Ubon Ratchathani To Chiang Mai By Car, Scenic Route ?

[roamer]

Going to be doing this route soon taking maybe 3 days so not in a hurry but will have a couple of kids with us, any ideas for most scenic routes, attractions, things to do and places to stay along the way ? Thanks...

[roamer]

Mod. Could you please move this to the Issan forum, maybe more chance of a reply there ? Thanks.

[craigt3365]

Let's give it a shot there. If that doesn't work, maybe we can try it in the Chiang Mai forum?

Topic Moved.

[luwahn]

I have be wanting to make the drive to Ubon!

Your best bet is to take Route 23 to Route 2 to Route 12 to Route 11.

Route 12 will prove to be very scenic with breath-taking views. You can continue on until you get to Route 11(north), where you would make a 'right'-hand turn and continue on this road all the way into Chiang Mai. Route 11 is a nice scenic drive, too.

There are some 2-lane stretches of road along Route 12 but mostly speedy 4-lane, smooth riding roads throughout the trip.

The drive from the intersection of Route 12 and Route 2 to Route 11, should be around 4 hours (give or take) depending on the number of slow trucks you have to pass.

The drive from the intersection of Route 12 and Route 11 to Chiang Mai, should be about 4-1/2 hours.

If you make the trip, would you kindly post back to me your mileage and time from Ubon to Khon Kaen?

Edited May 19, 2013 by luwahn

[luwahn]

........... OR

Instead of taking Route 11, continue on Route 12 - there are all sorts of 'touristy' stands and attractions. You can visit 'Wat Yai' and the river front in Phitsanulok (located on Route 12!).

About 60 km further along Route 12 is beautiful Sukhothai with its nice historic park where you could rent bicycles and spend the day.

Back on Route 12 and a 3/4 hr drive further, you will arrive at Tak where you will turn onto Route 1 (north) and drive (about 2 hrs) where you will turn onto Route 11 and take it into Chiang Mai.

You can explore Tak and then go north OR follow the signs and take a nice 1-1/2 hr drive west on Route 105 to the Thai-Burmese(Myanmar) border(crossing) town of Mae Sot. It is nice there! It's small in size but has a lot of UN NGOs - foreign officials and their families - and several eateries and 'tourist' amenities. Though you have to retrace the 1-1/2 hr drive in order to get back onto Route 1 (near intersection of Route 12) in order to continue on to Chiang Mai, Mae Sot and the Burmese border was well worth it for us!

I swear by GPS and keep a road map as a backup .... Have a nice trip!

Edited May 19, 2013 by luwahn

[ubonrthai]

I've made this drive about 20 times. It takes me about 13 hours with the family and we always do it in one day. Eventually we'll actually take our time and enjoy it. I can't help too much about specific locations to stay but can maybe give some helpful info...

This is the exact route we take every time.

Chiang Mai to Lampang is 4 lane.

Lampang to Denchai is 2 lane and a beautiful stretch.

Denchai to Phitsanulok is a beautiful brand new 4 lane.

Phitsanulok to Chumpae is 2 lane.

Chumpae to Khon Kaen is a new 4 lane.

Khon Kaen to Ubon is a mix of 2 and 4 lane roads and there's really not much to do or see along this stretch.

I've always wanted to stop at Namnao National Park and anywhere in Phetchabun province. It's so beautiful on Hwy. 12 through the mountain stretches. Phu Wiang National Park อุทยานแห่งชาติภูเวียง might be a good place to stop with kids. I hope to get there on our next trip.

Here's a map of the old AirAsia flight route with some aerial picture of some locations you might be interested in visiting.

[luwahn]

I've made this drive about 20 times. It takes me about 13 hours with the family and we always do it in one day. Eventually we'll actually take our time and enjoy it. I can't help too much about specific locations to stay but can maybe give some helpful info...

This is the exact route we take every time.

Chiang Mai to Lampang is 4 lane.

Lampang to Denchai is 2 lane and a beautiful stretch.

Denchai to Phitsanulok is a beautiful brand new 4 lane.

