Isan and Mekong river 12d / 11n

Located in the province of {{Nakhon Ratchasima}}, this magnificent and vast lake offers a superb viewpoint and is visible from the side of the road for travelers to the Esan region.

You will have the opportunity to have lunch at a local restaurant that will offer you a typical menu of the region as the famous pat mee khorat, the som tam, a very spicy green papaya salad, accompanied by kai yang, the barbecue chicken that is delicious in this region. Phat mee Khorat (ผัด หมี่ โคราช) is a Thai dish of fried rice noodles, usually served with a papaya salad (som tam). Dried rice noodles of varying colors are a specific ingredient of phat mee khorat. The dish consists of rice noodles, garlic, shallots, pork, soy sauce, fish sauce, beans, palm sugar, red pepper, water, onions and of bean sprouts. The phat mi Khorat was introduced in the province of Nakhon Ratchasima since antiquity. In the past, most inhabitants of Nakhon Ratchasima (Khorat) were generally farmers. They used the rice of old crops by turning it into noodles.

Prasat Hin Phimai is a sanctuary of Mahayana Buddhism and is located in the city of Phimai. All the buildings of this temple have been beautifully preserved by time and date back to the Angkor Wat period.

The expertise of Ban Dan Kwian potters is recognized throughout Thailand.

The Thao Suranari Memorial was built in memory of the exploits of Lady Khunying Mo, wife of the city governor who, in 1826, gathered his people to defeat the Laotian invaders during the reign of King Rama III.

The Khao Phanom Rung Historical Park is the most impressive Khmer monuments of Thailand. Khao Phnom Rung is the name of an extinct volcano about 900,000 years old, on which was built, from the tenth century, the Prasat Phanom Rung temple.

Prasat Mueang Tham means the castle of the southern city. The pilasters, lintels and pediments, richly decorated in the styles of Khleang and Baphûon with their mythical animals (naga and kala), their garlands and their floral motifs, demonstrate the mastery of the Khmer craftsmen. This temple was erected in the 11th century to serve as a residence for the Khmer governor.

The silk weaving center at Ban Tha Sawang is a project sponsored by the Royal House Office and Her Majesty's Queen's Foundation.

In this elephant camp in Surin you can observe the elephants in their daily lives and share with them the sacred moment of the bath.

Wat Sa Kamphaeng Yai, is the largest and most perfectly preserved of the Khmer ruins of the province. It includes three stupas located on the same base, oriented north-south and facing east. The temple were built in the eleventh century in the Khmer Baphuri style and served as a sanctuary for God Shiva before becoming a temple of Mahayana Buddhism in the thirteenth century.

The Prasat Sa Kamphaeng Noi is an old hospital chapel built by Jayavarman VII, located west of the town of Si Saket. The building is in laterite, with doors, windows and lintels of sandstone. According to an inscription discovered at Ta Prom, King Jayavarman VII built a hundred and two hospitals spread throughout the empire along the main roads. Near each hospital was a chapel. It is thought that the hospitals themselves were built of wood. This place is very nice and quiet.

The village of Ban Pa Ao is one of the oldest villages of Ubon Ratchathani. The villagers emigrated from Vientiane, Laos, during the reign of King Siri Bun San. The village has more than two hundred years and a particular identity and its inhabitants have a know-how that has been handed down from generation to generation by their ancestors, as for the manufacture of bronzes and silk weaving.

In 1992, the Department of Fine Arts undertook excavations on the Ban Kan Lueang site in Wat Ban Kan Lueang. Among the discoveries are works of art, instruments, ornaments and jewelery, beads, pottery and iron axes. These objects are thought to be at least two thousand years old.

The OTOP craft center of Ubon Ratchathani is located outside the city. It sells products from the One Tambon One Product Project (OTOP) which is a fair trade project offering specific products for each municipality.

Wat Thung Si Muang in Ubon Ratchathani it houses one of Isan's most unusual buildings, its library is built in a mix of Burmese, Laotian and Thai styles.

The Chong Mek border market is one of Esan's most famous markets, with clothes, antiques and much more. It is on the border with Laos.

The prehistoric paintings of Pha Taem National Park are between five and seven thousand years old. A conference on paintings, their discovery and their origin is proposed by the Department of Fine Arts.

On the very edge of Ubon Ratchathani on the Laos border, Wat Sirindhorn Wararam (วัดสิรินธรวรารามภูพร้าว) glows every night to satisfy hundreds of Instagram addicts. When the sun goes down, parts of the floor and the walls light up due to the fluorescent paint that is used to decorate the temple.

It is the confluence of a blue river, the Mun and a brown river, the Mekong.

Tham Khuha Sawan temple. This ancient temple was built during the Ayutthaya period and was later restored to become the first royal temple in the province. Inside the temple cave is a large reclining Buddha statue and another sitting Buddha statue. The walls and entrance to the cave are filled with the initials of many kings and members of the royal family who visited the temple. This temple is located at the foot of a mountain called Khao Khuha Sawan.

Visit to the market to buy local fruits. Then we will go to the forest park and the sanctuary on the outskirts of the village. This sanctuary belongs to a holy hermit and the park is filled with bandars (Macaca mulatta) or rhesus macaques who will be happy to catch the fruits we have brought for them.

Walk through the Indo chinese market. There are products from the countries bordering the Mekong (China, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam). Beautiful relaxation while walking along the Mekong market.

