Chalong Temple in Phuket

There are 29 temples (known as Wats) on the island of Phuket, although it is said that Chalong Temple is one of the most sacred. The temple has a few chapels and prayer rooms on the achingly beautiful grounds, and it is in the Grand Pagoda which holds Chalong Temple's defining features - a splinter of bone from the Lord Buddha himself.

The fragment of bone’s official name is Phramahathatchedi Jomthaibarameepragat, which is quite a mouthful. As you can imagine, the Grand Pagoda is one of the most visited parts of the temple and draws Buddhists from all over the world, just to catch a glimpse of it.

It really is a life-changing experience visiting Chalong Temple. The wonderfully decorated buildings, housing life-size wax models of monks such as Luang Poh Cham and Luang Poh Gleum. This exhibition is air-conditioned and it is a welcome breeze compared to the blistering heat outside. The cool air gives a feeling of eeriness but also intrigue into seeing these models of the great monks. It's the calmness and the comforting feeling you receive when you walk around the temple, chatting to monks and just browsing at the amazing architecture that really makes a visit so memorable.

Many Buddhists visit the temple to pray for their ailments or illnesses to go away. The calmness is interrupted when hundreds of firecrackers are set alight in large ovens which magnify the sound, when the devout Buddhist returns to the temple without the illness. It is a way of showing gratitude for their prayers being answered and for the neutral visitor it is a fantastic display. This practice of using firecrackers is unique to Phuket temples and is rarely displayed throughout the rest of Thailand.