Phuket's beautiful Big Buddha

So many colourful tuk tuks on the streets, a traditional three wheel motorcycle, but modified into 4 wheels for safety. A bright pink tuk tuk pulled up so we hopped in, bounced around and listened to typical Malaysian style music coming from its speakers. 

A tuk tuk has been the symbol of Asia for more than 50 years, so were wonderful to see and travel in, even including being bounced up and down all the way! The driver was as friendly as can be and had a little smile and chuckle every time we went over a bump, which made us laugh. He was as amused as us with all the bumps and laughed all the way and sung to the music coming from the speakers!   

The beauty of Phuket and its attractions are most certainly some of the marvellous wonders which the world offers, and having the opportunity to visit Phuket, made our Christmas holiday extraordinary and different from the usual one with Christmas dinners and snow.

In this bright pink tuk tuk we slowly ascended up a hill of sorts, going up winding roads along the way. As the altitude rose, we could feel our ears going ... I don’t know where to, but they soon popped, thankfully!  

There it was ... the head could be seen in the distance. Going round bends in the tuk tuk, we saw parts of the statue through the island’s greenery, and then as we moved on it disappeared for the moment. 

Whilst inclining up the steep slope, the statue eventually drew nearer to us and the feeling of arriving at this remarkable piece of architecture was unbelievable.      

Dropping us off at the entrance car park, we thanked the lovely driver whose taste in music was extraordinary. Off he went down the slope, and off we went into the grounds of the Big Buddha. 

There the 40-metre tall statue stood ... how marvellous it was indeed. I couldn’t believe my eyes at the beauty of such a statue, the beauty of the hard work put into constructing it. As the sun shone down on us, the sun’s rays bounced off the Big Buddha, and it seemed to sparkle with its beautiful white Burmese marble, showing the thousands of tourists and locals the detail of such a sensational landmark which sits at the top of the Nakkerd Hills between Chalong and Kata at 45 metres high.

Not only was the Big Buddha stunning to see, but it also offered breathtaking views over Phuket’s east coast, Chalong Bay, and south and southwest Phuket.

How lucky we were to arrive just as the Buddhist monks were in prayer and chanting, how fascinating it was to hear, see and be a part of. The prayers drew us into the atmosphere and made us feel very welcome and at peace. 

The monks were calming to see when in deep prayer, clothed in their robes of white and orange. Listening to them was peacefully relaxing, and the sound of little jingling bells and the gentle fluttering of the yellow Buddhist flags could be heard.  

We then went on to see some of the beautiful Buddhist monasteries and temples, which was yet another of the gorgeous highlights of our holiday.