Northeastern
Thailand
The sprawling
northeast plateau is bordered to the north of the Mekong River and
Laos, and to the south largely by Kampucha. The Northeast is a distinctive
region its topograph of forested mountains and rolling farmland, its
colourful inhabitants, and because of archaeo- logically significant
excavations and shrines -- such as' Ban oldest Bronze Age civilisation
Chiang, where the world's prasat Hin (stone flourished some 5,600
years ago, and castle) temples, legacy of the Angkor-centred Khmer
empire.
Major
places of interest include Khao Yai National Park some 200 kilometres
northeast of Bangkok; Nakhon Ratchasima, 256 kilometres northeast
of Bangkok; the 11th century prasat hin temple at Phirnai; Khon Kaen,
a university town some 450 kilometres from Bangkok and famous for
its Mat Mi silk; Loei province's Phu Kra Dung National Park, a crisply
beautiful forested plateau between 1,000 and 1,350 metres where night-time
temperatures often approach freezing point; the scenic Si Chiangmai
to Nongkai road which largely parallels the Mekong River; Udon Thani's
Ban Chiang village and museum which houses priceless Bronze Age jewellery
and pottery excavated from local burial mounds; Nakhon Phanom's Phra
That Phanom, the most revered Northeast shrine; Ubon Ratchathani,
647 kilometres from Bangkok, which introduces the annual Buddhist
Rains Retreat with a lovely Candle Festival; Yasothon, where each
summer, homemade rockets are launched to "ensure" bountiful rain;
Surin. a site of the world-famous Elephant Round-Up each November;
and Buriram's Prasat Hin Phanom Rung, a lovely Khmer sanctuary formerly
connected by road with Angkor. |
| Major
Regional Events |
|
JANUARY
Agricultural Fair.......................................Maha Sarakham
|
|
FEBRUARY
Cotton Blossom Fair................................................
Loei
Phra That Phanom Fair........................... Nakhon Phanom
|
|
MARCH
Bird Fair......................................................
Chalyaphum
Thao Suranari Fair............................ Nakhon Ratchasima
|
|
MAY
Bang Fa! Rocket Festival.................................. Yasothon
|
JUNE
Phi Ta Khon Fair......................................................
Loei |
|
JULY
Candle Festival....................................
Ubon Ratchathani
|
|
OCTOBER
Wax Castle Festival Et Boat Races ............Sakon Nakhon
Illuminated Boat Procession.....................Nakhon Phanom
Boat Races...................................... Nakhon Ratchasirna
|
|
NOVEMBER
Elephant Round-Up.................................................
Surin
|
|
Suggested
Itinerary
|
Day
1
|
Morning departure.
scenic drive to Khao Yai National Park. Lunch. Afternoon: leisure/golf.
Evening: wildlife "safari" with spotlight-equipped trucks.
Overnight stay. |
|
Day
2
|
Morning: visit Khao
Yai waterfalls. Afternoon: drive to Nakhon Ratchasima. Check-in to
hotel. Evening leisure / nightlife. |
|
Day
3
|
Morning departure
to visit Phimai's Khmer sanctuary Proceed onwards to Khon Kaen, visiting
en route Chonnabot Silk Village. Overnight stay in Khon Kaen. |
|
Day
4
|
Morning departure
for Udon Thani. After checking-in to hotel, proceed to Nongkhai. Enjoy
scenic drive beside the Mekong River to Si Chiangmai. Overnight stay
in Udon Thani. |
|
Day
5
|
Morning departure
to visit Ban Chiang museum and excavations. After lunch, proceed to
Nakhon Phanom for an overnight stay. |
|
Day
6
|
Morning visit to
Phra That Phanom and Renu Nakhon before journeying onward to Ubon
Ratchathani via Mukdahan. Overnight stay in Ubon Ratchathani. |
|
Day
7
|
Full-day trip east
of Ubon Ratchathani to visit the Kaeng Saphu rapids, Kaeng Tana National
Park and scenic Pha Taem. Overnight stay in Ubon Ratchathani. |
|
Day
8
|
Morning departure
for Surin, visiting en route the community of forest-dwelling bhikkhus
at Wat Pa Nanachat. Evening: Pha Khao Laeng Northeast dinner and folk
dances. Overnight stay in Surin |
|
Day 9
|
Early-morning visit
to Ban Tha Klang Elephant Village where elephants are trained for
Round-Up. Visit Buriram's Prasat Phanom Rung before late-afternoon
arrival in Nakhon Ratchasima. Overnight stay. |
|
Day
10
|
Return to Bankok
by air/rail/road. |
|
