The 3 or 4 trips I have had to Pattaya, I have gone out on at least one trip. These have been difficult as waking up at noon is early for me while on holiday. But, I have made it a point to see at least one point of interest and have had a good time everywhere I have gone.
The first time I did this, I visited the Sanctuary of Truth. I had never heard of this place and couldn't recall ever seeing it mentioned at all on the Internet-- that has changed-- but at the time there was no web page and it wasn't listed anywhere on the "things to do in Pattaya" sites.
I decided to go to the Sanctuary of Truth after looking through a binder of brochures at a sidewalk tour vendor. Total cost was to be 1000 Baht for me and another 1000 Baht for the young lady with me. This worked out to about 25 dollars apiece.
So, what did we get for our $25? We were picked up at the guesthouse and hopped in the van and headed out. After about 20 minutes we had arrived at the most amazing temple I had ever seen. Completely hand-carved out of different types of wood right along the Gulf of Siam. Describing it here would not come close to doing it justice-- so I will just have to tell you-- if you are in Pattaya-- go to the Sanctuary of Truth.
After a guided tour of the temple, we hopped on horses and were guided around the grounds at a slow trot. I hadn't been on a horse since I was a teen, and it was a fun way to spend an hour.
Then it was time for our included lunch. We were given a burger, fries and a drink and the food was very good. Even the Thai girl I was with liked it.
After, lunch it was time to see the dolphin show. It was very professional and entertaining. The dolphin show reminded me of shows I had seen before in Florida and Hawaii.
We still had some time left, so we wandered back to the temple and walked around again on our own. It is one of those places that just makes you stand and stare in awe at the beauty and grace of the carvings.
At about 4 PM it was time to head back to the room and we got back in our van for the short ride home. So, for 25 dollars you get a guided tour of a beautiful temple, horseback ride, lunch, dolphin show and transportation. This tour is highly recommended and can be booked by any hotel or sidewalk travel vendor.
