Best Beach Getaways From Isaan? Ubon Specifically

[Svenn]

Wondering if any of you living in the eastern Isaan area have any particular areas you go to when you want to have the swimming/seafood/beach activities type trip? I'll be in Ubon, with a car, for several weeks and was wondering where we could go for a few days... the Rayong/Chantaburi/Trat coast? Swimming holes in Laos near Pakse? Mekong mud beaches? on a map the Vietnamese coast is closer to Ubon than southeast Thailand's? I've been to Koh Chang and Koh Samet, but don't really see the point of spending the extra money and time to go to those islands just for the sake of being on an island with a bunch of tourists, and because I don't remember any decent snorkeling there (and the rain of course). I guess I'm trying to conform to a more Thai vacation, which would consist of staying on the mainland and eating crab and doing jetskis, I had fun doing that in Prachuap Kiri Khan, but the water was cold. My gf tells me the waters of the Mun River used to be clear when she was a kid and one could swim among the fish... are there still places in Isaan like that?

[ubonrthai]

Watch Nok Air and Air Asia for deals. I got 789b tickets to Phuket a few days ago. If you come in October, there is supposedly a direct flight from Ubon to Phuket opening too.

[keeniau96]

October in Phuket is typically the maximum rainy time. And of course it has more tourists than Koh Chang.

[Svenn]

Watch Nok Air and Air Asia for deals. I got 789b tickets to Phuket a few days ago. If you come in October, there is supposedly a direct flight from Ubon to Phuket opening too.

Wow that's impressive... I looked on Nok's website and teh 789b deal seems to be relegated to Chiang Mai now... they advertised Ubon-Phuket on their website? Does this come up often?

[elwood]

Watch Nok Air and Air Asia for deals. I got 789b tickets to Phuket a few days ago. If you come in October, there is supposedly a direct flight from Ubon to Phuket opening too.

Wow that's impressive... I looked on Nok's website and teh 789b deal seems to be relegated to Chiang Mai now... they advertised Ubon-Phuket on their website? Does this come up often?

A week or so ago Air Asia announced they would begin Ubon/Phuket in October.

Elwood

[ballpoint]

I go down the Mun river where if forms the border between Surin and Yasothon. There are many sandy beaches, and the locals build little thatched huts above the river at a few of them, selling drinks and food and renting out inner tubes. I hate salt water, give me a day on the river over a day at a sea beach any time.

[jamescollister]

Pattaya noi top of the big lake east of Ubon. A local get away spot, or the Emerald Triangle lots of water falls and swimming spots. Jim

[downtown]

i would highly recommend Mae Phim, in Rayong. hel_l of a drive but if you like quiet beaches like me, you;ll love it. no idea what the weather is like there this time of year, i only go there nov/dec time

[waza]

You can try PhaTaem National park it has a few great waterfalls and swiming spots on the Mekong. One site there has 2 waterfalls one with warm water and the other with cold. Its on the Thai Laos border and will take about a 2 hours to drive there from Ubon. I have also tried Ubon beach and its resturaunts as ballpiont described

[Svenn]

You can try PhaTaem National park it has a few great waterfalls and swiming spots on the Mekong. One site there has 2 waterfalls one with warm water and the other with cold. Its on the Thai Laos border and will take about a 2 hours to drive there from Ubon. I have also tried Ubon beach and its resturaunts as ballpiont described

I didn't realize Pha Taem had waterfalls, I had just seen the cliff drawings... do you recall the name?

I go down the Mun river where if forms the border between Surin and Yasothon. There are many sandy beaches, and the locals build little thatched huts above the river at a few of them, selling drinks and food and renting out inner tubes. I hate salt water, give me a day on the river over a day at a sea beach any time.

Does that place have a name? I tried finding it on the map and it looked like a fairly remote area... is it any different from Hat Wat Tai in Ubon itself?

[ballpoint]

I go down the Mun river where if forms the border between Surin and Yasothon. There are many sandy beaches, and the locals build little thatched huts above the river at a few of them, selling drinks and food and renting out inner tubes. I hate salt water, give me a day on the river over a day at a sea beach any time.

Does that place have a name? I tried finding it on the map and it looked like a fairly remote area... is it any different from Hat Wat Tai in Ubon itself?

It is a bit of a drive from Ubon, and is fairly remote, being a few km north of Ratanaburi town, but there are others along the river. I'm not so familiar with whats around Si Saket and Ubon, having mainly explored the stretch from Surin to Buri Ram, but there's bound to be some action where it comes near a town, especially if there's a bridge as well.

In addition to the little huts, there's also a resort that was run by a Norwegian guy, but I haven't seen him for a while, and a couple of karaoke joints at the place I go to most often.

Edited July 27, 2010 by ballpoint

[troehr]

There are actually several waterfalls in and around Pha Taem. Soi Sawan is the most popular. Someone already mentioned Pattaya Noi which is the most popular beach for the Thais. There are a dozen or so places around Ubon that have huts along the Mun River. Some are better than others. There is also Khang Tana rapids in Khong Chiam District. Another would be San Pan Bok or 3000 Holes. It is a fairly new national park. Most people who visit go south along the river. If you go north like I do, you will be virtually alone.

T

[ubonrthai]

October in Phuket is typically the maximum rainy time. And of course it has more tourists than Koh Chang.

From Phuket, quiet spots are only an hour drive north in the Khao Lak area. Lived in the area for a couple years and rainy season is my favorite time. The best sunsets and the fewest tourists. Rains are usually short.

[ubonrthai]

Watch Nok Air and Air Asia for deals. I got 789b tickets to Phuket a few days ago. If you come in October, there is supposedly a direct flight from Ubon to Phuket opening too.

Wow that's impressive... I looked on Nok's website and teh 789b deal seems to be relegated to Chiang Mai now... they advertised Ubon-Phuket on their website? Does this come up often?

There's always deals popping up. They must have sold out the 789 "anywhere deal" quickly.

Edited July 29, 2010 by ubonrthai

[waza]

http://www.thaifores...sp?lg=2&npid=19 Heres some info on Pha Taem National park. Soi Sawan Waterfall is the one with 2 waterfalls one warm water and the other cold. Edited July 30, 2010 by waza