A Complete Travel Guide To Khon Kaen - Adventures In Isan
Continuing our adventures through less touristy Thailand this is our travel guide to the city of Khon Kaen. Read all about what there is to do in this under-appreciated Isan city. From lakeside night markets to jaw-dropping temples and even some friendly capybaras, our guide covers everything there is to see, do and eat in Khon Kaen.
Khon Kaen sits in the heart of Thailand’s northeastern region of Isan. Home to some fantastic food and restaurants, tranquil temples, a beautiful lake and even a mini zoo, Khon Kaen very quickly became one of our favourite spots we visited during the whole of our Isan adventure. This lesser known city really captured our hearts and is just another example of why travel rewards those who get off the well-trodden path!
The city is a delightful mix of contrasts. On one side of the street, you’ll pass by rows of tailors lining the busy pavement, sitting crouched over old sewing machines, whilst directly opposite, you’ll find high-end coffee shops, funky bars and the neon lights of 7-Eleven convenient stores.
We spent almost a week in the city but easily could have spent longer. At first glance, it looks as though there is very little to see and do, but as you start to unpick at the layers of the city, more and more is revealed! Despite being one of the ‘big four’ cities of Isan, Khon Kaen was so easy to walk around and had such a laid-back vibe that we absolutely fell in love it. Here’s our full Khon Kaen guide on everything we did, everything we saw and everything we ate and drank in this Isan city!
Khon Kaen is famous for dinosaurs… can you tell!
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In this Khon Kaen Travel Guide:
What To See And Do In Khon Kaen
Sometimes travelling without a plan turns out to be the best decision you can make. We arrived in Khon Kaen with very little idea about how we were going to fill our days, but we quickly found that there was plenty to keep us occupied. Here’s just some of what we got up to.
Learn about local history at the Khon Kaen National Museum
After a fun afternoon in the sun feeding some capybaras in a bathtub (more on this later) we headed to Khon Kaen’s National Museum to have a more mature rest of the day learning about the local history.
On the ground floor of the museum there are lots of exhibits showcasing some of the Bronze and Stone Age artefacts that have been found within the province. Including pots, coins, statues and even a skeleton of a man with his knees bound together. We really liked seeing the casts they used to make axe heads and found it fascinating to see the development of jewellery from plain stone bracelets to pretty glass bead necklaces.
Upstairs the museum highlights the different Khmer ruins that can be found around Isan, as well as explaining what the different types of temples and chedi’s that can be found both in Khon Kaen province and across Thailand.
Outside in the small museum courtyard, there is a room showing what life was like living in a traditional wooden home. The replica house has a kitchen and bedrooms and shows how locals would have hunted, fished and cooked in the past.
Don’t miss the intricately carved border stones outside in the grounds of the museum. As we were leaving, the very friendly receptionist who issued our tickets came running out and enthusiastically directed us to them!
Entry fee: A ticket costs 200 baht for foreigners, 20 baht for Thai nationals.
Opening times: The museum is open from Wednesday to Sunday from 9 AM to 4 PM. The museum is closed on Mondays, Tuesdays and public holidays.
Throughout the museum, the information is displayed on signs written in both Thai and English languages.
Climb up the beautiful Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon temple (Wat Nong Wang)
The humongous, pyramid shaped, multi-tiered temple of Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon (also known as Wat Nong Wang) sits overlooking the southwestern edge of Kaen Nakhon Lake and is one of the iconic sights of Khon Kaen.
The temple is absolutely massive, it towered over us like some gold and white layered wedding cake! At the bottom of the pyramid, we entered a cavernous prayer hall that was completely packed out with monks, families and other devotees, all chanting, praying or leaving offerings. As we wandered around the hall, huge loudspeakers rang out with Buddhist chants and the smokey sweet smell of incense filled the air. In the middle of the hall there is a big golden Buddha statue speckled in gold leaf and across the walls colourful paintings showing different stories of the Buddha. It’s a remarkable and truly atmospheric place.
The photos here really don’t do justice to the scale of Wat Nong Wang temple!
At first, we thought it was just the prayer hall that you could visit, but we soon spied a nondescript door that led us to a set of stairs. Being adventurers (or at least thinking we are), we headed up. We climbed floor after floor, passing levels lined with statues of the Buddha all in different aspects, some floors covered in colourful murals and some containing small intricate shrines. Eventually, after a very sweaty climb, we reached level 9, the top of the pyramid!
At the top of the temple there is an outside terrace that circles around the whole upper floor. The view from the top (and the breeze) were incredible. From this panoramic top-down view, you could see out over the red roofs of the temple, across the vast Kaen Nakhon Lake and all the way over the skyline of Khon Kaen. We spent a good half hour snapping photos and soaking up the chilled atmosphere of the temple. Before you leave make sure you look up and into the rafters as you can spot lots of pigeons peacefully nesting amongst the carved wooden golden struts.
Entry fee: The temple is free to enter. Just remember to dress appropriately (shoulders and knees must be covered) and be respectful.
Explore the tranquil Wat That Phra Aram Luang temple
We stumbled upon Wat That Phra Aram Luang Temple on our first night whilst we were munching our way around Bueng Kaen Nakhon Night Market. As we sat devouring our street snacks, the lights covering the enormous orange stupa were switched on and the whole stupa lit up in front of us.
The orange stupa is just one part of Wat That Phra Aram Luang. Behind the stupa hides what could possibly be the biggest prayer hall we’ve seen in Thailand so far. Inside the prayer hall the walls are covered with paintings and images of dinosaurs all painted in red, gold and white - an ode to the dinosaur remains that have been found in Khon Kaen province.
Wat That Phra Aram Luang is very peaceful and much more serene than Wat Nong Wang. It felt more like a local place of worship than a pilgrimage site.
As we mentioned above, one of the best views of the temple is from the Bueng Kaen Nakhon Night Market where come early evening as the sun goes down, you can see the whole stupa lit up - see more details below!
Entry fee: Similar to Wat Nong Wang above, this temple is completely free to enter. As always, please dress appropriately if you’re planning a visit.
Check out the vibrant Khon Kaen Art Wall and hunt for hidden paintings
We’ve seen some incredible street art in Thailand, from Mukdahan in the northeast to Songkhla in the south, but the Khon Kaen Art Wall is one of our favourites!
Khon Kaen’s offering is more than just one big wall of street art. The art here is centered around a small courtyard full of old buildings and warehouses. The street art is painted on everything and anything, from the paving stones on the floor to flower pots. Even the windows and doors feature in the art work.
Some of our favourite murals showed a man appearing to walk straight out of the wall whilst pushing a trolley laden with goods. Another mural, painted on the entrance to Vector Coffee (more on this later), showed a teacher and a student sitting either side of the door pointing at each other. We loved how each of the flower pots inside the courtyard featured images of painted cats. The inner courtyard is somewhere where you have to spend a lot of time looking both up and down to reveal all the colourful mysteries hidden on the walls.
Outside on the outer walls there is a street food mural, a painted window that looks into a barbers and a scene showing children playing in a playground - this was the most fun mural as it even featured hanging loops to play on!
If you’re hungry the courtyard was full of restaurants, coffeeshops, bars and bakeries.
Entry fee: The Khon Kaen Art Wall is free to explore.
Take a scenic walk around Kaen Nakhon Lake and spot some dinosaurs
This huge body of water dominates the southwest of the city. The Kaen Nakhon Lake (or reservoir) as it is labelled on Google Maps is a great place to stretch your legs. We would recommend walking anti-clockwise, stopping in at Wat That Phra Aram Luang temple and Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon temple before circumnavigating the whole lake.
The path around the lake literally follows the water's edge. As you wander around you’ll pass by lots of outdoor gyms, a small children’s library and children’s play areas. The path is very cool and shady and there are lots of grassy lawns and benches dotted around the park for you to relax on.
One of the best views of Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon temple is from the opposite side Khon Kaen Lake!
On the eastern edge of the lake you’ll pass a massive ‘Khon Kaen’ sign marked by a truly gigantic green diplodocus statue and some other more questionable looking dinosaur / tortoise statues. Further on from the herd of colourful dinosaurs, you’ll reach the Vietnamese One Pillar Pagoda (very similar looking to the pagoda found in the centre of Hanoi) and just a short walk from this, you’ll find the beautiful buildings and ornate gardens of the Thai Chinese Cultural Centre. Just over the road is the (probably very pretty) Bung Tao Gong Ma Chinese Shrine but when we visited, it was covered in scaffolding!
