Things to Do in Lopburi

From the first sights, there is not much to do in Lopburi other than take pics of the old monkey infected ruins and that is in fact the reason the majority of the tourists flock here. But if you venture out of town, you’ll have a chance to experience the quiet charm of a central Thailand province – but the best way to do it is on your own wheels.

Peacock Temple and Sub Lek Reservoir

If you’re staying in Lopburi for a few days and you’re searching for an alternative to temples and monkeys, this is a good destination to spend a nice afternoon away from town.

The Peacock Temple is located 20 minutes away from town (15 km to the east) and it’s a rare opportunity to get closer to these beautiful creatures that are living peacefully within the temple grounds. The temple itself is not particularly appealing, but if you feel like climbing the 500 steps to the top of the hill where there is a big Buddha statue, the stunning views from above will reward you for the sweaty effort.

Keep going east for 5 more km you will get to the Sub Lek Reservoir (you can actually see the big lake from the top of the hill at the Peacock Temple), where several floating restaurants and a number of different water activities will be waiting for you. Jet sky, inflatable toys, tubing or just enjoying a small sandy beach are all options available.

If you have time, stay till evening, rent a boat and enjoy the sunset from water. This natural reserve has a history as a popular destination dating back to King Narai’s kingdom. The place has a great reputation for its outstanding beauty among the Thai visitors and it can be very busy during weekends and national holidays. Choose any other day to get the most of it.

As mentioned above, we would recommend you to rent a motorbike for this tour. The road is easy to ride and the bike will give you more freedom to stop for pictures wherever you want and to explore the beautiful countryside. From Lopburi head east following Route 3017. As an alternative you can hire a taxi for a half or a full day.

Sunflower Fields

If you happen to be in Lopburi in the right season (from November till January), the beauty of vast sunflower fields in full bloom is something hard to forget. You’ll see sunflowers here and there all way coming from Bangkok, but if you want a perfectly instagramable pic, venture out of town in Lopburi. Just few km east of Lopburi, along the same road leading to Sub Lek Reservoir, you’ll come across several sunflower fields. If you need a bigger scale fields, keep traveling to the Phatthana Nikhom District. There you can also find a Bee farm (Soi 24 Sai Tri, Mo 9 Phatthana Nikhom District) where the staff will share with you tons of information about bee farming and offer all bee and honey related natural products (honey, royal jelly, bee pollen, bee wax).

Wat Cherng Tha Floating Market

This is a small but interesting floating market that you can visit in town. Even if it’s still a tourist oriented attraction, it is less commercial and busy compared to the ones in Bangkok. The boats on the river sell simple and tasty food, and it’s a good chance to buy some traditional souvenirs to take back home.

Kachornvit Mushroom Farm

Open in 1981, this farm has spent over 30 years developing method of organic mushroom growing. Tourists can take tours and get a lot of explanations about the growing process and of course you can taste a large variety of mushroom products and eventually buy them.

It is possible to stay overnight, but reservation is mandatory. The farm is located near the Sub Lek Reservoir and can be visited every day from 8am to 5pm.