Planning a sight-seeing trip from Udon Thani to Chiang Mai

[connda]

My wife has a cousin getting married in Udon Thani next November.  I've charted out a tentative route to get there which I've attached (yeah I know it's Khon Khan, I'm just bench marking distances).  Unlike my wife, I can drive 10 or 12 hours at a time.  Wife can't.  I plan to break the Chiang Mai to Udon Thani trip into two segments, basically taking two days to get to the wedding in Udon.
However - on the way back we plan to take some time and smell the (roses, durian, somtum) along the way.  No rush at all and maybe taking 5 days or so to get back home with sight-seeing stops along the way. 
Here's the proposed outbound routes we're looking at with Highway 11 to 12 to 2 with one overnight break on our way to Udon without any sight-seeing. 
On the return trip we're going to put on our tourist caps and do some sight-seeing, and I'm thinking about heading 210 out of Udon and take a leisurely few days traveling back to home via highways 2140 to 2013 to 1140 and connect back to highway 11 south of Uttaradit (the blue route).  Looks like we'll be traveling through Udon Thai, Nong Bua Lamphu, and Phitsanulok provinces.  
So has anybody made that trip who can recommend some sights to see and attraction to visit.  Wife is always up for 'temple tours' and I'm kinda of a laid-back and enjoy nature sort of guy.  It'll be interesting to see what the boondocks of that part of Northern Thailand has to offer.  Any recommendation would be appreciated.  

[martin26]

Only have experience of the start of your journey, Udon to Loei an easy run Loei is a nice city, some descent scenery, then up the mountain to Phu Ruea very scenic with many resorts, onto Dan Sai which has a very large Temple well worth a visit.

[DonaldBattles]

It is a long and mountainous trip. Recommend you spend the night in Pu Rua a lovely place.

 

[Mangkhut]

Have done this trip many times on motorbikes. Many road alternatives, one is to go up to Nong Khai and then ride R 211 along the Mekong river all the way to Chiang Khan. Its a scenic stretch although not mindblowing. Theres several coffeeshops/restaurants along the road with a nice view over the Mekong thats worth stopping for a snack and a cuppa.

From Chiang Khan you can turn south to Loei or continue westwards and head through some quite remote places. Many road alternatives here will take you to Nan which is one of the most beautiful provinces of Thailand. One road will lead you on through the Queen Sirikit dam where you have to take a ferry across.

 

If you drive the more normal way through Nong Bua there are several attractions, the Erawan cave is one, a huge cave that goes completely through a carst cliff halfway between the cities Nong Bua and Loei. In Loei province there are several sights, Phu Reua is already mentioned, «the boat cliff» very near the main road there. The Chatau Loei winery might be worth a stop if its still runnin. 

[1FinickyOne]

Going east out of Phitsanoluk, you will have a couple of hours of nice mtns, a few national parks and waterfalls along the way, and some cooler, cleaner air to breathe... plenty of places to stop along the way, though make sure to fill your tank in P-lok as it can be a long way between gas stations... have fun.

[Chaichara]

The Loei route  is very  scenic. Plenty  of Western style restaurants  with  good Western food in  the mountains.

[alant]

My suggestion would be to go north to Nong Khai then follow the Mekong northwest on highway 211.

Take highway 201 to Loei > highway 21> Highway 2013> Highway 1143> 

from there it is easy to join highway 11 to chiang mai of perhaps include a few more sights of the main highway.

[Ridler]

2 hours ago, Chaichara said:

The Loei route  is very  scenic. Plenty  of Western style restaurants  with  good Western food in  the mountains.

Just what you want to see in a sightseeing tour, western food in western style restaurants!

[bazza73]

The scenery around Loei is different - saw-tooth hills, some cave Buddhas. Dinosaur park near Loei is worth visiting. The occasional giant Buddha in the middle of nowhere. Mountain scenery coming back through the northern part of Phetchabun province is beautiful.

[dogpatch55]

6 hours ago, Ridler said:

Just what you want to see in a sightseeing tour, western food in western style restaurants!

Well  some farangs just cant live without it!!  Sad but true..

[Elkski]

We need trip report.  Do you always plan 13 months ahead?

He said " next November". That is clear as a bell.   Means 2018.  This Nov is 2017. 

[connda]

10 hours ago, martin26 said:

Only have experience of the start of your journey, Udon to Loei an easy run Loei is a nice city, some descent scenery, then up the mountain to Phu Ruea very scenic with many resorts, onto Dan Sai which has a very large Temple well worth a visit.

 

10 hours ago, DonaldBattles said:

It is a long and mountainous trip. Recommend you spend the night in Pu Rua a lovely place.

 

What accommodations do they have in Pu Rua and do you need to book ahead?  

[connda]

43 minutes ago, Elkski said:

We need trip report.  Do you always plan 13 months ahead?

He said " next November". That is clear as a bell.   Means 2018.  This Nov is 2017. 

You must be an engineer.  I had that disease once.  Retirement cure it.