Things to do around Ubon

[nisakiman]

We are doing our usual trip to visit the outlaws early next year, but I'm also going to be meeting my eldest daughter (from previous marriage) and her family (hubby and two boys, 8 & 12) who are holidaying in Thailand at the same time. We will be taking them to Ubon for a few days to meet said outlaws, and we will also probably hire a minibus & driver for a couple of days so they can see a bit of the area. My daughter has been to Thailand several times, so is familiar with the general situation, but has only been to the mainstream places.

 

Any suggestions as to where to take them on a couple of day trips? Bear in mind the two boys, who although interested in temples and stuff, require a bit more stimulation than we grown-ups do! It will be in February, so river flows etc need to be taken into account for the time of year. Ideally places that will be a bit of an 'adventure' would be good.

 

When we go and stay, we tend to stay fairly local, with just the odd drive out to the Mun or whatever, so if anyone living in, or knowledgeable about, good day trips from Ubon has any good ideas, all suggestions will be much appreciated! As I say, the boys are genuinely interested in the culture, so a bit of that would be fine, but at their age, they don't want to spend all day looking at temples or ruins. They want a bit of fun, too.

 

Thanks.

[jayceenik]

Yes. I'd be much interested too in knowing pleasant private car short outings from Ubon !!

Me and my TGF will be moving from Pattaya to Ubon before year's end.

She now has her own car and she plans to take us around on short trips around Ubon but, though a native of a nearby village, she doesn't know much about tourism there.

BTW very recently the Ubon municipality has decided that it was time to start advertising their beautiful Ubon and area as a tourist destination to ...Thais.

[nisakiman]

13 hours ago, jayceenik said:

Yes. I'd be much interested too in knowing pleasant private car short outings from Ubon !!

Me and my TGF will be moving from Pattaya to Ubon before year's end.

She now has her own car and she plans to take us around on short trips around Ubon but, though a native of a nearby village, she doesn't know much about tourism there.

BTW very recently the Ubon municipality has decided that it was time to start advertising their beautiful Ubon and area as a tourist destination to ...Thais.

 

Heh! Yes, it's the same situation with my wife - although she lived in Ubon until her 20s (when she moved to Bangkok), she doesn't really know many places to go for day trips. Nor do the in-laws. Mum's idea of a day trip is doing the markets, then Big C or Lotus, followed by a meal in MK and an ice cream in Swensens.

 

I seem to recollect there used to be a website operated by the local tourist board, but I can't find any trace of it now. Maybe my memory is playing tricks...

[Docno]

Just spent the last 12 days out there. Made my second visit to Pha Taem National Park. Great cliff top view of the Mekong and Laos on the opposite side. Also some amazing 3000 year old rock art to be seen and fun trails around the cliffs (you'd be hiking about 5km to do the whole thing, but you can turn around after the first set of paintings). Apparently, some scenes from the Alexander the Great Movie were also shot there.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pha_Taem_National_Park

 

There's also a newish 'trick-eye' 3D art museum near the entrance to the airport that the kids would enjoy if they haven't been to one of these before.

 

Here are some shots I took at Pha Taem:

 

 

[ubonrthai]

I have reports on trips to a bunch of places in Ubon here. Unfortunately February isn't the best time of year for the National Parks. The cliffs at Pha Taem are still beautiful any time of year. Huai Luang Waterfall in Phu Chong Na Yoi National Park will likely be a trickle in February, but it's still worth the trip to hike down, feed the fish, and swim out to the rocks for jumping and playing in the waterfall. 

[nisakiman]

Thanks guys. Some good info there. Yes, I realise that waterflows in February are going to be down. Not much we can do about that!

[SantiSuk]

