Saphan Mon, Sangkhlaburi

Sangkhlaburi sits at the top of a large reservoir in far western Kanchanaburi province, and the two halves of the settlement are joined by a handbuilt wooden bridge that curves several hundred metres across the water. It carries no vehicles, only people and the occasional motorbike, and the planks flex underfoot. On the far bank is Wangka, a Mon village with its own temple, market and rhythm. The bridge is busiest at dawn, when villagers cross to offer rice to monks walking the boards, and again at dusk. When the reservoir drops in the dry months, the walls and stupa of a temple flooded when the dam was built rise out of the shallows nearby.

Highlights

• The wooden crossing - several hundred metres of planking on timber piers.
• The dawn alms round - monks walking the bridge as villagers kneel with rice.
• Wangka village - the Mon settlement, market and temple on the far bank.
• The sunken temple - masonry emerging from the reservoir when water is low.

When to go

November to February is cool and dry, and the low water then exposes the flooded temple. The alms round happens around six in the morning and is the reason most people stay overnight. The rainy months bring the reservoir up, cover the ruins and make the mountain road slow and slippery. Mist on the water is common at dawn.

Good to know

The drive from Kanchanaburi is long, winding and tiring, and public transport is slow. The bridge has been damaged by floods and repaired more than once, so sections may be closed. The dawn alms round now draws cameras, and standing over kneeling villagers to photograph them is intrusive. Accommodation in town is basic and food options limited.

Nearby

The Wat Wang Wiwekaram temple compound and the reservoir viewpoints around town.