 20 baht.
Prasat Muang Tam
This is a sightseeing spot that should be visited in conjunction with the Phanom Rung Historical Park, which is about 8 km away.
The Muang Tam site is also a Hindu religious monument. It is believed to have been built for the purpose of performing religious ceremonies for the surrounding community, and it is known that a community existed around the site at the time.
‘Panomrung’ means ‘big mountain’, whereas ‘Tam’ means ‘lowland’.
The Muang Tham site is believed to have been abandoned from 700 to 100 years ago.
The outer walls and archways are made of laterite blocks. Once inside the outer wall, L-shaped ponds are set up on all sides. Each pond is decorated with a five-headed Naga.
There is a cloister inside the ponds, inside which four towers now remain. The centre of the four towers is believed to have been the largest main tower, although it has now collapsed and no trace of it can be seen. Only the slanted foundations remain today. The roof of each tower is said to have had five layers, but now only three remain.
There is a visitor centre by the parking space. The guy was very helpful and explained a lot about the sites in this area.
Wat Khao Phra Angkhan
This Buddhist temple is located about 20 km from the centre of Nang Loan town.
It is built on an extinct volcano and volcanic rock can be seen in its foundations and the materials used. It contains buildings constructed in different eras.
It is also about 20 km from Phanom Rung Historical Park, so we visited it as well.
After visiting these three places, the one-day motorbike tour was completed. On the way, we had breakfast and lunch, which was just the right amount of time.
Accommodation in Nang Rong
In Nang Rong, we stayed at the P.California Inter Hostel. It is reasonably priced and the rooms are very clean. Motorcycle hire was available, which was very convenient. There is a 7-Eleven nearby. More details and images can be found on Google Maps
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