Northeastern Thailand
With its network of rickety staircases and walkways built in, on and around a giant sandstone outcrop, Wat Phu Thok is one of the region’s wonders. The…
Must-see attractions in Northeastern Thailand
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Nong Khai
One of Thailand’s most enigmatic attractions, Sala Kaew Ku can't fail to impress. Built over 20 years by Luang Pu Boun Leua Sourirat, a mystic who died in…
Northeastern Thailand
Wat Pa Non Sawan is home to hundreds of colourful sculptures ranging from merely peculiar to ‘what the…?!’ Whether it’s the immense dragons, waving…
Northeastern Thailand
Officially it’s Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaeo, but these days nearly everyone calls it Wat Lan Khuat, the ‘Million Bottle Temple’. In 1982 the abbot dreamt…
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Northeastern Thailand
You may find the village of Ban Tha Sawang, 8km west of Surin along Rte 4026, a fascinating stop, even if you're not particularly turned on by weaving…
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Khao Yai National Park
Nam Tok Haew Narok ('Hell Gorge Waterfall') is in the far south of Khao Yai National Park, 23km from the visitors centre. Its three levels combine to form…
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Northeastern Thailand
The most atmospheric of Surin's Khmer ruins is a series of three sites in the forest on the Cambodian border known collectively as Prasat Ta Meuan. They…
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Northeastern Thailand
A rather sinister myth surrounds this ‘Small Sticky-Rice Basket Stupa’, a brick-and-stucco chedi dating from the late Ayuthaya period, 5km outside town…
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Northeastern Thailand
Residents of Ban Si Than can’t leave their work behind when they sleep: this is a pillow-making village. All around the village (and most others…
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Nong Khai
Luang Po Phra Sai, a large Lan Xang–era Buddha image awash with gold, bronze and precious stones, sits at the hub of Nong Khai's holiest temple. The head…
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Northeastern Thailand
Built in the 12th century, Sikhoraphum features five brick prang (Hindi/Khmer-style stupas), two of which still hold their tops (these were later modified…
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Udon Thani
The Udon Sunshine Orchid Farm, just northwest of town, earned fame for producing the first orchid-based perfume. It has since developed a hybrid of…
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Ubon Ratchathani
This temple, also known as Wat Sa Prasan Suk, stands out from other temples in many ways. Most famously, the bòht sits on a boat: a ceramic-encrusted…
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Northeastern Thailand
Thirty kilometres west of Si Saket via Rte 226 in Amphoe Uthumphon Phisai, Prasat Wat Sa Kamphaeng Yai, built as a shrine to Shiva, features four 11th…
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Ubon Ratchathani
English is the primary language of Wat Pa Nanachat, a Western-oriented temple opened in 1975 by Ajahn Chah specifically for non-Thais. There's nothing…
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Ubon Ratchathani
Peaceful Wat Nong Pa Phong, founded by the venerable Ajahn Chah, who was born here, is known across Thailand for its quiet discipline and the complete…
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Northeastern Thailand
Wat Ahong Silawat, 20km west of the capital along Rte 212, is built amid ruddy boulders at a river bend known as Sàdeu Námkong (the Mekong River’s Navel)…
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Northeastern Thailand
That Khang Khao Noi, the ‘Small Sticky-Rice Basket Stupa’, is one of the best-known icons of Yasothon. The famous stupa southeast of town on the Ubon…
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Ubon Ratchathani
This spectacular, gleaming gold-and-white chedi is sure to dazzle. It loosely resembles the Mahabodhi stupa in Bodhgaya, India (where the Buddha reached…
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Udon Thani
During 1928 and 1929, Ho Chi Minh used the jungle around Nong Hang village as one of his bases to train soldiers and rally Isan's sizeable Vietnamese…
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Nong Khai
The ‘Stupa in the Middle of the River’ (sometimes called Phra That Nong Khai) is a ruined Lao-style chedi submerged in the middle of the river and can…
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Northeastern Thailand
The first thing most people notice about this old temple, which dates from the late Ayuthaya era, is the unusual four-storey stupa at the back, but the…
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Northeastern Thailand
The 11th-century Prasat Ban Phluang, 33km south of Surin, is just a solitary sandstone prang (Hindi/Khmer-style stupa) without its top, but the wonderful…
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Northeastern Thailand
The most endearing neighbourhood in Yasothon is Ban Singha Tha, a collection of quiet residential streets just below Wat Mahathat. It has several classic…
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Ubon Ratchathani
Also known as Wat Pa Yai, the 'Large Forest Temple' (from long ago when Ubon was just a small town and this area lay beyond the city limits), this is one…
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Northeastern Thailand
Tree-shaded, nicely landscaped and criss-crossed by pathways, this island park and its pretty lake are the focal point of Roi Et and attract picnickers,…
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Ubon Ratchathani
The bòht at this important temple was built to resemble Bangkok's Wat Benchamabophit, but it's the 7cm-tall topaz Buddha inside that most Thais come to…
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Northeastern Thailand
This temple in the northwest quarter of town has a peaceful ambience. It's known for its 1200-year-old brick chedi from the Dvaravati period, which has an…
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Nong Khai
Although it's looking a little shabby these days, this large aquarium offers a fairly interesting collection of freshwater and ocean-dwelling fish from…
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Udon Thani
Udon's most popular park starts to rev up as the afternoon winds down. It's home to colourful attractions such as a giant Ban Chiang–style pot and a huge…
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Northeastern Thailand
The centrepiece of this city-centre temple is a highly venerated Lao-style chedi said to date from AD 695 that enshrines holy relics of Phra Anan (Ananda)…
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Northeastern Thailand
Displays at this well-executed museum focus on the province's Khmer ruins and Surin's three ethnic groups: Lao, Khmer and Suai, the region's renowned…
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Northeastern Thailand
Among Thais, Mukdahan is most famous for this riverside market, which stretches along and under the promenade. Most Thai tour groups on their way to Laos…
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Ubon Ratchathani
Built during the reign of Rama III (1824–51), Wat Thung Si Meuang has a classic hŏr đrai (Tripitaka hall) in excellent shape. Like many hŏr đrai, it rests…
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Northeastern Thailand
Drive into Yasothon from the south and you can't miss the 19m-tall toad sitting on the shore of Mae Nam Tuan. It honours the Toad King, a central…
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Northeastern Thailand
This eye-catching 65m-tall tower was built for the 50th anniversary of King Rama IX's ascension to the throne. The nine-sided base has a good museum with…
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Northeastern Thailand
Although little more than a speck of a reserve at just 48 sq km, hilly Phu Pha Thoep National Park (also known as Mukdahan National Park) has some…
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Nong Khai
This forest wát on the south side of town is a respected vipassana (insight meditation) centre on pleasant, tree-shaded grounds. Most of the extremely…
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Northeastern Thailand
One of the most important wildlife reserves in Isan, Phu Wua is home to more than 40 elephants. It's a ruggedly beautiful area with lots of exposed…
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Northeastern Thailand
Khao Phra Wihan ('Preah Vihear' in Khmer) is a large Khmer temple ruin perched dramatically on a cliff 500m above the plains below. It's just over the…
