Weekendtrips or daytrips around Isan

[roseclaire]

Hi everyone,

As many of you have been living in Isaan for a while, I am sure you would have good ideas to help me out.

I work in Surin for a year and I want to use my weekend to travel around Isaan. I have already seen most of what is to see in Surin, Burriram and Korat provinces.

I am young and don't really have financial restriction so I am fine with going far on night buses to spend 2 days in the place (so going to the other side of Isaan s not really an issue for me).

I like nature, cities, cultural and historical sites : a little bit of every thing!

Any suggestion? :-)

Thanks a lot

[SunsetT]

Not much to do but Nakhon Phanom is a very pleasant spot with a long promenade on the Mekong for cycling and walking with many riverside Wats and great views of the sugarloaf mountains near Thakhek opposite in Laos..... It is also easy to cross the bridge from the bus station to Thakhek and take organised 1/2/3/4 day hiking/climbing/ sightseeing tours in the mountains. You could also visit Ho Chi Min's house and the fresh water aquarium on the outskirts of NKP (5 to 7km).

[SantiSuk]

Ubon Ratchatani province - particularly the city itself and the Mekong at Khong Jiam and Pha Tem National Park.

Als you absolutely must get a few days in Southern Laos (Kho Pan Don - 4,000 islands in the Lower Mekong) and of course Siem Reap/Angkor Wat in Cambodia

[SantiSuk]

Ubon Ratchatani province - particularly the city itself and the Mekong at Khong Jiam and Pha Tem National Park.

Als you absolutely must get a few days in Southern Laos (Kho Pan Don - 4,000 islands in the Lower Mekong) and of course Siem Reap/Angkor Wat in Cambodia

[Bredbury Blue]

I enjoyed visiting Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew, the Million Bottle Temple of Thailand, sometimes known as WatLan Kuad, on the way to visiting Khao Phra Wihan National Park, "the door to the disputed Preah Vihear temple. This beautiful National park contains a few small temples, the Don Tuan Ruins dating from the 11th century Khmer Empire, the well known Twin Stupas along with incredible views of Cambodian forests and three 1500 year-old relief Khmer sculptures carved into the cliff and the famous Pha Mo I Daeng Rock". Drove from hotel in Buriram via the bottle wat to the Khao Phra Wihan and stayed in Kantaralak - enjoyed our visit to Khao Phra Wihan so much, we went again next morning for sunrise view looking down on Cambodia.

The trip mentioned to khong chiam area is great, enough to do there and around Ubon for many days.

Mukdahan is worth a weekends visit, as is Aranyaprathet/Sakaeo.

All these trips you need a car though.

[callaway]

15 hours on a bus to Chiang Mai will give you nature and all things you enjoy.

[Jip99]

Khao Phanom Rung and Prasat hin Muang Tam are worth a visit.

[tails]

Dansai Folk Museum

Wat Neramit Wipatsana Temple

Chiang Khan

Phu Kradueng

and on your way you can stay in the famous new Hello Kitty hotel in Phu Ruea, although you're fairly unlikely to meet me there, lol!

[Bredbury Blue]

Phu Ruea area is nice but that Hello Kitty hotel is just strange. Nice gardens but who'd want to stay there.

[revgreen]

How young? Mahasarakham has a huge student population and is good fun if you like live music/drinking/mingling.

[Rc2702]

Lam pao dam is nice it has a beach type scenario too and it has a zoo right next to it. The restaurants by there are a bit of a rip off but they do not spoil the place. It's relaxed and everyone is there to enjoy the place it would appear. Recommend a scooter it's not really accessible by bus but you could hire a driver. The city it's in is called kalasin.