A late Trip Report - 4 weeks in the North-east and North of Thailand

[Lone Rider]

A bit of a delayed report of a 4 week trip I did last year with my niece through the north-east and north of Thailand. I did post some of the pictures on my FB page but never managed to sit down to prepare something to be put on RideASia. This was the second trip with my niece - the first one was a combined trip with other family members. Both my niece and myself have some medical problems which prevents us from climbing mountains, etc. so it generally is a sedate trip suitanle for a seventy years old guy.

This trip started for me with a drive from Chiangmai to the Suvannaphum Airport to meet up with my niece who arrived from the Netherlands. From there we travelled to our first overnight stop of this trip at the Bhutara Resort (N14.31480 E101.29914) near the Khun Dan Prakarn Chon Dam in Nakhon Nayok. The next day we had a slow start with a look at the Nang Rong Waterfall, coffee at the Dam and a leisure stroll at the dam before heading further east to Phimai via the Khao Yai National Park


The Nang Samrong Waterfall - coordinates N14.33252 E101.32008


The view from the dam over the country side


The Khun Dan Prakarn Chon Dam at N14.31467 E101.32193


It was very quiet in the Khao Yai National Park - no elephants sitting on cars but just a few deer along the road

In Phimai we stayed at the Moon River Resort (coordinates N15.22692 E102.49628) which is very close to the Phimai Historical Park at N15.21898 E102.49480







The view from the resort


and a nice breakfast which was included in the room price (700 baht/night)

Some pictures from the Phimai Historical Park also known as Prasat Hin Phimail which marks the end of the ancient Khmer Highway from Angkor (Phimai Historical Park - Wikipedia)

It was quite busy at the temple but most of the people were getting the temple grounds ready for the celebration of the end of the Buddhist Lent on the next day.










As both of us don't like large crowds of people we decided to skip the Buddhist Lent ceremony and head to the next two temples on our program - Prasat Phnom Rung at N14.53242 E102.93962 and the Prasat Ta Muean Thom (coordinates N14.35025 E103.26616) right smack at the border between Thailand and Cambodia

Prasat Phnom Rung










Prasat Ta Muean Thom - being right at the border there were quite a few military men walking around from both sides - the temple is accessible from both the Thai side (paved road) and from the Cambodian side (dirt track)



The border with Cambodia (upper-right)









Overnight at the brand new Hop Inn in Buriram (N14.98736 E103.08763)


The next morning an excellent buffet breakfast at Klim Kitchen in Buriram - coordinates N15.004054 E103.106668. Another quiet day with only a visit to the Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew (Wat Lan Khuad or the Million Bottle Temple at N14.618422 E104.418656 - Khun Han) and a view of another temple which can no longer be visited from Thailand as it is located at the border between Cambodia and Thailand but in Cambodia - Khao Phra Wihan or Praeh Vihear at N14.39855 E104.68454

Wat Pa Maha Chedi Kaew (Wat Lan Khuad or the Million Bottle Temple










Khao Phra Wihan or Praeh Vihear somewhere on the top of that mountain



The border line somewhere in the middle of the picture





Overnight in Ubon Ratchathani at Phadaeng Mansion at N15.23400 E104.85781

To be continued

 

[EndoJim]

Awesome pictures...

Love Khao Yai NP. My wife nearly got trampled by an elephant several years back while riding her KLX.

Buriram, another place to add to my todo list.

Thanks

 

[bsacbob]

Thanks Auke a very interesting place to visit and follow the Dharma line.

 

[Lone Rider]

Part 2

Overnight in Ubon Ratchathani at at N15.23400 E104.85781 - quite a nice place to stay for about 600 Baht per night (no breakfast) as the hotel is located in the center of town, has covered secure parking with quite a few restaurants, etc. in walking distance of the hotel. We walked some 200 m. to the Ti Amnuai Chok Restaurant for an excellent Thai/Chinese dinner (N15.23568 E104.85708).

The next morning we had a very nice breakfast at the Peppers Restaurant (N15.23962 E104.85536) near the Airport before heading north to Mukdahan with a few sidetrips to the confluence of the Mekong and the Moon river to see the "mae nam song sii", or “two-colour river” at Kong Chiam (coordinates N15.31756 E105.50235) and the Saeng Chan waterfall (coordinates N15.51596 E105.58981).

Well for a change it was raining quite a bit so the 2 colour effect was not really visible so instead a picture nicked from the Internet to show the 2 colours of the river.





From here it was relative short ride to the Saeng Chan waterfall which is basically water falling through a hole down into a pool where you can swim.





Overnight in Mukdahan at the Kieng Piman Hotel & Spa which was OK at N16.53701 E104.72145 and dinner at the Nat Phop Rim Khong Restaurant at N16.53176 E104.73451. The food was good but as it was quite cold with the wind blowing almost at galeforce we did not really spemd a long time at the restaurant. The next morning we were looking for a good breakfast place but most of the places were not yet open so 7-ii came to the rescue with some sandwiches and coffee. Later on again on the road to our next stop - the Ho Chi Minh house (coordinates N17.37507 E104.75998 - Ban Nachok)) in Nakhon Phanom.

Ho Chi Minh lived here several years from around 1923 onwards to about 1931. During that time Ho chi Minh, also known as Uncle Ho, was living here more or less in exile when he led the war for Vietnams Independence. The house belonged to a Vietnamese friend and the grand children have kept the house more or less in the same style and shape as it was some 90 years ago. Entry is free and there is a donation box inside the house. Next door is a larger museum and a replica of the house but we only visited the original house where Uncle Ho lived.











I had another stop planned in Nakhon Phanom - the airport used by the Americans duuring the Vietnam war but I was told that almost nothing had survived so I cancelled that visit. The old airport was known by the Americans as "Naked Fanny" apparently because Thailand sticks here a bit into Laos.






I am not sure why it got the name of "worst and best airport" but this probably had something to do with the base being also home of "Search and Rescue" units for crews who were shot down over the Ho Chi Minh trail.

Many of the aircraft of the SAR units themselves were shot down during these rescue missions with crews killed in action did not make it back to the base (the worst airport) while crews, often flying in from Vietnam, and which had been shot down and were rescued, were brought here (for them the best airport) but that is pure speculation from my part.




The airport during the Vietnam War


The airport now

From here we headed to Bueng Kan for a rest stop but on the way we made a stop at Wat Phu Tok located at N18.13281 E103.88157 Phu Tok, meaning "Lonely Mountain" in the Isan language, is a 359 m. high isolated hill in the northeastern end of Isan. It is also an important Buddhist temple which is located in a cave near the top. This time we just visited the place but you can climb the mountain using wooden rickety staircases and walkways built in, on and around a giant sandstone outcrop. On the top - the 7th level - you have magnificent views over the flat countryside. There is more information and many more pictures here: Wat Phu Tok

Here is just one picture to wet your appetite:

To be continued

 

[Captain_Slash]

That million bottle temple is an interesting place, there seem to be quite a few of those old temples close to the Cambodian border like the ones you visited

 

[The Bigfella]

Great report. Thanks.