Buddha Mountain

Hi everyone,

It%26#39;s time for another one of my questions. I was wondering what Buddha Mountain was like, I don%26#39;t see many comments about visiting the Big Buddha. How far is the construction at the moment? More importantly, what is the road like, and will we be able to go up on our scooter?

Thanks,

Michelle

Buddha Mountain

Easy going up there on a scooter now...in fact it%26#39;s a boring ride up. Used to be exciting when it was just a rough track.

Buddha Mountain

Hi Michelle,

we found it very interesting and thought it was well worth a visit. Amazing watching them taking cement up the scaffolding in buckets all by hand.

It is supposed to be finished next year but not sure exactly when. We were there in June and it looked like they still had a way to go. Just make sure you drive up to the top carpark otherwise it is a big hike uphill.

cheers

karin

Agree with Rex, but wouldn%26#39;t say the drive up was boring. : )

The road used to be quite rough and a problem in wet weather, but has been upgraded now.

When I last saw the Big Buddha, he was about 90% finished. They were putting his first hair knots on, so there%26#39;d be a lot more progress now. I have some information about the Big Buddha here;

members.virtualtourist.com/m/9045f/160bcd/4/�?/a>

It is well worth visiting, but make it on a clear day to get the best of the beautiful views.

Luang Pee Den is the monk that conducts the blessing ceremonies in the hall, as he is the only one that speaks any english.

Oops, I forgot to say you need to scroll down to near the bottom of the page.

AND, even if Mingmongkhol is not complete, he is absolutely impressive anyway.

Agree with Athena - a must-see as it%26#39;s just so fascinating to watch the medieval-style building process with the builders in hats and using rickety scaffolding that looks like little more than sticks. It%26#39;s getting there now and you can see inside the Buddha, which will be a museum. Sign a brick and make a donation - and, yes, if you can see Phree Den do. He%26#39;s a lovely man and I had a very interesting conversation with him about meditation (with Mr Mor as an interpreter). They blessed us and gave us string bracelets, which I%26#39;m still proudly wearing in autumnal London. The views are amazing - you%26#39;re so high up there that it%26#39;s possible to see most of southern Phuket. A tranquil spot too.

Hi Tina,

I contacted you last year at the end of my stay in Phuket about going up here (but I didn%26#39;t make it). Is Luang Pee Den the monk I should see about getting an amulet and a blessing. I am just about to graduate as a school teacher so will need all the blessings I can get!! Hahaha. Cant wait to get back.

Luang Pee Den doesn%26#39;t speak much english and will only give you a string bracelet with a brief blessing. He will give you an amulet if you make a donation for the blessing.

If you%26#39;d like a proper blessing, you should visit with my friend Luang Pee Udom. He is now based at the temple in Bang Tao. He speaks great english and is a fantastic guy. He has helped me with a problem in the past - and it worked straight away. He will probably give you an amulet as well, you could ask him for one of the Luang Poo Cham or Luang Poo Tuad. The Luang Poo Cham amulets actually have a snippet of string inside that was used by the great Luang Poo Cham to pray to the spirit. He was the most famous monk ever from Phuket. He was from Wat Chalong and was appointed head abbot by King Rama 5th for leading the rebellion against the Chinese invasion for tin mining. Luang Poo Tuad was also a very famous monk, he hailed from the south. He is most usually given to females.

Is there a bus you can catch, or what would the cost be by tuk tuk from patong? Really interested in seeing it too

Cheers Tink

Tina,

Thanks for your valuable information. I will see if I can contact Luang Pee Udom when I get there.

Regards,

Pete