Muang Boran travel pictures

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A visit to Muang Boran, the ancient city

Muang Boran is translated as the ancient city and is located outside of Bangkok. It is the largest outdoor open-air museum in the world and is filled with a collection of replica's of all the famous monuments which currently exist or used to exist in Thailand. Many of them are a scaled down version of the original. There are too many buildings and structures to describe all of them, but the most recognizable ones are described below. It is not a single temple or palace that makes the park attractive, but everything taken together and placed in a calm environment where you can simply cycle from one place to the other.

Within the ancient city there are several buildings which have been inspired by Thai culture but do not exist in reality. The designers did do an amazing job as they are amazing structures. The best example of this is the pavilion of the enlightened which appears as a large temple in the water where the different parts are connected with bridges. It is decorated with green and yellow colors to make it stand out. A similar building is that of Sala of Ramayana but despite its similar concept the use of a different layout and colors make it completely different. A structure that is totally over the top is Sumeru mountain which is based on ancient Thai cosmology. It is a small island with a palace in the middle and surrounded by a large fish.

There are a number of replica's of temples that still exist today in the park. The most striking one is Phanom Rung as it has been built on top of a hill. It is one of the larger sights. The temple of Preah Vihear is another one which has been carefully replicated, but it lack the aging that some of the other buildings have been going through. One of the most beautiful of all is Phimai sanctuary. This has been partly overgrown and creates a similar impression as the temples of Angkor Wat. A final one to mention is the three stupa's which have been replicated from those in Lopburi. Unfortunately all the ones mentioned here have been scaled down from their original version which make them slightly tacky.

The two palaces of Sanphet Prasat and Dusi Maha are some of the best that the Muang Boran has to offer. They are beautiful palaces and located near a lake and thereby creating a picturesque view. Both are nice to walk around and have some landscapes gardens around them. It is obvious that a lot of attention has been given to detail when designing and building these palaces. The final mention goes to the floating market which lays behind it. It is well reconstructed with the buildings and bridges on a real scale. Unfortunately what makes a market worth seeing are the people and the goods that are being traded, but these are missing.

Getting to Muang Boran from Bangkok by public transportation sounds complicated, but is in practice relatively straightforward. Take bus 511 from BTS Ekkamai or 115 from BTS Bearing station. These will take you to the bus station in Muang Boran. There you will need to switch to pick-up truck number 36 and ask the driver to drop you off at the entrance of the ancient city. There are also tours from Bangkok which besides the open-air museum usually include a visit to the nearby snake farm, but these might limit the time you spend here. The entry ticket includes a map of the ancient city and a bicycle which can be used for the whole day. The park is too big to explore on foot and the roads are well suited for cycling. It is worth doing a quick check if the bicycle in in a proper state as you don't want it to breakdown when in the back of the park. Despite making it a great day out, the park is not much visited and you will have most of it to yourself. It does give a good impression of the cultural history of Thailand and is a perfect getaway from Bangkok. The best time to visit is during dry season, but even during the wetter months there are many hours of sunshine although it is recommended to check the weather forecast ahead.

Muang Boran travel photo gallery

Stupa of Phra Maha That, Ratchaburi.	House built in water.	View of Sanphet Prasat palace near the lake.	The Thailand photo galleries that are available: Ang Thong national marine park, Ao Nang, Ayutthaya, Bangkok, Bang Pa-In, Chiang Mai, Damnoen Saduak floating market, Doi Inthanon National Park, Hong Island, Kanchanaburi, Khao Sok national park, Koh Phangan, Koh Samui, Koh Tao, Muang Boran, Phi Phi Islands, Raileh and Sukhothai.
Sanphet Prasat palace.	Statue of the great battle of Yuthahathi.	Chedi.
Pavilion of the Enlightened.	Pavilion of the Enlightened.	Pavilion of the Enlightened surrounded by water.
Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Kuan-Yin) performing a miracle.	Statue in a tree.	Sala of Ramayana.
Beautiful Thai temple.	Sumeru Mountain.	Statue of a man performing yoga.
Phra That Mondop.	White and brown brick temple.	Wat Chong Kham, Lampang.
Stupa in Muang Boran.	Scenery of Muang Boran.	Phanom Rung Sanctuary.
The Phanom Rung Sanctuary.	The Thai temple of the Phanom Rung Sanctuary.	Phanom Rung Sanctuary.
Ankor architecture of the Phanom Rung Sanctuary.	Phanom Rung Sanctuary on top of the hill.	Spire of Phra That Phanom, Nakhon Phanom rising above the trees.
Reclining Buddha in Muang Boran.	Prasat Phra Wihan (Preah Vihear).	Prasat Phra Wihan (Preah Vihear).
Prasat Sikhoraphum.	Dvaravati Wihan.	Ayuthaya temple ruin replica.
Garden of the sacred Stupa.	Phimai Sanctuary.	Phimai Sanctuary.
Angkor style temple.	Replica of the Phimai Sanctuary.	Thai temple Phimai Sanctuary.
Replica of the Phimai Sanctuary.	Phimai Sanctuary.	Temple complex of Phimai Sanctuary.
Jungle surroundings of the Phimai Sanctuary.	Phimai Sanctuary.	Typical thai Stupa.
Sanphet Prasat palace.	Stairs leading to a temple.	Prang Sam Yod, Lopburi.
Floating market.	Floating market.	Main Chedi of Wat Maha That, Sukhothai.
Replica of a temple as those seen in Sukhothai.	Phra Kaew pavilion.	Dusit Maha Prasat palace.
Sanphet Prasat palace.	Dusit Maha Prasat palace.	Khun Phaen house.
Entrance to the Sanphet Prasat palace.	Dusit Maha Prasat palace.	Sanphet Prasat palace in Muang Boran.