Wat Pa Adulyaram

If you've done the gold-and-mirror-tile circuit and want something quieter, this is the other side of Thai Buddhism. It's a forest tradition wat, which means a stricter, more meditative branch of Theravada practice, and the place looks the part, with plain buildings, trees, shade, very little laid on for visitors. The address is Khon Kaen city, so you're not trekking out to the hills for it, but the tree cover does a lot of work in muffling the traffic.

My advice is to treat it as a walk rather than a sight. There's no ticket booth, no ornamental centrepiece to photograph and tick off. You wander slowly, you keep your voice down, and if monks are going about their day you give them room. People who find grand temples a bit much tend to prefer places like this. People who want spectacle will be through it in ten minutes and wonder what the fuss was.