Just behind the Thai Chinese Cultural Centre is a huge concrete amphitheatre and underneath this you can find the Khon Kaen City Museum. We didn’t spot the entrance to this museum until our last morning wandering around the lake so we will definitely have to check it out next time we’re in the city.
Kaen Nakhon Lake is a great place to escape the busy streets. We walked the lake a few times at different times of day and absolutely loved how peaceful it was. We can highly recommend wandering the lake at sunset as the surface of the lake creates the perfect mirror to reflect the temples, lights and skyline of Khon Kaen.
The t-rex is certainly… striking!
Eat street food at the Bueng Kaen Nakhon Night Market
Clinging to the waters of the northern edge of Kaen Nakhon Lake the stalls of Bueng Kaen Nakhon Night Market spring up to feed hungry diners each evening.
As you approach, the first half of the market is full of stalls selling clothes, vintage sportswear, make-up and phone accessories, however, the second half of the market housed our favourite section - the food stalls!
We headed here every evening and picked up some delicious street eats including fried chicken, moo ping, our favourite Thai style sushi, kanom tuay (coconut puddings) and loads more. The thing about night markets in Thailand is that there is always something tasty to tempt you.
There are some benches set up on the lakefront but most of the locals were just bringing their own picnic mats and sitting down in the twilight.
The backdrop of Kaen Nakhon Lake (especially at sunset) makes for a stunning setting for the night market especially with the temples and glowing lights of the city reflecting in the water. We loved picking up a selection of snacks, making camp and watching as the sun set over the lake.
Dine with locals and devour Isan treats at the Khon Kaen Night Market
One night market is never enough! Luckily Khon Kaen has another one to peruse. The imaginatively named Khon Kaen Night Market springs up in the centre of town (located just behind the Fairy Plaza)and is an absolute must.
At the market you’ll find all the usual Thai night market street food suspects from stir-fried rice and noodles to soups, salads, grilled meats and more. A word of warning; some of the stalls were selling enormous portions so make sure you go hungry!
We didn’t ever eat our main meal here but would go to pick up either starters in the form of satay or sushi or some after dinner sweet treats such as khanom bueang (Thai style sweet tacos) or mango sticky rice!
There’s plenty of seating available so just head up to your chosen stall, place your order and take a seat. If you’re not hungry, the market also has all the usual array of stalls selling clothes, toys, stickers and more.
Opening times: The market is open everyday from 5 PM until 2 AM.
The Bueng Kaen Nakhon Night Market has plenty of food on offer!
Shop for souvenirs at the Khon Kaen Walking Street Market
Walking Street Markets are a key highlight of any trip to Thailand and Khon Kaen has a fantastic one.
Khon Kaen’s Walking Street Market stretched all along one snaking road and was full of stalls selling everything from children’s toys to perfume, vintage clothing to mobile phone accessories. The market is a great spot if you want to try some street food with all the usual Thai market favourites being sold - think meat on sticks, Thai style sushi, fried chicken alongside iced tea vendors, donut sellers and ‘make your own’ very sweet and very sickly smoothie stalls (Red Bull blended with cupcake blended with jelly sweets anyone?).
When we visited, the Walking Street Market was even bigger than usual as it was the local OTOP exhibition (the One Tambon One Product program introduced by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra to promote local entrepreneurship) and, as a result, it felt as though everyone from Khon Kaen province had descended on the market. It was extremely busy and the fair stretched out in all directions. There were local food and craft stalls, a big music stage and lots of impromptu dance displays and bands playing music. It was really good fun but extremely busy!
Opening Times: The Walking Street Market is open every Saturday from 5 PM.
Visit the Khon Kaen Exotic Pets Zoo
Sometimes we do physical activities like hiking or cycling, sometimes we do cultural things like visiting a museum or a temple and sometimes, just sometimes, we find ourselves bottle-feeding some very excitable goats!
Khon Kaen’s Exotic Pets is half pet showroom / half mini petting zoo. Once you’ve bought your tickets and headed through the gates you find yourself in what can only be described as critter chaos!
Goats, miniature ponies and capybaras live alongside rabbits, a flock of angry geese and a pair of very horny, enormous tortoises. It was creature carnage! We had made the mistake of buying some of the 20 baht goat milk and as soon as we had made our way through the gates we were surrounded by incredibly enthusiastic and very hungry bleating. What followed was a hilarious afternoon which involved spinning in circles bottle-feeding many goats, hand-feeding grass to a capybara as it sat sunbathing in a bathtub and giggling as a mob of meerkats watched the sky as an aeroplane took off from the nearby airport!
At the back of the petting zoo is a huge room that’s full of the fluffiest cats we’ve ever seen. They were so chilled out we spent a good while just sitting on the floor stroking these pampered princesses.
We absolutely loved our time at the exotic pet zoo. It was so much fun and we didn’t stop laughing during the whole of our visit. The zoo is a little way out of town so you will need to hail a Grab or Bolt to take you there, but we had no problems getting to or from the zoo.
On the road to the zoo there are a couple of restaurants and a bakery and the nearest 7-Eleven is only a short walk away from the entrance.
Entry fee: Each ticket to the petting zoo costs 150 baht. If you want to buy goat milk it’ll cost you 20 baht and to buy a bag of fish food it’ll cost you 10 baht. The zoo is obviously more aimed at children but what can we say, we’re big kids too!
Opening times: The zoo is open everyday from 10 AM until 6 PM.
We’re not going to go into the ethics of the zoo. Most of the animals appeared free range and the bird enclosure seemed, to our uneducated eyes, to be large but we are not experts at this. If you’re not into zoos or don’t agree with them then perhaps give this one a miss!
Where To Eat And Drink In Khon Kaen
Khon Kaen is a massive city with everything from air-conditioned restaurants to street carts selling all your Thai street food classic. We had no trouble wandering the streets and stumbling upon some delicious eats. Here are some of our favourite dining spots we found in the city.
Dining with the locals - Our favourite Thai food spots
As with all our travels around Thailand, during any trip we predominantly stick to the local dishes. When we weren’t eating in the markets listed above, here’s some of our favourite spots we ate at:
Chinese Style Roast Meat Restaurant
Sitting just over the road from our accommodation (the Neo Hotel - more info about where we stayed below) this roast meat restaurant was super busy from lunchtime until closing. Serving every kind of delicious Chinese-style roasted meat you could want, we ordered up a plate of khao moo daeng (red roast pork on rice covered in a tangy, sweet sauce) and a bowl of egg noodles topped with roasted duck and crispy belly pork. Both dishes were amazing and came served with an ultra fragrant broth on the side.
Gai Yan and Som Tam Restaurant (ร้านอาหารโต้งปลาเผา)
If you’re planning a trip through Isan and only get to try one single Isan dish, then make sure it is a plate of gai yan (grilled chicken), som tam (papaya salad) and khao niao (sticky rice)!
We were seduced by this gai yan and som tam restaurant as we walked past it on our way to the night market. Lining the pavement outside the restaurant are huge BBQ fire pits that were laden with salt-crusted fish and marinated whole chickens all being roasted over glowing charcoal.
Lunch or dinner, you really cannot go wrong with an Isan feast of grilled chicken and som tam salad!
This restaurant was so good we actually ended up munching here twice during our stay. The gai yan was juicy and moist and full of flavour - a hearty combo of smokey BBQ char alongside the sweet, herby marinade. The som tam salad was extremely spicy (just how we like it) and very fresh. The first time we ordered it we had the plain version and the second time we were more adventurous and asked for it to come with pickled crabs that gave the whole dish a umami rich flavour.
Isan dining tip - make sure you leave some sticky rice to soak up all the juice from the som tam salad at the end. Just ball up the rice, soak it in the juices and enjoy! If you’re feeling very adventurous and want the full experience, order like a local and ask for “plaa” with your som tam. Plaa is the raw semi-fermented crabs that really give an Isan kick to the salad. They’re certainly not for everyone but you should definitely try them at least once!
