As a Buddhist country, Cambodia is a splendid place to explore temples. Besides the world-famous Ankor Wat, the southern coast features the charming Wat Krom Temple near the port city, Sihanoukville. As an Acupuncturist-at-Sea, I stopped at Sihanoukville and did a daytrip to the colorful Wat Krom and Otres Beach. So, read on to learn about Sihanoukville’s Wat Krom highlights and how to make the most of your day there.
Cambodia’s Wat Krom Temple
Just 3 km from the port city, Sihanoukville, Wat Krom Temple is one of the most popular tourist attractions. Even more, it remains an important temple for Buddhist monks and the community. “Wat” means temple and “Krom” means lower, because it’s at the bottom of a hill. In comparison, Wat Leu means upper temple on top of a hill, also located in Sihanoukville. Wat Krom is dedicated to the local deity, Ya-Mao and offers amazing views of Sihanoukville and the ocean. Overall, this temple is a testament of Khmer architecture and Cambodian culture with colorful sculptures and lush forests throughout the complex.
My Day of Sihanoukville’s Wat Krom Highlights
A group of friends and I grabbed a tuk tuk to Wat Krom and beach. I really enjoyed the temple and interacting with the monks and locals. Overall, this temple is nice in that it is not so crowded like many famous temples and the panoramic view of the city and ocean is spectacular. Firstly, I observed the large and gorgeous gold, reclining Buddha as a fun photo op.
The beautiful temples and building are spread throughout a tropical forest with monkeys and colorful sculptures of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. I discovered a humorous fountain with sculptured standing nude boys looking to be urinating (the water into the fountain). My picture above describes this better than I do.
There is also a large sitting sculptured Buddha seated atop a flight of stairs in a forest, with a panoramic view through the trees. I observed many Buddhist monks in their orange robes serenely walking around, including one feeding the resident kitties.
Etres Beach and Massage
Then our tuk tuk brought us to nearby Etres Beach with its white sandy beaches along the Gulf of Thailand. I enjoyed a walk along the shore and discovered beach massages, that I indulged in for more relaxation . This was the perfect ending to a most interesting day. And the massage was just $10 amidst the sea breeze under the palm tree shade. Cambodia beaches are beautiful, but some are quite littered, as a reminder that this is a third world country.
Overall…
Wat Krom may not be world famous like the northern Cambodian temple Ankor Wat, but it is well worth a visit. Especially in southern Cambodia, a day exploring the temples and beaches can be an enlightening day rich in culture and nature.
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