Phitsanulok to Chumpae is 2 lane.

Chumpae to Khon Kaen is a new 4 lane.

Khon Kaen to Ubon is a mix of 2 and 4 lane roads and there's really not much to do or see along this stretch.

I've always wanted to stop at Namnao National Park and anywhere in Phetchabun province. It's so beautiful on Hwy. 12 through the mountain stretches. Phu Wiang National Park อุทยานแห่งชาติภูเวียง might be a good place to stop with kids. I hope to get there on our next trip.

Here's a map of the old AirAsia flight route with some aerial picture of some locations you might be interested in visiting.

This is very good!

Would you happen to know the time it takes to drive from Ubon to (either) Khon Kaen, Chumpae or Phitsanulok?

[stoneyboy]

I've made this drive about 20 times. It takes me about 13 hours with the family and we always do it in one day. Eventually we'll actually take our time and enjoy it. I can't help too much about specific locations to stay but can maybe give some helpful info...

This is the exact route we take every time.

Chiang Mai to Lampang is 4 lane.

Lampang to Denchai is 2 lane and a beautiful stretch.

Denchai to Phitsanulok is a beautiful brand new 4 lane.

Phitsanulok to Chumpae is 2 lane.

Chumpae to Khon Kaen is a new 4 lane.

Khon Kaen to Ubon is a mix of 2 and 4 lane roads and there's really not much to do or see along this stretch.

I've always wanted to stop at Namnao National Park and anywhere in Phetchabun province. It's so beautiful on Hwy. 12 through the mountain stretches. Phu Wiang National Park อุทยานแห่งชาติภูเวียง might be a good place to stop with kids. I hope to get there on our next trip.

Here's a map of the old AirAsia flight route with some aerial picture of some locations you might be interested in visiting.

Please be advised that at present route 12 between Phitsanulok and Lom Sak is under construction,it's being widened to four lanes and may slow the journey some what.

[ubonrthai]

This is very good!

Would you happen to know the time it takes to drive from Ubon to (either) Khon Kaen, Chumpae or Phitsanulok?

Depends on traffic, who is driving and how many people are in the car of course but Ubon to Khon Kaen is about 4 hours. Chumpae is an hour or less further. But then Hwy 12 to Phitsanulok can vary. You can get stuck behind slow trucks on 2 lane mountain roads for quite awhile. Probably another 3 hours to get to Phitsanulok.

[ubonrthai]

Be careful on the mountain roads on Hwy 12 in rainy season. I've seen numerous accidents. Story time.

1. One trip a storm came out of nowhere in Namnao on a section where there's a cliff above the road. Water started pouring off like a waterfall and almost washed us into a deep ravine. Closest I've ever felt to death.

2. Was raining so hard in Phetchabun you could hardly see the car in front of you. Came upon a huge downed tree over the road. It was mostly truck drivers on the road. Almost on cue, they all got out with machetes and started hacking the giant trunk in the pouring rain. They eventually chopped through and made a wide enough lane for everyone to get through.

3. Last trip we were coming downhill after a light rain and witnessed an accident involving a military truck. The emergency vehicle that came first on the scene slid down the entire hill and stopped right before running into the accident site. I swear I have bad luck on Hwy. 12. Every time we're on it my wife is like, "just get it over with." Maybe that's why we never stop.

[luwahn]

Please be advised that at present route 12 between Phitsanulok and Lom Sak is under construction,it's being widened to four lanes and may slow the journey some what.

This is very good!

Would you happen to know the time it takes to drive from Ubon to (either) Khon Kaen, Chumpae or Phitsanulok?

Depends on traffic, who is driving and how many people are in the car of course but Ubon to Khon Kaen is about 4 hours. Chumpae is an hour or less further. But then Hwy 12 to Phitsanulok can vary. You can get stuck behind slow trucks on 2 lane mountain roads for quite awhile. Probably another 3 hours to get to Phitsanulok.

Be careful on the mountain roads on Hwy 12 in rainy season. I've seen numerous accidents. Story time.