Tom Yum Restaurant (ก๋วยเตี๋ยวหัวลำโพง)
Sitting just next door to Phra Mahathat Kaen Nakhon Temple (Wat Nong Wang), you will find this very small tom yum restaurant. In need of refuelling after a full morning of temple hopping around the city, we headed in for a delicious bowl of tom yum noodles. The bowls were a good size and the noodles and soup were completely covered in layers of pork balls, sliced pork, chopped peanuts and a perfectly cooked half boiled egg. After eating our way through countless bowls of tom yum during our Thai travels, we can confirm that this was a delicious example of the famous Thai soup!
Stir Fried Dishes (สายฝนอาหารตามสั่ง)
Serving every stir fry you can think of, this small street side restaurant was always popular for a reason. We ducked in for two plates of fried rice, one with sliced Chinese sausage and the other with strips of roast pork and had a delicious and hearty meal. Both plates were smokey rich, wok charred and packed with flavour!
Rice and Curry Buffet (เจ๊เงาะข้าวแกง)
If you’ve been following our travels for a while now, then you’ll know that if there’s rice and curry on offer, then we are powerless to resist it! This very popular streetside buffet became our go-to for breakfast everyday during our stay in Khon Kaen.
Fronted by two very friendly guys, who were very eager to show us their favourite dishes and to teach us how to order in Thai, over the next few breakfasts we devoured a variety of different curries. The pork penang from this stall was a complete standout. Full of spice, yet laden with creamy rich undertones, it was utterly delicious. On other days we demolished a sweet and sour fried fish curry, an aubergine and minced pork curry and a stir-fry of scrambled egg and bitter melon. Every dish we tried was amazing! Rice and curry is always a great find in any Thai city, but this one was fantastic. It was super cheap and super moreish and we still think about the pork penang to this day!
On our last day in Khon Kaen the mother of the two guys serving gave us a free local fruit pudding to try. It was super sweet, yet incredibly refreshing and a perfect counterpoint to the spicy, rich plates we had just munched down on.
Essential travel tip - make sure you get here early. The restaurant is very popular and by mid-morning they had usually sold out of everything!
Pork penang with stir-fried egg and bitter melon!
Tong Paet Market Food Court
Just down the road (around a 5 minute walk) from the Khon Kaen Art Wall sits the bustling Tong Paet Market Food Court. We headed here for a late lunch straight after checking out the street art.
Even though we were visiting for a late lunch, the food court was still absolutely rammed with students and office workers all slurping down on bowls of noodles. We decided to do what we always do in a food court and circle round the stalls like a couple of sweaty vultures scouting out what there was on offer. The food court had so much choice. Every inch of the outer interior wall of the food court was lined with different eateries selling all the Thai street food favourites; from pad krapao to khao man gai, boat noodles to som tam. After a lot of deliberation and a lot of circling around the stalls, we eventually settled on a tom yum stall.
The tom yum we were given was very different to other tom yums we have eaten throughout Thailand but it was still utterly delicious. The broth was a lot lighter and a lot paler in colour (almost looking like a normal pork noodle broth) but still had that tangy citrus kick you get from any good bowl of tom yum. The pork balls were some of the best we’ve been served. Peppery and meaty, they had a great bouncy texture and sucked up the soup broth like little piggy sponges. If you find yourself at this stall make sure you ask for extra crunchy toppings. The crispy wontons served here were a lot thinner, more crispy and were very different to the usual crispy shards you normally get served.
We absolutely adored dining here. The elderly couple who owned the stall were so friendly and so happy we had chosen their stall. They even got out their special china bowls for us to eat from! Thai hospitality always melts our hearts.
The food court is just down the road from Khon Kaen’s Railway Station so would be a great spot to head to if you’re arriving or departing the city by train.
Opening times: The food court is open everyday from 8 AM until 8 PM.
A taste of home - Western comforts in Khon Kaen
Throughout our travels in Thailand we predominantly stick to eating Thai food, but sometimes we crave something familiar, something that reminds us of home!
If you’re missing home or are travelling with a fussy travel companion, we can recommend heading over to the Khon Kaen Central Shopping Mall (location) to get your Western fix. Not only is it a great spot to refresh your backpacking wardrobe and to bask in the cool air conditioning, but if you’re hungry you could head to the food court and dine at McDonalds, the Pizza Company, Swensen’s and Hachiban Ramen and many more other chain stores.
Long Pizza Thailand
When you’ve been on the road in Asia for as long as we have, finding a good pizza restaurant is a godsend - sometimes you just need to curb your cheese cravings!
We treated ourselves to a cute date night at Long Pizza Thailand and it really didn’t disappoint. The pizzas we chose were incredible. Super thin, super crispy and topped with some delicious toppings that tasted as though they had been flown straight in from Italy!
We ordered (and shared) a rocket, parma ham and burrata pizza alongside a simple salami covered pizza. The salami pizza was the perfect counterpoint to the creamy, rich burrata pizza. Spicy and peppery, the tomato sauce on this pizza reminded us a little of Heinz Beans in a really good way (forgive us Italians, we had been on the road for a long time by this point). It was extremely comforting and absolutely laden with melted mozzarella, however, the burrata pizza was the star of the show. As you cut through the outer shell of the burrata, the creamy interior spilled out all over the peppery rocket and salty parma ham. In every bite, you got hits of salt, spice from the pepper and sweetness from the parma ham - the perfect balance of all three flavours. It was amazing!
We paid 1020 baht for 2 pizzas and 2 cokes. A little more than we usually pay for a meal on the street, but for an air-conditioned, delicious date night, we really cannot argue!
Hidden Town Jazz Bar
After our date night pizza, we headed out on the streets to find a bar and stumbled upon Hidden Town. The bar is aptly named ‘hidden’ as you could easily walk past it as apart from a neon sign displayed on the window, there’s very little to say that it is a bar.
Inside the jazz bar, it’s like you’ve been transported to the Roaring 20s. The bar has all the vibes of a speakeasy with cosy lighting, thick curtains covering the windows, yellow lamps, dark wallpaper and even black and white Charlie Chaplin films playing on the TVs.
The bar has a big cocktail menu offering different takes on mojitos, daiquiris and other favourites for about 300 baht per drink. Although we do love a cocktail, we decided to be boring budget backpackers and stuck with beer all night (the bar had a promotion where if you bought 5 beers you got one free). A band area was set up but there was no live music mid-week when we visited.
The Hidden Town Jazz Bar was a flawless end to our date night in Khon Kaen. The bar was very chilled out and felt as though we could be in the middle of New York, Paris or London!
All our top coffee shops and cafes in Khon Kaen
Thailand is well known worldwide for its spicy cuisine, but what you may not know is that Thailand has a thriving coffee culture and Khon Kaen is no exception to this! Without meaning to, we ended up doing a pretty extensive coffee crawl through the city, so here’s just some of our favourite spots we re-caffeinated at.
Doubleshot X Khonkaen
Set a few roads back from the Bueng Kaen Nakhon Night Market, we stopped by at Doubleshot X to pick up a coffee before a full evening of munching at the market. We stuck with our usual order of two iced lattes that were delicious!
The coffees were a little more expensive than other coffee shops on this list, but they were exceptionally crafted. When you place your coffee order, you can choose what beans you want and the type of roast.
The cafe offers all the usual coffee offerings alongside some coffee cocktails / mocktails. There is also a huge refrigerator stuffed full of some amazing looking cakes and sweet treats. There is seating both inside and outside the cafe.
Neighbour Cafe
Unlike its more modern and industrial looking neighbours on the street, Neighbour Cafe is set in a beautiful, traditional Thai style, cream and pale green wooden panelled building. Inside, the sleek exterior vibes continue, with a contemporary modern interior consisting of white bricked walls, dark wooden furniture and lots of green plants.
Neighbour Cafe serves delicious coffee alongside Thai style tea, a big selection of cakes and sweet treats, smoothies and even some small meals. On the weekend the cafe is very popular with locals and families. It also borders a frozen yogurt shop if you’re peckish after you’re caffeine treat!
Wansabaai Coffee
Sitting almost opposite Neighbour Cafe, you could easily miss the two stools that mark the counter to this small, hole-in-the-wall coffeeshop. The coffee from Wansabaai Coffee was amazing. Properly craft-brewed and fresh-pressed coffee that was expertly poured over ice by a very friendly barista. Delicious and cheap, Wansabaai Coffee was a stand out for us!