1. Khong Jiam. Walk along the Mekong river front and round along the mouth of the Mun River. Good views from the town
2. Khong Jiam. Mekong river boat trip
3. Khong Jiam. The cave temple up above the town. Drive north out of town for a couple of clicks then turn sharp left back towards Phibun along the 'back road'. It's only a couple of hundred meters back along that road. Steps down towards the town as well
4. River Mun dams - the one near Khong Jiam and the one half way between Ubon and Sisaket ('Hua Na Dam'). The boys will find it worth a look and walk around though they are not even half day trips in their own right unless you do a bit of fishing village walking in the case of the latter. Get on Google earth and follow the river to locate both - should be fairly obvious if you choose a 1,000 metre scale.
5. Pattaya Noi. Swimming opportunities, banana boats, self-paddle boats and a water slide. In Sirindhorn Reservoir between Phibun and Chong Mek. Floating restaurants too. Boys might be interested to see the foot of the dam in the dam/hydro complex (not apparent that you can tour the hydro plant, but maybe someone knows how you can
6. Chong Mek. Border market (of sorts - Chong Jom in Surin province is better and a 3 hour drive from Ubon 
7. The huge hill top temple north of Yasothon - Maha Chedi Chai Mongkol - though again probably 2-3 hours from Ubon
8. The clay pottery village on the South bank of the Mun - about half way between the main Warin Bridge and the West side Ring Road Bridge. Can't recall the village name but if you get on Google Earth and follow the southern river bank westwards along what is marked (when you get down to 100 metre scale) as Tetsaban 74 Alley you will come to the only obvious village in the area on the river bank - has an obvious riverbank road and a parallel back road
9. If you can encourage your kids to get to enjoy going walking around, Ubon is an absolutely fascinating town and so is the river Mun. You need to go hashing (Ubon Hash House Harriers) to discover the town and surrounds properly - we know it better than the locals! If I ever have time once I give up setting the 'runs' - mostly walking actually - maybe I'll get round to publishing free some great walks.
10. Can't help feeling there's loads of interesting stuff along the Cambodian border and the 'Emerald triangle', apart from Khao Phra Wihan and its overlooking promontory. Just have not yet  had the time to go discovering it
11. Khun Han's (southern Sisaket) million bottle temple - most wat buildings made entirely out of recycled glass bottles.
12. Nice waterfall for picnicing and frolicking in the spray south of Khun Han half way to the Cambodian border too along Highway 2121. Buy durian in Khun Han market - the two amphurs of Kantharalak and Khun Han are fruit-growing amphurs of some renown.

Just stuff that comes to mind. The wats in Ubon are worth a separate thread - 4 or 5 are really worthwhile. If they were all a bit closer together an early morning walk would be not far short of the Chiang Mai experience.

 

As one or two casual visitors/dwellers inhabiting Thai Visa have remarked in the past, Ubon is really boring - NOT. 

[Patriot]

There is a small "museum", the theme being the Alexander (2004) movie, a few scenes of which were shot in that location and Pha Thaem - as previous;y mentioned. Heaps of props and a small cinema; worth a look.

Found just a couple of hundred metres south of the eastern ring-road bridge over the Mun 

[nisakiman]

Oh, yay! A feast of information there! Many thanks!

 

Every time I'm in Ubon, I have the intention to do a run (trot? walk? pub crawl?) with the harriers, but somehow the dates I'm there don't seem to work out with the runs, given my other obligations. Maybe this time around...?

 

I've done quite a few of the temples in and around Ubon, and I've been quietly impressed.

 

I like Ubon, and we may well end up there in a couple of years. It's got just about everything one could need, and it's a very relaxed and easy place to be.

 

Plus (a big plus for me) my in-laws are great. They are generous to a fault, have accepted me completely, and there's not a sick buffalo anywhere on the horizon!

[jayceenik]

Thanks for all the info/

TGF and I are impatient to move to Ubon. End of year we hope. Our new Sarin house is still under construction.

Here it is back in July :

 

 

[SantiSuk]

The Ubon Hash looks forward to seeing any new entrants to this incredibly liveable city of Ubon - whatever their walking/jogging/running capabilities. [Real athletes might find us a little frustrating mind!] 

Edited August 16, 2016 by SantiSuk

[nisakiman]

Heh! The line-up looks about right to me.

 

I'm 67 and I smoke and I drink and enjoy both, but because the work I do is quite physically demanding (I'm a self-employed carpenter) I'm still in pretty good shape. I'll keep an eye open for when the run is while we're there. We'll probably be there for a few weeks, so I may well be able to make it. 

[thsxtreme]

There is a beautiful Temple and a very good view point just north of Chong mek. Forgot the proper name of the Temple . Here is a pic of from a facebook page
 

Google maps
https://www.google.com/maps/place/Wat+Sirinthonwararam(วัดภูพร้าว)/@15.1496211,105.4679146,15.4z/data=!4m8!1m2!2m1!1z4Liq4Liw4Lie4Liy4LiZ4LiC4LmJ4Liy4Lih4LiX4Li44LmI4LiHIOKAnOC4guC4seC4p-C4meC5ieC4reC4ouKAnSDguJrguYnguLLguJnguIrguLXguJfguKfguJk!3m4!1s0x0:0xc3ec0032db50ff06!8m2!3d15.1483926!4d105.4678327