Monkey Buffet Festival — the Monkey Banquet

The monkey banquet is located in the heart of the old town of Lopburi, one of the oldest cities in Thailand, inhabited for at least 3,000 years. Three places, all within walking distance of the Phra Prang Sam Yot temple, extend the visit.

Phra Narai Ratchaniwet, the palace of King Narai

Built in 1666, under the reign of King Narai the Great, this palace made Loppuri the second capital of Ayutthaya's kingdom: the king lived there for a large part of the year and received foreign embassies, including that of France of Louis XIV. Restored in the 19th century by King Mongkut, the ensemble — external, medium and inner courtyard, doors and courtrooms — is now visiting as an open-air museum.

In the palace, the Somdet Phra Narai National Museum presents the treasures of the region: Khmer and Ayutthaya sculptures, objects of the daily court and archaeological pieces of Lopburi. Less than one kilometre from the monkey temple, this is the indispensable historical complement of the festival.

San Phra Kan, the sanctuary of monkeys

Just across the railway tracks, opposite the Phra Prang Sam Yot, the San Phra Kan shrine is the other historic home of the Lopburi macaques: the festival banquets also spread out, and the monkeys live there all year round around the small Khmer shrine and its surroundings. It is the best place to observe, outside the festival, the unique cohabitation between the city and its monkeys.

Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, the temple facing the station

When you leave the station of Lopburi, you will find one of the oldest temples in the city: the Wat Phra Si Rattana Mahathat, recognizable by its great Khmer style, among the highest of its kind. Founded in Khmer times and then remodeled under Ayutthaya, it opens the heritage walk of the old town, which connects the temple, sanctuary, palace and other ruins in a short loop on foot.

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