Sai Ngam

Sai Ngam, the beautiful banyan, is a single Ficus benjamina that has grown by dropping aerial roots which thicken into trunks, so what looks like a grove of separate trees is one organism spread across something in the order of a hectare, on an island beside the Mun river reservoir near Phimai. Estimates put its age at around 350 years. Boardwalks and paths run underneath through the maze of prop roots, and the canopy is dense enough that the ground beneath stays shaded and cool even at midday, which is not something you can say about much of Isan. There are food stalls and a shrine at the site; banyans carry spiritual associations in Thailand and offerings are left at the base. It is free, takes an hour, and sits close enough to the Phimai Khmer temple to be an obvious pairing. Mosquitoes are present in the shade.

What you actually see

• The single tree - one banyan spread across about a hectare on prop roots.
• The root maze - aerial roots thickened into trunks, walked between.
• The shade - dense canopy keeping the ground cool at midday.
• The shrine - offerings at the base, as at banyans across Thailand.

When to go

November to February for comfortable weather, though the shade makes this one of the few Isan sites bearable at midday. An hour covers it; pair it with Phimai.

Honest expectations

It is one tree and a boardwalk - an hour at most. Mosquitoes in the shade. Food stalls and a small commercial fringe at the entrance. Free, with no facilities to speak of.

Nearby

Phimai historical park is two kilometres west; Nakhon Ratchasima is south.