Northern Thailand - Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Northern Thailand - page 861

Phanom Rung & Around

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The ruins at Phanom Rung Historical Park constitute Thailand's largest and best- restored
Khmer monuments. The rice- growing regions surrounding the park are peppered with
dozens of minor Khmer ruins, although many are little more than jumbled piles of laterite
block.

Sights

A 150B combo ticket allows entry to Phanom Rung and Muang Tam at a 50B discount.

Phanom Rung Historical Park
( 0 4466 6251; admission 100B, combined ticket with Prasat Muang Tam 150B; 6am-6pm) Crown-
ing the summit of a spent volcano, this sanctuary, originally erected as a Hindu monument
to Shiva between the 10th and 13th centuries, sits a good 70 storeys above the paddy
fields below.

KHMER RUIN

Prasat Muang Tam
(admission 100B; 6am-6pm) In the little village of Khok Meuang, this restored Khmer
temple is an ideal bolt-on to any visit to Pha-nom Rung, which is only 8km to the northw-
est. The whole complex (another shrine to Shiva) is surrounded by laterite walls, within
which are four lotus-filled reservoirs, each guarded by whimsical five-headed naga .

KHMER RUIN

Sleeping
Phanom Rung can be undertaken as a day trip from Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) or Sur-
in. But the closest place to lay your head is the town of Nang Rong, which also has
vehicle and guide hire. Nang Rong is in Buriram Province and is accessible by bus from
Khorat and Surin.
The village of Khok Muang, near Prasat Muang Tam, runs a homestay ( 08 9070 8889;
per person with 3 meals 500B) program. Another overnight option is Tanyaporn Guesthouse (
08 7431 3741; r 350-500B; ) , southwest of the ruins.

P California Inter Hostel

GUESTHOUSE $