Wat Phang Bua

This is a temple that belongs to its neighborhood rather than to visitors. It sits beside a school in north Chaweng, a big quiet complex of buildings and religious figures, and most days you'll have the grounds more or less to yourself. That's the appeal. If you've done Big Buddha and the busier temples and want twenty minutes of nothing but heat and silence, this is where I'd go.

People come away having been blessed with holy water by a monk, and there's talk of a sauna room and a sea view on the site. The surroundings feel unmanicured, which I like. What you won't get is a visitor center, a ticket desk or anyone to explain what you're looking at. One traveler turned up around 5pm in heavy rain and found the place empty, so go in the morning if you want any chance of someone being about. Street dogs patrol the grounds and bark more than they bite.