Wat Yai Prik

Wat Yai Prik Review

Wat Yai Prik, just west of town, can be seen as you near the island by boat—it's on the top of a hill and has eight 40-foot reservoirs, as well as many smaller ones. Much of the land around the wat is covered in concrete so the rain runoff can be more easily collected. It seems that everywhere you turn you see pipes linking roof collection funnels to the concrete reservoirs. The wat often donates drinking water to villagers when they need it. But Yai Prik is as dedicated to the spiritual as it is to the practical. Meditation courses are available; signs throughout the grounds explain Buddhist principles. It's worth a look for folks interested in the many conservation practices the residents (22 monks, one novice, and 22 nuns) employ, as well as to see a wat where simplicity rules—though donations are accepted, they don't collect wealth to build ornate temples.