Kechara Forest Retreat - Bentong, Pahang

W T.

Tibet Kechara Forest Retreat in Chamang, Bentong

Tim T.

Kechara Forest Retreat has one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Bentong, Malaysia. Visiting hours is from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. It has lush gardens, ponds, prayer and meditation halls, as well as various Buddha statues for you to visit and take pictures.

You may start from the Wisdom Hall which is in the centre and beside the carpark. There is a large Shakyumi Buddha statue just outside. You will need to put remove your shoes or put them in the shoe racks to the left before you enter the main hall. The hall has a souvenir shop and main prayer hall. Inside you may obtain brochures, books or maps for free. The maps are available in both either English or Chinese. The staffs there are always very friendly and eager to explain things to you.

Outside beside the carpark you will see Vajrayogini Stupa and the Medicine Buddha healing fountain further on. Note that the blessed water at the tap is for drinking only.

Moving inner towards the left of the Wisdom Hall, you will approach the pet memorial hall and Tsem Rinpoche. Inside Tsem's hall, you will see the various Budhha Statues of the place's founders and their Sariras. Sariras refers to Buddhist Human Pearls, which are pearl or crystal-like bead-shaped objects that are found among the cremated ashes of Buddhist spiritual masters.

Going up the stairs further outside you will see a pond with the Relic Temple and Medicine Budhha prayer hall. To enter the hall you will need to go through the entrance of Relic Temple which is a place to put Ashes and not for general visits. Once you enter, let the staff at the counter know that you want to visit the Medicine Budhha prayer hall and you will be let to enter and remove your shoes before going to the right.

If you decide to visit in the afternoon, outdoors areas can get pretty hot so be well prepared. Overall, it is still a great getaway to experience a spiritual lifestyle and rediscover nature.

Jason Y. ?.

西藏寺庙非常特别。记得一定要在下午4点45分之前到达，没有的话，保安人员将不会给你进去。你要保持安静，脱鞋子。

Cedric C.

I stumbled upon this hidden gem during a day trip to Bentong. It turns out to be a retreat sanctuary offering peace, calmness, and serenity for those seeking it. They offer retreat programs for anyone interested in exploring mindfulness activities.

They have a vegetarian café, which operates as a self-service establishment. Visitors are required to clean their plates and cups after use. Additionally, there's a souvenir shop located just before the main temple.

Nice place to visit if you're in Bentong!

Wendelin

Danke an das gesamte Team von Kechara Forest Retreat 🫶🏽 ich durfte während meiner Asien Reise für knapp drei Wochen als Gast einchecken und habe die Zeit in einem der tollen Gastehäuser verbracht.

Als Gast hat man die Möglichkeit, sich entweder selbst in einer der perfekt ausgestatteten Küchen zu verpflegen oder das großartige Essen, welches im ansässigen Café/Restaurant jeden Tag frisch zubereitet wird, zu genießen.

Das Gelände ist sehr gepflegt und die Unterkunft mit viel Liebe zum Detail gestaltet. Ein wirklich toller, magischer Ort zum entspannen, meditieren, Yoga praktizieren und den Buddhismus kennenzulernen. Ich freue mich, wenn ich nochmal die Gelegenheit haben sollte, diesen Ort zu besuchen.

Isaac Y.

I visited Kechara Forest Retreat yesterday with my friends and family and we had a wonderful time. The place is very peaceful and beautiful, surrounded by nature and greenery. We enjoyed the vegetarian lunch at their cafe, which was delicious and healthy. We also explored the meditation hall, the gallery, the library, and the garden, where we saw many statues and relics of Buddhist deities. The staff were very friendly and helpful, and they explained to us the history and significance of the place.

Cheewee K.

07 Jul 2024.

Very interesting place and calming too.

Distance from Bentong town and many people were visiting this place.

Nice surroundings with many nice flowers.

Nice place to visit again.

Jon S.

Interesting place to visit for some exploration 😊 mixed indoor & outdoor.

Short walking trail around the place 👍👍

Note: I've attached the place map in my photos 📸 when you arrive, take a right turn (toward Healing Drive) after the guard house, all the way up the hill to see the "Manjushri Nagaraksha" diety

There's a small car park up there, that you can park & turn back downn 😄

As you head back down, go all the way straight (the guard house will be on your left) straight till you see the main prayer temple on the left (past the memorial place).. Keep goinggg

& there's some side car park. You can pack there, walk back down to the main prayer hall, to get one of the maps (in the photos & to ask questions to start your journey 🧭🌳🏞️