Driving Along Maekhong From Nong Khai To Nakhon Phanon

[Isaanben]

A friend from Sweden will come and visit me next week and he says he likes to see the Maekhong river. So I thought we would go to Nong Khai and maybe Nakhon Phanom and Mukdahan. I have been to all of these places but have never been going the road between N.K. and N.P. along the river. I can see from the map that it is not close to the river all the way, but can some one tell if there are any nice views along the way?

Thanks in advance!

Ben

[klikster]

I have done that drive a couple of times, but years ago. It's a great drive -- even better if you get off the road and drive around each of the small towns. One town, can't remember which, had dual language street name signs.

[riepan963]

You can expect nice views for the entire journey. Unfortunately, all the waterfalls will be dry but some other nice places to stop along the way. Remember to take time looking at the new bridge - Nakhon Phanom to Thakek which is covered elsewhere in this forum......

[larsstig]

I would recommend the small town Pak Khat 90 km. east of Nong Khai. If you come from NK go left all the way down to the river.

There is a nice hotel where some of the rooms give you a full view of Mekong from the balcony. The restaurant has river view as well. Hotel Kongkhomkoon, e-mail: [email protected], phone 0897128598.

If you go further east from Pak Khat, a few kilometers before Bueng Kan there is a interesting temple right on the river bank with nice views to the river.

Enjoy the trip

Lars

Edited January 11, 2012 by larsstig

[SantiSuk]

You have to make time to drive off the main highway to get views of the Mekong. The one time I drove is at a way of getting from A to B about 4 years ago I was disappointed that the road rarely met the river. Even from the road you can see some nice hills, mostly on the Laos side, but there are much better drives in Thailand for scenery.

Just my two pennyworth - I'm sure others have found good spots along the way.

If your friend likes the Mekong you would be much better off heading directly for Ubon province and spending some time at the national park and Kong Chiam.

[larsstig]

Hi Ben,

Did you find any nice spots on your trip along the river ?

I would appreciate to get some inspiration for nice places to go in that part of Thailand.

Lars

[my friend I]

Good scenery looking over the river to Hinboun in Laos if you go north from NKP to Tha Uthen. Can be a bit of haze sometimes.

[Isaanben]

Hi Ben,

Did you find any nice spots on your trip along the river ?

I would appreciate to get some inspiration for nice places to go in that part of Thailand.

Lars

Well we went to Kong Chiam (Ubon) where the "two coloured rivers" meet and it was beautiful there. Bungalows and restaurants by the river. Then to the national park to the north and further up to Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom and via the new bridge to Laos and Thakhek where there were nice views of the Mekong and N.P. And of course Beer Lao...

[bergen]

Hi Ben,

Did you find any nice spots on your trip along the river ?

I would appreciate to get some inspiration for nice places to go in that part of Thailand.

Lars

Well we went to Kong Chiam (Ubon) where the "two coloured rivers" meet and it was beautiful there. Bungalows and restaurants by the river. Then to the national park to the north and further up to Mukdahan, Nakhon Phanom and via the new bridge to Laos and Thakhek where there were nice views of the Mekong and N.P. And of course Beer Lao...

Sounds like a good trip!

[fishhooks]

Anyone gone from Nong Khai in the opposite direction up the Mekong to area's around Loei.

May be wrong, but I would imagine the scenery may be a tad more interesting in a traditional sense.

I've been thinking of doing this for a while, probably by bus if there is a route as no car.

We've done NK to Mukdahan a few times and there are some nice views, but mainly fairly normal looking Thai type towns mainly.

[tubber]

Anyone gone from Nong Khai in the opposite direction up the Mekong to area's around Loei.

May be wrong, but I would imagine the scenery may be a tad more interesting in a traditional sense.

I've been thinking of doing this for a while, probably by bus if there is a route as no car.

We've done NK to Mukdahan a few times and there are some nice views, but mainly fairly normal looking Thai type towns mainly.

Do it. I don't find the Nong Khai Nakhon Phanom road that interesting. Nong Khai to Chiang Khan is good, keep on going round to Nan, you go past Phu Ruea National park and some other nice scenery. One of the best regions in Thailand for stunning views, I reckon.

[klikster]

Once upon a time (ci '96) I decided to drive from Chiang Rai to Sirikit Dam, stay the night, then take local roads skirting the river all the way to Nongkai, Everything was going okay, the scenery was outstanding! Then I got to a winding hilly stretch of single-lane. I drove carefully until I reached a place where the road was broken by a slide that took half the road.

My car was small enough to ease by the slide area, but I thought, "What if I get to one that has taken the entire road. I would have to reverse out how many km -- or even worse -- what if the slide area behind me worsens."

I still had to reverse for several hundred meters to find a spot wide enough to turn around.

I would suspect that the road is better now. It sure is pretty country up there.

Edited February 21, 2012 by klikster