Prodigy Coffee
Prodigy Coffee is a very popular coffeeshop and on-site bakery. We popped in for a late afternoon pick-me-up and ordered two rocket-fuel laden iced americanos. As we sat waiting for our coffees to be made, the smell of baking bread wafted through the cafe from the adjacent bakery and it wasn’t too long until a sesame bagel filled with cream cheese was added to our order!
Bagels seem to be gaining a bit of popularity throughout South East Asia and the bagels cooked up here were definitely some of the best we have eaten throughout our travels.
Prodigy Coffee serves up a full range of craft coffee, teas, matcha and Italian sodas alongside a huge array of different style bagels (sesame, plain, poppy seed, matcha, chocolate and more) that can be topped with a variety of delicious sweet or savoury toppings.
SicXcup Coffee
Another achingly cool, modern coffee shop, decked out with black metal furniture, green plants and polished concrete, SicXcup Coffee became our favourite coffee shop in Khon Kaen.
The es orange (americano and orange - don’t knock it until you’ve tried it) was the best we’ve had so far in the whole of Thailand. An espresso soda mixed with freshly squeezed orange and topped with mint. It was refreshing, super tasty and very addictive!
Vector Coffee Roaster l The Wall
The Vector Coffee Roaster is another sleek coffeeshop that strikes the perfect balance between industrial chic, modern aesthetics and vintage charm. Sitting in the heart of Khon Kaen’s Street Art courtyard, the coffeeshop is a perfect excuse to treat yourself to (a slightly more expensive but very tasty) craft coffee.
We ordered our usual iced lattes and took a seat at the back of the coffeeshop in what felt a bit like we were sitting in a small museum. All around old printmakers lined the walls and black and white photos hung from the wooden beams. Vector Coffee is a little more expensive than other coffeeshops on this list, but it was really good coffee and a great spot to cool off after spotting street art.
Khon Kaen Essential Travel Information
We’ve covered all our favourite things to see, do and eat in Khon Kaen so now here’s all the essential information you’ll need if you’re planning your own trip to Khon Kaen.
Where is Khon Kaen and how to get there?
Khon Kaen is located in Thailand’s vast northeastern region of Isan. You can find the city on a map here. Khon Kaen (like many of Thailand’s main cities) is the capital of the province which boasts the same name as the city (Khon Kaen province) .
Khon Kaen is considered to be one of the four ‘big four cities’ of Isan, along with Udon Thani to the north, Ubon Ratchathani in the southeast and Nakhon Ratchasima (also known as Korat) in the southwest.
Khon Kaen is extremely well connected to the rest of Thailand, with bus, train and even flight connections. Read on to find out more!
Getting to Khon Kaen by bus
Khon Kaen’s main bus station - Khon Kaen Bus Terminal no. 3 is located a short drive outside of the city centre. You can find the bus station here on a map.
You can easily catch a bus to Khon Kaen from anywhere within Isan or from Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Once you arrive at the bus station you can hail a taxi (Grab or Bolt) to take you into the city (it should cost around 100 baht and take around 10 minutes) or hop on to one of the public songthaews that travel to and from the bus station.
To book your bus tickets in advance, we would always use 12Go. Click the different routes below for ticket prices.
We were already in the middle of a big Isan adventure when we visited Khon Kaen and so caught a bus from Mukdahan to get to the city and then when it was time to leave, we caught a bus north and headed to Udon Thani.
If you’re planning a trip around Isan we can highly recommend both Mukdahan and Udon Thani. Both cities are very unique with great food and incredible temples. Make sure you check out our full Mukdahan guide and our Udon Thani travel guide for more ideas on where to go in Isan!
Travelling by bus in Thailand is one of our favourite ways to travel. We’ve used them throughout the whole of our Thai adventures, travelling across the whole of the country from north to south, east to west. Bus travel in Thailand is super cheap (perfect for budget backpackers) and is so easy to use. If you haven’t, we can highly recommend the Thai buses!
Getting to Khon Kaen by train
Khon Kaen’s main train station is located in the heart of the city and has trains connecting Khon Kaen to Bangkok’s Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station every day with journeys taking around 6 to 8 hours.
Click the following link to book your Bangkok to Khon Kaen train tickets
If you’re already travelling through Isan, Khon Kaen is connected by railway to Nong Khai and Udon Thani in the north and Nakhon Ratchasima (Korat) to the southwest of the city. For those coming from Laos, the easiest border crossing is at Nong Khai. From there just catch a bus or a train south to Khon Kaen (although we would highly recommend you stop and spend a couple of days exploring Nong Khai and Udon Thani first before heading south).
For those leaving Khon Kaen by train, it’s only a short walk to the Tong Paet Market Food Court we mentioned in the food and drink section of this article above. If you’re after a quick meal before you board your train we can highly recommend stopping here.
There’s also a huge fresh market opposite the train station (the Khon Kaen Talat Rod Fai Railway Market) that’s worth a quick wander through if you’re like us and love a bit of market exploration. The market seemed to specialise in selling wholesale fruit of every kind, with stalls stuffed to the brim with mounds of watermelons, durian and more!
Getting to Khon Kaen by air
Khon Kaen’s International Airport (location) is located a short 10 minute drive away from the centre of the city. For those short on time, you can easily fly into (or out of) Khon Kaen from either Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport or Don Mueang Airport or if you’re already in northern Thailand, from Chiang Mai’s International Airport.
Book your Bangkok to Khon Kaen flights here
Book your Chiang Mai to Khon Kaen flights here
Flight times from either Bangkok or Chiang Mai are very short, with each flight taking just over an hour to reach the city. Internal flights in Thailand are surprisingly cheap and are a very efficient way to get around the country if you’re travelling light. For our pick of the ultimate carry-on friendly travel bag, make sure you check out our review of the CabinZero 28L here.
To find the best deals on how to get to Khon Kaen (across all transport options - bus, train and air), just click the widget below:
How to get around Khon Kaen - Transport options within the city
Once you are in the centre of the city, we found Khon Kaen to be easily walkable. For attractions further away, such as the National Museum and the Exotic Pets Zoo, we simply hailed a taxi. In Khon Kaen, both Grab and Bolt work. We only used Grab, but whenever we booked a ride, we didn’t have to wait for more than a couple of minutes until our taxi arrived.
To use ride hailing apps you will need an internet connection. We always bought a physical SIM card once we were in Thailand, however, if you would prefer to have the internet as soon as you arrive, we can highly recommend buying a Thai eSIM from Holafly.
Khon Kaen is very easy to walk around with plenty of pavements. If you’re looking for a nice, scenic walk, through parkland, we can highly recommend circumnavigating the Kaen Nakhon Lake (see above in the ‘what to do’ section of this article) either early in the morning or just before sunset.
Where to stay? Accommodation in Khon Kaen
We stayed at the excellent Neo Hotel (location), which is set just a short walk away from the shoreline of Kaen Nakhon Lake. We booked a private double room which came with an en-suite bathroom, a very big, comfy bed and some much needed air-conditioning. The highlight of the room was the small balcony that looked out over the rooftops and the gleaming stupas of the temple below. We loved standing with a beer on the balcony watching the cities lights sparkle to life.
We have stayed in many hotels and guesthouses across Isan and the Neo Hotel was one of the best we have stayed in. The room was enormous and looked as though it had been very recently renovated. Downstairs next to the reception area there is a small shop selling snacks, drinks, beer and pot noodles and there is a small laundry on-site with washing machines and tumble dryers available to use for a small fee. Outside there is plenty of seating to munch down on any takeaway street food night market purchases and there is a big car park for hotel guests who have rented a car / motorbike. If we have inspired you to plan a trip to Khon Kaen and you want to stay at the hotel yourself, just click the following link to book your own room at Neo Hotel.
To check out all the other accommodation available in Khon Kaen including hostels, guesthouses and upmarket hotels, just enter your dates of travel in our handy map below:
Where to go next? All our Isan travel guides
Khon Kaen is a perfect starting, ending or middling point on a big Isan adventure. Using either the bus network, trains or even by renting a car, you can easily explore this lesser known region of Thailand.
