This little town wedged between shaggy karst mountains is an ideal spot to drop off the map for a spell. During the dry season, weekend Thai tourists pass through en route to nearby Kheuan Khao Laem (Khao Laem Dam; officially named Vachiralongkorn Dam), b
Category: Thailand Destinations
Towering over the small town, the spire of the colossal Lao-style chedi of Wat Phra That Phanom is one of the region’s most emblematic symbols and one of the great flagpoles of Isan identity. In comparison, the little town of That Phanom itself is rather
If you visit this national park just after the monsoons, you’ll be treated to a lush and surreal experience – almost like you’ve stepped onto the set of a Disney movie. At the park headquarters, close to the small town of Ao Leuk and 46km northwest of Kra
A trip to Mae Aw could be combined with a visit to Tham Pla Forest Park (admission free) centred on the animistic Tham Pla or Fish Cave, a water-filled cavern where hundreds of soro brook carp thrive. These fish grow up to 1m in length and are found only
Surrounded by banana plantations and tobacco fields that flourish in the fertile Mekong floodplains, prosperous Tha Bo is the most important market centre between Nong Khai and Loei. The covered market, which spills out to the surrounding streets, is full
It isn’t the grandest of reserves, but Tat Ton National Park (0 4485 3293, reservations 0 2562 0760; admission 400B; 7am-6pm) gets few weekday visitors and makes a pleasant escape for those who really want to get away from it all. Covering 218 sq km at th
Tak is a wild and mountainous province. Its proximity to Myanmar has resulted in a complex history and unique cultural mix.
Tak is not particularly interesting, but it’s a good point from which to visit the Lan Sang and Taksin Maharat National Parks to the west or Kheuan Phumiphon to the north. It’s also the best place to get up-to-date information about Mae Sot, Um Phang and
The adjacent provinces of Surin and Si Saket are dotted with Angkor-era Khmer ruins. Most are now looking rather tatty, but Khao Phra Wihan ranks among the northeast’s best attractions.
Quiet Surin doesn’t have much to say for itself until November, when the provincial capital explodes into life for the Annual Elephant Roundup when giant scrums of pachyderm come to town – you’ll never see so many well-dressed tuskers. The city celebrates