When planning a trip to Tampa, you might think of Busch Gardens, Ybor City, The Florida Aquarium, and the Lowry Park Zoo, plus the huge variety of excellent restaurants in the area. These are all great choices, but there’s an often-overlooked experience that could end up being one of your favorites.

Wat Mongkolratanaram of Florida, or Wat Tampa, is a beautiful Thai Buddhist temple located on River Place.
Flickr/Varjohaltia
The temple sits on a lovely property on the Palm River, and the stunning structure will transport you to another world.
Yelp/Michelle B.
Outside, orchids hang from the limbs of majestic old live oaks, making this an equally peaceful and magical place.
Yelp/Rachel W.
On Sundays, the temple hosts a bustling market, where long lines form for a taste of the authentic Thai cuisine prepared by temple volunteers.
Flickr/jennconspiracy
Yelp/Mark H.
Yelp/Judy Z.
Visitors can then sit down at picnic tables right on the water to enjoy their meals.
Flickr/jennconspiracy
The market began almost 30 years ago with only a couple of tables and has blossomed into a large market with dozens of different vendors and hundreds of visitors.
Yelp/Stacy Z.
In addition to delicious and reasonably priced Thai food, visitors can peruse tables of fresh vegetables and herbs and a large selection of orchids.
Yelp/Anna P.
The market lasts from around 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m, but the best time to visit is between 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m., so you don't miss out on anything.
Yelp/Rachel M.

Wat Mongkolratanaram is located at 5306 Palm River Rd, Tampa, FL 33619.

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