We have visited Isan twice now. The first time, we explored using the buses, starting in Nong Khai in the north, travelling along the Mekong to Bueng Kan, Nakhon Pathom and Mukdahan, before heading inland to Sakhon Nakhon, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen.
On our second trip we used the train and travelled from Ubon Ratchathani in the east, stopping at Si Sa Ket, Surin, Buriram before finishing in Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) - more travel guides on all these places coming very soon!
To read all about what we got up to and to help plan your own Isan trip, make sure you check out all our Isan travel guides below:
Our Khon Kaen online map
If you’re planning a trip to Khon Kaen, make sure you check out our online map where we have saved everywhere we visited and discussed in this article for easy reference.
Final Thoughts
Khon Kaen was one of those Thai cities where we instantly fell in love with its charms, laidback vibes and delicious food scene. We arrived not knowing what there was to see and do, but left knowing that we needed to plan a much longer return.
During this stay, we really only just scratched the surface of Khon Kaen. As we delved deeper into the city, more and more of its delicious food and drink scene revealed itself to us. Next time we visit, we could easily plan to stay much longer, just eating, drinking and exploring this amazing city and the wider Khon Kaen province.
Khon Kaen was one of those highlights you get when travelling. Somewhere you visit without knowing anything about it but end up leaving with a broken heart when it’s time to say goodbye. It’s a city that was full of surprises and somewhere we could easily imagine living.
Most backpackers and travellers heading to Thailand still stick to the well worn tourist routes, but Khon Kaen revealed a completely different side to Thailand. If you have the time, do yourself a favour and head to Khon Kaen to explore somewhere truly unique.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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How To Get To Koh Phangan, Koh Samui & Koh Tao On A Budget!
Getting to any Thai island can be an expensive affair. Read our full guide to find out how to get to the popular backpacking islands of Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and Koh Tao on a budget!
For decades, the islands of Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and Koh Tao have been popular stops on the infamous “Banana Backpacking” trail of South East Asia. Like pilgrims to a shrine, the islands offer backpackers stunning beaches, incredible diving and the neon paints of the world-famous Full Moon parties.
Getting to any island can be an expensive affair. With speedboat tickets, pier and national park fees as well as onward transfers to think about, a cheap island getaway can very quickly turn into a backpacking, budget-breaking blowout!
Here’s our guide to getting to Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and Koh Tao on a budget!
In This Travel Guide:
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Getting To The Islands From Donsak Pier - Essential Information
Donsak Pier sits on the eastern coast of Thailand, about an hours drive (around 65 KM) away from the city of Surat Thani. At Donsak there are two piers. One that serves the Raja Ferries (found on Google Maps here) and another that serves the Seatran Ferries (located here). Both piers are very close to each other. If you’re travelling via Raja, you will arrive at a big carpark. From there you will need to transfer to a free songthaew who will drive you down to the pier / docking area.
At Donsak Pier, both Raja and Seatran ferries offer daily services to Koh Phangan and Koh Samui. If you’re heading to Koh Tao you will need to book a speedboat / catamaran ticket with the operator Lomprayah (see more later).
For those who have bought tickets online in advance you will need to go to the ticket office to collect your actual paper tickets. You cannot board the boat with the e-ticket. Make sure you leave plenty of time to do this as it can get very busy, especially if you’re heading to Koh Phangan in time for the Full / Half Moon parties.
We travelled with both Raja and Seatran. We found Raja to be much more basic, but perfectly fine for the 2.5 hour journey to Koh Phangan. If you’re after a more luxurious, air-conditioned transfer, plan to book tickets with Seatran. Honestly we kind of preferred Raja. For us at least it was nicer to sit out in the open air and sea breeze than inside the air-conditioned cabin.
Both ferries had small shops on-board and toilets. We didn’t use the toilets on either Raja or Seatran so cannot give a review of them, but if you needed to go, we’re sure they both would do the job! The shops on board both the Raja and Seatran ferries were stocked with water, soft drinks, snacks and pot noodles. As expected, prices were a lot higher on board than on the mainland, so we would recommend packing your own picnic before you board.
If you’re taking your own motorbike / scooter / car over to the islands you can book vehicle tickets to both Koh Phangan and Koh Samui with both Raja and Seatran.
Departure Times For Raja Ferries
Raja ferries depart every day from Donsak Pier. If you’re on foot, you’ll need to head to the Raja Office located here. From here you will be taken down to the pier on a songthaew. If you’re taking your scooter / motorbike over to the islands, just head down to the pier located here.
Donsak Pier to Koh Phangan
Ferries depart to Koh Phangan from Donsak Pier at 05:00, 08:00, 11:00, 14:00 and 18:00 and will take 2.5 hours to get to Thong Sala Pier on Koh Phangan (located here).
Donsak Pier to Koh Samui
Ferries depart Donsak Pier every hour from 05:00 in the morning until 19:00 in the evening and take 1.5 hours to get to the Lipa Noi pier on Koh Samui (located here).
Departure Times For Seatran Ferries
Seatran ferries also depart daily from Donsak. The pier / ticket office can be found here on Google Maps.
Donsak Pier to Koh Phangan
Seatran ferries depart from Donsak Pier to Thong Sala Pier on Koh Phangan at 05:30, 08:30, 11:30. 14:30 and 17:30 and it will take 2.5 hours to reach the island.
Donsak Pier to Koh Samui
Seatran ferries depart every hour from Donsak Pier to Nathon Pier (located here) from 05:00 in the morning until 18:00 in the evening. There are additional services every half hour that run at 06:30, 10:30, 13:30, 15:30, 16:30 and 18:30. Each journey will take 1.5 hours to reach the island.
To book your ferry tickets in advance, click on the links below:
Ferries to Koh Phangan
Ferries to Koh Samui
If you’re planning to travel to or from the islands during the Full / Half Moon parties, over the Christmas and New Year’s Eve period or during Songkran, make sure to book your tickets well in advance! They can and will sell out.
If you are planning a trip to Koh Phangan then do not miss out on our guides to the island. For all the best things to do (beyond the full moon party) check out our complete Koh Phangan Travel Guide, and for all the best brunch, lunch dinner and local food spots, check out our guide to the best food and drink on Koh Phangan.
Getting to Koh Tao with Lomprayah Speedboats
To get to Koh Tao you’ll need to head to a different pier (located here) in Donsak and book speedboat tickets with Lomprayah. The Lomprayah pier will take about an hour to get to (around 65 KM drive) from Surat Thani city.
Departure Times To Koh Tao
The high speed catamarans depart at 11:00 and 15:00 every day. The boats also stop at Koh Samui and Koh Phangan along the way.
If you’re short on time, the catamarans / speedboats make a lot of sense, as although much more expensive, they halve the amount of time it takes to get to the islands. Using the Lomprayah route, you can get to Koh Samui in 45 minutes, Koh Phangan in 1 hour 45 minutes and Koh Tao in 3 hours, 15 minutes.
To book the speedboat tickets, click here.
Getting To The Islands From Bangkok
For most travellers, Bangkok will be their first point of call on any backpacking trip to Thailand. After a couple of days in the busy city, most travellers head one of two ways. North to the mountains of Chiang Mai and Pai, or south to the beaches!
Combined Bus and Ferry tickets from Bangkok to Koh Phangan, Koh Samui and Koh Tao
If you’re planning to head to the islands from the Thai capital, the easiest and cheapest way to get there is to book a combined bus and ferry ticket. Most of the overnight buses depart from the backpacking hub of Khao San Road (located here) before travelling south overnight to the ferry port. From there you’ll transfer to the ferry and you’ll get to your chosen island by mid-morning (or after lunch if you’re travelling to Koh Tao). The buses almost always start from outside the office of the tour operator in Khao San Road. Just make sure you check your ticket and contact them well in advance if you’re unsure where to catch the bus from.
If you’re not staying near Khao San Road, then you can also catch buses from the Southern Bus Terminal in Pinklao (located here it’s sometimes written as Pink Lao).
Over the last 4 years we’ve ridden many of the overnight buses in Thailand, travelling everywhere from the very north of Thailand all the way south to the border with Malaysia. We have always found the buses to be super comfy and super stress free. On the longer journeys, they have always given us a blanket, water and a bag full of snacks, and halfway through the journey, they have always stopped at a service station where you will almost certainly get a free meal included with your ticket.
