Starwell Bali – Phimai - 60 km
"Did you see the weather?" Tania asked, frowning, as we emerged to
bucketing rain. Mercifully, the weather soon cleared, making it a short
and pleasurable ride to Phimai to explore Prasat Hin Phimai, one of
Thailand's biggest and most important religious sanctuaries. Our
abode of choice was the Phimai Paradise House, a lovely hostel
revealing wooden floors and high ceilings.
Once settled, the ruins beckoned us to explore, and our efforts were
richly rewarded. Dating back to the 11th–12th century, this town
must've been a significant hub in its day. Inscriptions discovered on
one of the doors revealed that the city has existed since the ancient
Khmer Empire. The most intriguing part was that these temples were
constructed a century earlier than Cambodia's strikingly similar
Angkor Wat. The town of Phimai stands as one of the furthermost
western outposts of the Khmer Empire's holy highway. I found all this
incredibly fascinating and was thrilled that we had made the detour.
After inspecting the ruins, we biked to Sai Ngam, a 350-year-old
Banyan tree. Returning, we stopped at the night market and found a
wide variety of food, including surprisingly delicious ant salad.