Ban Nong Hoi Yai. Meet the rural Thailand. Walking through the village you will discover how villagers weave silk mat-mee (knotted silk) by hands. Their way of life is traditional but in harmony with the modern world.

Wat Phra That Phanom is the sacred enclosure of the Jedi Phra That Phanom, located in That Phanom District, in the southern part of Nakhon Phanom province. It was built in the 16th century by the Laotian King Setthathirath of Lan Xang. Each year, a festival takes place at That Phanom. This festival lasts a week. Thousands of people make the pilgrimage to honor the sanctuary. It collapsed following torrential rains in 1975 and was rebuilt with funds raised through public subscription.

Visit of the museum which shelters many ancient objects preserved inside the jedi.

The house of Ho Chi Minh during his stay in Siam, in the group of Vietnamese villages of Ban Nachok (หมู่บ้าน นา จอก) a few kilometers west of Nakhon Phanom (นครพนม) in Nongyat (หนอง ยั ต) ) and the Muang Amphoe (ตำบล หนอง ญาติ อำเภอ เมือง) become the site of the friendship celebration between Thailand and Vietnam.

The archaeological site of Ban Chiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ban Chiang is still a refuge for many ancient artefacts and testimonials from the past, including charcoal, beautiful pottery and bones. A very nice museum tells the story of this site.

The site, located on a hill at the foot of the Phupan mountain, contains the footprint of the Bua Bok Buddha discovered in 1920, about one and a half meters long, which dates back to 900 or 1,000 A.D. . 60 kilometers northwest from Udon Thani and 50 kilometers southwest from Nong Khai. This little known but fascinating sacred hill of Phra Bat Holy take place long time before the arrival of Buddhism, the slightly wooded hill is dotted with large rocks and small caves. Prehistoric paintings of wild animals and cryptic symbols still adorn those caves, silently testifying of shamans and mystics activities who sought communion with the spirit world. Memories of the pagan past linger deep in the forests of this mysterious hill.

This small town is located along the Mekong River. The people here are descendants of Laotians who left Luang Phrabang to settle in Chiang Khan. And so this extension of the city of Loei is full of laotian architecture and culture. Visitors can't miss the opportunity to visit these beautiful guest houses, its cute pedestrian street, and will be impressed by the magnificent view offered by the Mekong river banks.

The Ban Nakha Silk Market is located about 14 km from Udon Thani City on the Udon-Nong Khai Highway. The market is a paradise for silk, cotton and khits woven products. This is not the kind of tourist attraction that will attract everyone, but this beautiful market deserves to be seen. The Ban Na Kha Thevi temple is next to the market and is a catchy and interesting temple to see if the weather allows it.

Wat Kham Chanot is a Buddhist temple located near Ban Kham Chanot, Ban Dung district, Udon Thani province, in northeastern Thailand. It is located in the Wang Nakhin area, on the edge of a lake where the Naga, a great mythical snake, is supposed to live. A dozen of monks live there permanently. It is believed that the Naga snake has taken refuge on the island. It is connected to the other buildings of the temple by a bridge. A small zoo with turtles has been added to the monastery. In front of the main temple building you can find a permanent (rural) market.

This museum holds the pottery and tools of humanity from 5,000 years ago, under the patronage of UNESCO, it has been on the World Heritage List of Thai culture since 1992. Ban Chiang is considered the largest prehistoric settlement ever discovered in Southeast Asia. It is an important step in the cultural, social and technological evolution of humanity. The site presents the oldest evidence of agriculture in the region, the manufacture and use of metals.

Thai Puan is a group of people who immigrated from southern Laos from Chieng Kwang City to Ban Chiang. The current inhabitants of Ban Chiang are mostly descendants of this group.

The Khon Kaen market is an interesting and colorful place to stroll in a pleasant atmosphere in the heart of the city.

Early in the morning, you will have the opportunity to go to a temple to make a food offering to the monks and continue by exploring the local morning market. You will be able to observe the way of life of the inhabitants.

This archaeological museum, closed on Monday, is located on the foothills of Kum Khao Mountain in Sahat Sakhan District, about twenty-eight kilometers from the city of Kalasin. The museum was baptized and inaugurated by Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The Sirindorn Museum is the first dinosaur fossil museum in Thailand, established for study and research purposes, preserving fossils as a reference and making geological tourism. The museum consists of a research building on fossils of dinosaurs and other vertebrates, as well as an exhibition building. It has the largest fossil collecting rooms in Southeast Asia.

Phu Kum Khao is the site that has the most remains of herbivorous dinosaurs in Thailand. Bones from almost the entire body of dinosaurs are stacked there. It is 200 meters high on the west and about 240 meters high on the east. The building above the excavation hole covers an area of approximately 700 square meters, while the hole under the building is about 280 square kilometers.

At Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon, in Nong Waeng Temple, you will climb the stairs to the ninth floor for enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the city and Kaen Nakhon Lake.

Khon Kaen is a commercial city and hosts the largest university in northeastern Thailand, we will take a tour of the city of Khon Kaen and a walk around Lake Bueng Kaen Nakhon to observe the local peoples lifestyle and activities .

About one hour thirty minutes from Korat, this city is located on a major road. It is not very attractive in itself, but above all it makes the way more easy to get to the {{Khao Yai}} national park.

The Heo Narok Waterfall (Hell Valley waterfall) is the largest in Khao Yai Park. We will go search for éléphants passage traces , especially where they come to lick mineral salts, if we are lucky we will perhaps meet one of them...