To book your combined bus and ferry tickets from Bangkok, just click on the links below:
Bus journeys will take around 13 hours to get to Donsak from Bangkok. From there you’ll board ferries and head to your designated island.
Catching the Train from Bangkok to Surat Thani
An alternative way to get to the islands is to catch a train south, all the way to Surat Thani. Trains depart daily from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal Station (also known as Bang Sue Grand Station, located here) and take approximately 10 hours to reach Surat Thani Railway Station (located here).
To book your Bangkok to Surat Thani train tickets, click here.
From the railway station you will need to catch a bus and ferry transfer to get to the islands. There’s plenty of companies offering transfers with their offices located in the strip of buildings that line the railway carpark. The main travel agency is Phanthip Travel, with their office located here.
If you would prefer to book your transfers in advance, click the links below:
Getting To The Islands From Surat Thani
If you’ve already spent a bit of time travelling around Southern Thailand, the easiest place to catch a transfer onto the islands is the small city of Surat Thani (located here).
If you have the time we can really recommend staying a few days in the city. We had a fantastic stay and really enjoyed its vibrant night market, colourful temples and its chilled out riverside vibes (we will write a guide to the city shortly ). We stayed in the super comfy, Rajthani Hotel which was located in the heart of the city, within walking distance of the riverside, nightmarkets and bus terminal.
Bus and Ferry Tickets from Surat Thani City to the Islands
From Surat Thani you can easily book a combined bus and ferry transfer, just speak to your accommodation or head to one of the travel agencies in town. We booked our onward tickets to Koh Yao Yai via Phanthip Travel located here. Or to book your tickets online in advance, click the links below:
If you’re looking for the cheapest and most budget friendly option though, you’re going to need to book tickets for the …
The Budget Friendly Overnight Ferry From Surat Thani
If you’re an ultimate budget backpacker, then by far the cheapest way to get to the islands of Koh Phangan and Koh Tao is to take the overnight ferry that departs from Surat Thani’s riverside, travels throughout the night and docks at either Koh Phangan or Koh Tao around dawn.
Ferries depart from the Surat Thani’s riverside pier located here. The ferry to Koh Phangan departs at 23:00 and the ferry to Koh Tao departs at 22:00. The journeys to Koh Phangan take around 6 to 7 hours and to get to Koh Tao it takes around from 8 to 12 hours (depending on ferry company).
We obviously didn’t take this ferry, so cannot give an honest opinion about comfort, reliability or whether the journey is worth it to save some baht.
Whilst we were in Surat Thani we did see the overnight ferries docked up and having a big clean down. From the outside, they looked basic, but as long as you don’t need to travel in luxury, we’re sure they’d be a super cheap way to get to the islands!
We’ve always found travelling overnight to be a good budget hack. Not only does it get you from A to B without wasting a day of exploring, but it can also save you a lot on accommodation as you’ll be travelling overnight. Plus if you’re heading to an idyllic island, the day you arrive you can plan to recuperate on a paradise beach!
Next time we’re heading to Koh Phangan or Koh Tao, we will almost certainly book a trip on the overnight ferry.
To book your overnight ticket, head down to the riverside to where the ferries are docked or book in advance via the links below:
Travelling Between Koh Phangan, Koh Samui & Koh Tao
If you’re planning to island hop between all three islands, then it’s very easy to do with ferries criss-crossing between the three islands everyday.
The easiest and cheapest way to book your tickets between the islands, is always to head down to the piers and buy from the ticket booths there.
It’ll take 30 minutes to travel from Koh Samui to Koh Phangan and from Koh Phangan to Koh Tao it’ll take 1 hour. From Koh Tao back to Koh Samui, it’ll take 2 hours to 2.5 hours depending on which ferry you take.
To book your tickets in advance and online, check out 12Go here.
Our Experience Travelling By Ferry To And From Koh Phangan
We decided to head to Koh Phangan after spending a week exploring the beautiful coastline of Khanom. In the distance we could see the silhouetted peaks of Koh Samui and not wanting to say goodbye to Thai beach life, we decided to book a trip to the eastern islands.
After a lot of deliberation we settled on Koh Phangan and so arranged a taxi (for 700 baht) through our accommodation, the excellent Natureline Resort, to take us to the Raja Ferry pier in Donsak (located here on Google Maps). This is not the most backpacker friendly start to our island adventure, but if you’re not staying in Khanom or you have your own transport you could avoid the pricey taxi fare.
We arrived at Donsak Pier with plenty of time to collect our tickets. We had pre-booked our tickets online but needed a physical, paper ticket to board the ferry. A brief trip to a booth and we exchanged our online confirmation for our paper boarding passes. Tickets sorted, we sat on the pier and waited to board.
Whilst you wait, make sure you keep an eye out to sea, as the shoreline in and around Khanom is home to the very rare and endangered, albino pink dolphins. As we sat waiting Ellie with her eagle eyes, spotted in the distance, one very small, pale pink fin come out of the water before disappearing underneath the waves. A couple of seconds later, it emerged again. This time, much more of the dolphin's body jumped out from the water. We couldn’t believe our eyes - we were actually seeing one of the very rare dolphins right from the pier! We sat watching the dolphin for about 5 minutes before he disappeared from sight.
When the time came We quickly boarded our ferry and headed to the seats on the open deck. On our Raja ferry there were seats both inside and out. As Ellie gets a little sea-sick we decided to head outside and made camp on the deck at the back of the ferry. We had packed a 7-Eleven breakfast picnic and munched down on bananas, yogurts, eggs and a banana cupcake (if you know, you know) as we floated, slowly away from the pier.
The 2.5 hour journey flew by and it wasn’t long before we were docking at Thong Sala Pier (located here) on Koh Phangan.
When it came time to leave Koh Phangan, we booked an early morning taxi from our guesthouse ( the fantastic Mythai in Chaloklum in the north of the island) and headed straight for the pier. At Thong Sala Pier, you can book tickets with all the ferry companies as well as onward transfers on the mainland. We booked a combined bus and ferry ticket through Seatran ferries to take us back to Donsak Pier and then on to Surat Thani city. We had a little while to wait until our ferry, so we headed to the nearby Dots Coffee (read more about the cafe in our food and drink guide here) for an iced latte before heading to the pier.
Our Seatran ferry was much more luxurious than our Raja ferry over, with comfy seats and very eager air-conditioning - If you’re prone to the cold make sure you pack a hoodie! This journey although comfier felt a lot longer, possibly as you couldn’t really see out of the windows.
At Donsak we quickly disembarked and after a little confusion (there were a lot of coaches for different destinations waiting) we found our bus to take us onto Surat Thani. The bus journey to Surat Thani from Donsak Pier took about an hour and we were dropped off right in the middle of the city.
Onward Travel - Where To Go Next?
Whichever island you are on, you can easily book onward transfers to pretty much anywhere in Southern Thailand. To get an idea of prices / idea of where to go, just speak to one of the tour operators on the island, at your accommodation or book in advance via 12Go. We came back from Koh Phangan and stopped in Surat Thani for a couple of days before heading to the opposite coast to spend a week on the island of Koh Yao Yai (read more this fantastic island in our travel guide to Koh Yao Yai). The bus we got onto at Donsak Pier (after our stay on Koh Phangan) headed to Surat Thani first and then onto Khao Sok National Park where most of our fellow backpackers were heading to.
To get some ideas of where you could go next, we’ve written a whole bunch of guides to the islands of Southern Thailand. Check them out below:
If you’re planning to head north to Chiang Mai, then you could easily catch a flight from Koh Samui airport or from Surat Thani airport on the mainland. Both airports have at least one flight a day departing for Chiang Mai. Or, if you’ve come to the end of your visa, you could easily head back to Bangkok via a train or bus, or, you could even catch a bus from Surat Thani, cross the Thai / Malaysia border and head to Georgetown.
Whichever island you’re heading to, we hope you have an incredible island escape!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie
#adventuresofjellie
Our Koh Phangan Travel Guides
If you’re booking a trip to Koh Phangan, make sure you check out our two travel guides, covering everything from what there is to see and do and all our favourite food spots!
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Koh Phangan Food Guide - Where To Eat And Drink On The Island?