1. One trip a storm came out of nowhere in Namnao on a section where there's a cliff above the road. Water started pouring off like a waterfall and almost washed us into a deep ravine. Closest I've ever felt to death.

2. Was raining so hard in Phetchabun you could hardly see the car in front of you. Came upon a huge downed tree over the road. It was mostly truck drivers on the road. Almost on cue, they all got out with machetes and started hacking the giant trunk in the pouring rain. They eventually chopped through and made a wide enough lane for everyone to get through.

3. Last trip we were coming downhill after a light rain and witnessed an accident involving a military truck. The emergency vehicle that came first on the scene slid down the entire hill and stopped right before running into the accident site. I swear I have bad luck on Hwy. 12. Every time we're on it my wife is like, "just get it over with." Maybe that's why we never stop.

Thanks again for all the good info, tips, excellent web links and especially the drive times from Chumpae/Khon Kaen to Ubon!!

I, for one, hope to never have to drive on those sections of curvy mountain Hwy 12 roads in the rain!! I got caught in one of those blinding downpours on a (flat stretch of) Petchabun hwy and don't wish to have to experience that again!

Edited May 19, 2013 by luwahn

[roamer]

Thanks guys. I have done the above route before and if time becomes more limited will take it again. More time though and I think I will overnight in Loei and drive down to Lom Sak on Route 203 which has to have some of the prettiest scenery in LOS, flower covered houses more reminiscent of Switzerland than Thailand. Really lovely trip if you have a spare day or so. Thanks for the advice.

[luwahn]

Thanks guys. I have done the above route before and if time becomes more limited will take it again. More time though and I think I will overnight in Loei and drive down to Lom Sak on Route 203 which has to have some of the prettiest scenery in LOS, flower covered houses more reminiscent of Switzerland than Thailand. Really lovely trip if you have a spare day or so. Thanks for the advice.

Route 203 is a nice drive, too! If you are going to Loei city, may I suggest the drive north on Route 201 to the Thai-Laos border town, Chiang Khan? That is a real nice tourist destination with riverside eateries, boat rides and shopping, etc.

[roamer]

Thanks guys. I have done the above route before and if time becomes more limited will take it again. More time though and I think I will overnight in Loei and drive down to Lom Sak on Route 203 which has to have some of the prettiest scenery in LOS, flower covered houses more reminiscent of Switzerland than Thailand. Really lovely trip if you have a spare day or so. Thanks for the advice.

Route 203 is a nice drive, too! If you are going to Loei city, may I suggest the drive north on Route 201 to the Thai-Laos border town, Chiang Khan? That is a real nice tourist destination with riverside eateries, boat rides and shopping, etc.

Thanks for that ! Time permitting that seems like a good place to visit so will make the effort to do it. Just the sort of tip I was looking for when I started this thread

[luwahn]

Thanks guys. I have done the above route before and if time becomes more limited will take it again. More time though and I think I will overnight in Loei and drive down to Lom Sak on Route 203 which has to have some of the prettiest scenery in LOS, flower covered houses more reminiscent of Switzerland than Thailand. Really lovely trip if you have a spare day or so. Thanks for the advice.

Route 203 is a nice drive, too! If you are going to Loei city, may I suggest the drive north on Route 201 to the Thai-Laos border town, Chiang Khan? That is a real nice tourist destination with riverside eateries, boat rides and shopping, etc.

Thanks for that ! Time permitting that seems like a good place to visit so will make the effort to do it. Just the sort of tip I was looking for when I started this thread

The name of the riverside 'tourist' park is "Kaeng Khut Khu". Its GPS coordinates are: 17* 54.422 N - 101* 42.070 E. Taking Route 201 north to where it ends at the border-town, Chiang Khan, you'll turn right, (East), onto Route 211 and immediately be besieged by blocks of 'tourist' shops. Approximately 4.5 - 4.6 km from Route 201 should be your turn-off on the left. It may not be adequately marked, but you'll drive approximately another 1.8 km to the riverside park.

It is truly a 'hidden gem'.

[roamer]

Thanks for the above Luwahn. Will definitely try to check it out