On a recent visit to Ayutthaya I called in at the intriguing Wat Niwet Thammaprawat.

Built during the reign of Thailand’s King Chulalongkorn Rama V (1853 – 1910), Wat Niwet Thammaprawat is one of the country’s most surprising temples. From the outside, the building looks like a Gothic Christian church and there are few clues revealing that it is actually a Thai Buddhist temple.

Inside, the ornate décor continues the Christian style but with Buddhist imagery. The colourful stained glass windows include an image of King Chulalongkorn in royal attire.

For visitors who enter the beautiful temple it is a strange experience that plays with preconceived notions of religious imagery and its context.

The way of reaching the temple is equally unique. It is located on an island in the Chao Phraya River which is spanned by a small trolley-like cable car. Ring a bell and monks will bring you across. A visit to Wat Niwet Thammaprawat can also be tied in with a trip to Bang Pa-In Palace which lies on the opposite bank.

Just time for a couple of quick posts before I head off to Cambodia. I’ll be in Phnom Penh for a few days photographing for sample page spreads for a new book on the country – a more comphrensive tome than the last one, Enchanting Cambodia. It’s almost a year since I was there and I’m looking forward to the trip. Phnom Penh is an energetic, fast changing city and will no doubt deliver a few surprises among the familiar.

The above shot was taken in a temple on Inle Lake in the Shan State, Myanmar. Once the sun became too bright to photograph on the lake I retreated into a temple where the light is often atmospheric.

I have just returned from  Yangon where I was taking a few snaps for a book I am working about Myanmar’s many tourist attractions. It was great to be back in the country which is one of the most beautiful and photogenic in the region.

Whenever is on my schedule, I always find time to make a trip to the Shwedagon Pagoda. The shot above was taken in a shop selling Buddha images on the street leading up to the temple’s east entrance.

Right now the country is in the middle of the rainy season. It’s a time when you can capture a very special atmosphere at the temple.

The temple has a truly magical ambience and it is easy to spend two or three hours there quietly observing and photographing. It is essential to pay at least a couple visits: one in the early morning and one in the late afternoon and evening. The quality of light and the gold of the pagodas is constantly changing and patience is always rewarded.

There are some particularly beautiful Buddha images surrounding the many small zedis at the temple.

Monks at the temple can be seen meditating or preaching to visitors. They also enjoy talking to foreigners and are curious to know what we think about the country. I had to smile when one said to me ‘in the past, when I was a human being, I was a tour guide.’

 See can see more images in the Portfolio section here.