Koh Phangan has something for everyone no matter what your stomach is craving. From traditional Thai street food, spicy curries and roti, through to Western brunches, burgers and coffee, there are great restaurants and stalls for everyone. Check out our guide to getting the best food and drink on Koh Phangan.
Whatever your cravings are, you can always find somewhere on Koh Phangan to cater for them. The island is massive and is stuffed full of some delicious spots to munch at whatever you fancy eating! From Thai street food to Western brunches, there’s something on the island for everyone.
During our time on Koh Phangan, we explored the length and breadth of the island and passed by a street food stall or restaurant selling something from almost every cuisine in the world. Whether you are after pizza, sushi, a pad thai or even a falafel salad, we bet that you could find someone on the island who would be able to cook up your desired dish.
We did our very best to eat at as many places as we could during our stay, but even with our greedy stomachs, there was no way we could try everywhere we wanted.
Here’s our guide to some of our favourite food spots on Koh Phangan. This list is only a small sliver of what is on offer on the island, so if you have any other recommendations to add, please share them in the comments below!
We also have to mention that we were staying in the north of the island, close to the Chaloklum Beach area, so a lot of our recommendations will focus on the north of the island, especially our dinner recommendations.
Anyway, that’s enough of an introduction, get ready to read about some of Jellie’s favourite eats on Koh Phangan!
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Before we delve into our favourite eats on Koh Phangan, make sure you’ve read our bumper guide to the island. Check out our complete travel guide to Koh Phangan for the essential island information as well as all the best beaches, activities and what to do beyond the famous Full Moon parties.
Our Favourite Thai Food Spots - Where To Dine With The Locals
We discovered that, like many of the islands in Thailand, if you are after ‘proper’ Thai food (the type of food cooked over a spitting wok on the side of the street), then you’re going to have to leave the comfort of the beach and head inland.
On Koh Phangan, we found that the best Thai food we ate was located in the main town, close to the pier you will have arrived at (if you are still planning your arrival/rout make sure you read our guide for getting to Koh Phangan). Feeling a little like the beating heart of the island, the main town sprawls out away from the pier and is full of local eateries, street food stalls and markets. Here are some of our top spots to eat like a local on the island.
Southern Thai Food Restaurant
If we had to describe this restaurant in a few words, it would be: underwhelming in name, but overwhelming in flavour!
The Southern Thai Food Restaurant on Koh Phangan served up some truly fantastic Thai food. Over our travels, we’ve eaten at a lot of rice and curry buffets and we can firmly say that this restaurant was a banger! In fact we loved it so much that this small, but very popular (with locals) establishment became our go-to breakfast joint most days we were on the island.
You’ll know you’ve arrived at the right location when you see the massive cauldrons of curries lined up at the front of the restaurant. Inside, there’s another counter which contains a pandora’s box of silver trays displaying spicy soups, stir fried vegetables, deep fried treats and piles of sweet Chinese sausage.
To order, just go up to the counter and ask for whatever you fancy. Our favourite curry we ate here was their spicy aubergine and fishball curry. Fishballs are always a hard sell to anyone who hasn’t travelled Thailand extensively, but we absolutely adore these small, slightly soft, salty balls of pure fish flavour. These sweet balls worked exceptionally well next to the sliced aubergines in the super fiery, super zingy and super rich curry! Definitely splash out and get some extra fried Chinese sausage to go on top, trust us you won’t be disappointed!
The prices are a little higher than on the mainland but that is to be expected. Also the size of the portions and taste more than made up for the 10-15 baht extra cost. We have to say at this point that if you’ve been eating in your hostels or hotels, you’ll be shocked at just how good the value is at these local eateries.
The restaurant also serves one of our favourite Thai breakfast treats, Khanom Jeen (fermented rice noodles and curry).
If you fancy eating here, make sure you get up early as the restaurant closes by mid afternoon and the buffet is at its best early in the morning!
We have to give a shout out and our thanks to Paddy Doyle for finding this place! This was definitely our favourite food spot on the whole island.
Chicken Rice Shop
Located just up the road from the Southern Thai Food Restaurant, this Chicken Rice Shop was fantastic!
John ordered the chicken rice (Khao Man Gai ข้าวมันไก่) which came served with the zingy, vinegary, ginger dipping sauce. Ellie chose the red pork on rice (Khao Moo Daeng ข้าวหมูแดง) which came served with 3 different types of pork (roast, red and Chinese sausage), half an egg and was covered in the sweet-rich, red gravy.
It was a delicious feast and perfect for filling us up for a day exploring the island. Both plates were served with a delicate, light, spring onion and pork broth.
(Ya )ญาอาหารตามสั่ง - Stir Fried Restaurant
Ya was a super popular stir-fry joint cooking up a never ending conveyor belt of fried something over rice. Every time we visited the ladies cooking on the wok stations just didn’t stop! It’s always a good sign when you see a local restaurant super busy.
We ordered two plates of roast pork and kale topped with a perfectly cooked runny fried egg. Delicious and full of flavour, the kale was cooked to perfection. Ya served up big portions that kept us full all day and the restaurant had a cruet on the table full of chopped chillies, chilli vinegar and sugar - always a win for us and a sign that you’re not in a purely tourist-centered restaurant!
J Sai Padthai
This small restaurant on the side of the road in Chaloklum was always popular with locals and backpackers. We visited a couple of times and always had a fantastic meal. We can vouch for both their signature pink pad thai which was super peanutty, hearty, filling and stuffed full of small slivers of egg. As well as their mince pork pad kra pao which was studded throughout with holy basil. Make sure you order it with a kai dao (crispy fried egg) to go on top of the nearly caramelised pork! The pad kra pao was served with a fragrant pork stock and garlic soup that was a perfect palate cleanser.
Again J Sai Padthai had good sized portions with most plates costing around 80 baht per plate.
ChaiXi Chaloklum
If you’re ever unsure about where to eat, or a little scared about throwing yourself into the Thai street food scene, we can always recommend seeking out the yellow and red signs of the Chaixi street carts. Serving up Chinese style, pork and wonton noodle soups, you very rarely get a bad dish!
Chaloklum’s offering of wonton noodle soups were delicious. A lighter broth than others we had, the bowls were stuffed full of juicy, pork wontons, egg noodles, slices of red pork and our favourite, bitter melon.
We ended up eating here multiple times during our stay and can highly recommend it if you’re staying in the Chaloklum Beach area.
Fried Chicken Street Food Stall
You really can’t go wrong with fried chicken, and Thailand’s Hat Yai Fried Chicken is especially delicious! This small stall parked outside Chaloklum’s Lotus supermarket was a very dangerous find for our waistlines! Super juicy chicken, wrapped in crunchy, deep fried chicken skin - it was fantastic! Our pro tip is make sure you get some sticky rice to soak up all the delicious chicken-y-ness!
Whatever you do, if you see Thai Fried Chicken on your travels make sure you try it! Don’t head to KFC, Thai style is so much better!
To find out all about the home of Hat Yai Fried Chicken, make sure you give our Hat Yai travel guide a read.
Chaloklum Sunday Night Market
Every Sunday afternoon from 4pm, Chaloklum’s Sunday Night Market opens up. Stretching all along Chaloklum’s main road and spilling out onto the pier, the Sunday Night Market is a great way to spend an evening munching down on some delicious Thai street food.
There’s plenty of food stalls to pick from, with vendors selling full meals, small snacks, popular Thai desserts and drinks. We devoured moo ping (BBQ pork) sticks, some sushi and some very tasty vegetarian potato and pea curry samosas. Alongside the starters above, we can highly recommend seeking out the lady selling yam naem khao tod, a smashed rice ball salad that was sharp, zingy and very yummy. We paired this with some fried chicken that was the perfect accompaniment. On our second visit to the market, we had to try some of Lea’s legendary Indian food. Whenever we see roti on the menu we can never say no, so as soon as we saw her setting up shop we knew we had to try it. We both opted for the butter chicken with roti and boy, we were not disappointed! The butter chicken was delicious and tasted just like the curries we devoured in India (for some more of our adventures, check out our India travel guides). The star of the show was definitely the roti. Crispy, flaky and the perfect vessel to soak up the curry. It was a delicious feast. If you can’t make the Sunday Market, Lea has a restaurant in Chaloklum. We wanted to visit, but the restaurant was closed during our stay.
