I like big Buddhas and I cannot lie: wats near Kota Bahru

About 30 minutes north of Kota Bahru by local bus, a couple of attractive wats make a good half-day trip out of town.

The best known of these is Wat Machimmaran, better known as Big Sitting Buddha. The temple was pretty deserted when I visited, but you can take your shoes off and climb up to the terrace at the base of the Buddha. I had a bit of an explore around the grounds, but didn't see much of interest away from the main temple area, and the handful of dogs watching me were a wee bit disconcerting, so I didn't spend a lot of time wandering in the complex.

Across the street is Wat Prachumthat Chanaram, which was busier with a service in progress when I arrived. This is an attractive and relaxing complex, with a wide range of statuary (and, for some reason, Hello Kitty on their gardener's carts).

A third wat, Wat Phikulyai, is just up the road, but the gates were locked when I visited.

To get there, take bus 27 from the central bus station (just off Jl Tok Hakim, 2 streets south of the main market) and tell the driver you want the sitting Buddha. You'll see it from the road, when you get there.