The Sunday Market at Wat Temple in Tampa

Whether you live in the Tampa area or are just visiting, you NEED to stop by the Sunday Market at Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida. Beautiful and unique surroundings? Yep! Friendly people? Indeed! A delicious selection of incredible (and economical) Thai food? Absolutely! Blooming orchids seemingly everywhere? Totally!

Some Background Info About Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida

Wat Tampa was established in 1981 to spread Buddha’s teachings, house Monks, and act as a pillar to the Thai Community. The Temple itself was built in 2007 by Thai and American Buddhists, and wow is it gorgeous!

Before I dive in any further, I want to share that I experimented a little with the photos I took for this post. Instead of using one of my Canons, I used my new iPhone XS Max to see how I like taking day-to-day photos with it and see what the images would end up looking like. So, all the photos in this post are from my iPhone. I’ll get into my review about the experience and outcome later in this article.

Now, let’s get back to talking about the incredible Sunday Market at Wat Tampa.

We arrived at the market around 11:30 a.m. EST and were delighted to discover that while it was crowded, there was still plenty of food to pick from and shaded seats to sit in while enjoying lunch.

I loved watching people of all ages and backgrounds peruse the food stations and pick up delicious treats to enjoy with loved ones. It filled me with so much gratitude that this Thai and Buddhist Community opens its arms to us and shares this special place with so many people.

It was really difficult to pick what I wanted to eat (everything looked SO good) — I  ended up going with papaya salad (one of my favorite things to eat in the entire world), mango and sticky rice (one of my favorite desserts), and a semi-sweet pumpkin and coconut dessert. Kendal also got a beef skewer, but I forgot to photograph it.

The property itself is along the Palm River, so the views are gorgeous. We sat in the shade and soaked in views of the gorgeous river while we filled our bellies with some of our favorite Thai food – it was kind of perfect.

At the Sunday Market, they also sell countless stunning orchids and other plants, which is super awesome.

So, Can You Actually Enter the Temple?

Yes! But, you need to be respectful and keep in mind that religious services are conducted every Sunday from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. EST. Additionally, you’ll need to take off your shoes and leave them at the bottom steps of the Temple. Do not pose with the Buddha images or take photos with them – treat them with respect. Also, people wearing shorts, low-cut dresses, or short skirts/dresses are discouraged from entering the Temple. It’s also inappropriate to point your toes/feet at Buddha images or Monks. To learn more about Temple etiquette, please visit Wat’s website that welcomes you to their beautiful property and helps you learn about what proper behavior includes.

What to Know Before You Go:

+ There’s ample parking so no need to worry about that and parking is free.

+ Bring cash with you, as most (if not all) vendors can only accept cash as a form of payment or donation.

+ It’s important you are gracious and respectful to the people and the property. As mentioned above, please visit Wat’s website to learn more about this topic.

+ There are shaded benches along the river, so even on the hottest of summer days, you can enjoy the Sunday Market!

+ Public facilities like large, clean bathrooms are available.

+ And no, not all the food there is spicy, haha! Trust me, there’s plenty of tasty options for those who don’t or can’t eat anything that packs too much heat.

Did I like Using my iPhone XS Max to Photograph this Experience?

Okay, so now that I’ve wrapped up my love note to Wat, I’ll briefly review my experience and results with documenting this day with my new iPhone XS Max. I can’t argue that it was super convenient to just whip out my phone and use its great camera at a moment’s notice. This is a bit of a luxury when you’re accustomed to carrying around heavy photography gear. Additionally, the large screen made the photos easy to review. No real difference there, as I can easily do the same thing on my Canon cameras, but my new iPhone’s screen is a big step up from the much smaller screen on my last iPhone. So, that’s a pro. While I’d still rather shoot with one of my Canons (of course), I’m really excited to be able to take wayyyyy better on-the-go photos now with my new phone. This means better photos and videos for my Instagram Stories and iPhone-only albums on my personal Facebook page. It’ll just be a heck of a lot easier to document my day-to-day life now! I’ll also be able to take advantage of my new iPhone when documenting foodie experiences (like I did at Wat Tampa!). I typically hate to make a scene by pulling out my large cameras to photograph food on the fly, so now I can take much higher-quality photos when documenting my experiences at restaurants, cafés, bakeries, and markets by simply whipping out my phone. Yay!

Get in Touch

Want to learn more about my experience visiting Wat Tampa? Comment below or email me at emilykeenphotography@gmail.com.