Yam naem khao tod is the salad you didn’t know you need in your life!
Chaloklum’s Sunday Market is definitely one of our favourite markets we’ve ever been to. We’d recommend picking up a feast, finding a spot on the pier and soaking up the chilled out vibes. There’s usually live music playing and a bar to buy beer from. The market is a really laidback affair with both locals and travellers sitting down to a street food feast!
Even if you are not staying in Chaloklum (or near any of these recommendations for that matter) you can always get around the island by scooter, taxi or songthaew make sure you have read our full guide’s section on getting around Koh Phangan for all the information you will need.
Beach Bar (no name - opposite Rose Villa Resort)
This is slightly cheating as this small bar didn’t offer food, but if you’re after a good spot for an ice cold Thai beer and front row seats to watch the sunset from, then this is the place to head to.
Set up along the sandy shoreline of Chaloklum, this small beach bar had a phenomenal view, comfy bean bags and reasonably priced beer. We headed here almost every evening to watch the sun set down over the Gulf of Thailand. The ice-cold beer offerings and the beautiful seaside view made this a perfect island sunset spot.
The only negative thing we can say about this bar was that when we were there, they had some truly terrible AI generated reggae music - every song they played had a chorus which mentioned “reggae vibes”, “island life” or a combination of all four words and all sung by a computer-generated Ed Sheeran wannabe!
We’re being a bit harsh here as the bar was super comfy and the staff extremely friendly, plus we managed to get front row seats for sunset every evening!
If you’re after a cold drink at sunset, then head here early in the evening, get comfy and watch as the sun performs its fiery display. The bar is also a great spot for some beach-based people (and puppy) watching as each evening Chaloklum Beach is full of locals and expats swimming and walking their four-legged companions!
Our Top Coffee Shops And Brunch Spots
Coffee and a good brunch spot are essentials on a Thai island. Here’s just some of our favourite places we found!
What’s Cup!
This cliffside coffee and brunch spot has arguably one of the best views for your breakfast! Sitting high on the cliff above Haad Yao Beach, What’s Cup is more than just a good view however.
We were here just for coffee, but their brunch menu and everything they brought out from their kitchen looked amazing! We ordered two iced lattes that were perfectly balanced and super refreshing.
We were worried that What’s Cup (John has an irrational hatred for the name) would be extremely pricey, but they were very reasonably priced for Koh Phangan. Given the incredible view, we expected the prices to be a little higher!
The cafe is super popular so there may be a wait at peak times!
The view from What’s Cup is worth the trip alone!
The World’s End
A very popular brunch spot located in the heart of Chaloklum directly opposite the fishing pier. This small cafe serves all things brunch; from a proper Full English breakfast through to bagels and cream cheese. We ordered two slices of sourdough toast topped with smashed avocado, feta cheese and a poached egg and it was great - even we need a bit of Western comfort occasionally!
The toast was toasted to perfection, the smashed avo was full of flavour and they had somehow managed to poach the egg without getting it too watery.
The World’s End is quite pricey for Thailand, but for the quality of ingredients and the excellent cooking, it’s well worth splashing the cash!
The owner is super friendly and welcoming and there is plenty of parking in the pier’s car park opposite.
Common Grounds Coffee
Common Grounds Coffee is a super pretty coffee and brunch spot centered around a small outdoor swimming pool and colourful garden. The cafe serves up delicious coffee and an amazing array of cakes, cookies and sweet treats. We didn’t eat a full meal here but treated ourselves to 2 iced americanos which were super strong and super delicious alongside the biggest chocolate and peanut butter cookie we’ve ever eaten. We shared it and were super full after, but can definitely say it was well worth it! Super tasty and not too sweet, layered with nutty peanut butter. It was amazing!
We also have to give a special shoutout to their jugs of water full of apple, orange and mint slices - perfect refresher in the hot Thai sun!
Common Grounds Coffee is very popular with digital nomads and every meal we saw being served looked great. Next time we’re on the island we will definitely treat ourselves to a full brunch from here.
Just look at that cookie! 🍪
Phangan Coffee
Excellent coffee served in a cute coffee shop with seating both inside and out on a raised platform overlooking their small garden. We ordered two lattes that were great. At first glance we were worried that they would be a little watery, but after a good mix of the milk they were perfect. The cafe is a little pricey, but we enjoyed our lattes. They also serve food and sweet treats.
Phangan Coffee is a good place to visit if you’re planning a trip to Namtock Than Sadet National Park. Just be careful of the carpark if you’re on a bike. It’s a gravel driveway with some parts quite deep, John almost beached himself on it!
Malka - Café & Cultura
One of those hidden gems - the kind of cafe you can easily drive past without noticing it’s there. Sitting just outside of Chaloklum on the road leading back towards the main town, Malka has a simple menu serving coffee and burekas, small savoury pastries popular in Israeli cuisine. We ordered a couple of cheese and spinach burekas and weren’t disappointed! Looking like mini Cornish pasties on the outside, the burekas were crisp, flaky and scattered with sesame seeds. Inside, the filling exploded with flavour. Melted, salty cheese paired flawlessly with a delicately spiced spinach filling. They were divine and a perfect snack. Alongside our burekas we ordered some iced americanos which were some of the best we drank on the island. Not too in your face, but the right hit of caffeine and super refreshing.
Malka Cafe also is home to a very friendly bulldog type dog called Charlie who absolutely adored headstrokes. If you start stroking him, he’ll demand that you don’t stop until you leave!
Boulder Kafe
This coffee shop was another unexpected find. We were travelling towards the Haad Khom Viewpoint, when we stumbled upon this very pretty and modern coffee shop. Set in the jungle, sitting above the Chaloklum Bay, Boulder Kafe delivers up some fantastic coffee. There’s bar seating at the front, or a couple of tables and chairs dotted around their pretty garden.
Alongside their brilliant coffee offerings, the cafe serves fresh smoothies, tea and a selection of sandwiches.
Just be warned that if you’re travelling here by scooter, there is a very steep hill to climb up just before you approach the cafe!
Mountain Cafe
Set just off the main road on the road leading towards Thong Nai Pan Beach is this small, modern coffee shop.
The coffee is served from a white shed and the seating is dotted around a pretty palm-filled garden. The garden is super stylish with a modern aesthetic; dark gravel meets slick grey concrete with stepping stones and wooden furniture, white deck chairs and umbrellas. We ordered two iced americanos which were great and the perfect pick me up after a drive across the island.
The cafe also serves tea, smoothies and beer as well as a small food menu. The couple opposite us were enjoying two mango smoothies topped with fresh fruit that looked amazing.
Brew Co. Cafe
Set in the small town that spirals away from Thong Nai Pan Beach, Brew Co. Cafe was another great find. Another modern coffee shop set just 5 minutes away from the white sands and blue waters of the beach. We just ordered two flat whites which were fantastic. Creamy, yet nutty they were exactly what was needed before a day of relaxation on the beach. The cafe also offers a good brunch menu with all the favourites (eggs benedict, omelettes and avocado on toast) alongside a fridge full of some delicious looking cakes and pastries!
Hundred Islands Coffee Bar
Location
Another super popular coffee shop set just off the main road that links the main town with the southern beaches. We popped in and had two iced lattes that were fantastic and powered us up for a full morning of exploring. Hundred Islands Coffee Bar was completely full when we visited and whenever we passed by, there was always a queue of people waiting to get in.
The coffee shop has a great looking brunch menu and a fridge full of cakes. Ellie was very tempted by getting a slice of carrot cake, her favourite!
Dots Coffee
We popped in here whilst waiting to board our ferry to leave the island and immediately wished we had visited earlier! Dots Coffee is a super popular hangout for backpackers and travellers heading to the pier, in fact almost every table was full when we visited!
We ordered two iced lattes and they were possibly the best we had drunk on the whole island. Smooth, rich and full of flavour they were exactly what we needed to set ourselves up for a long travel day.
The cafe also serves up a good brunch menu, with smoothie bowls, paninis and soups available as well as a fridge stuffed full of tasty goodies. We were very sad not to have room to try a slice of their passionfruit cheesecake! Inside there’s also a small shop selling ceramics, jewellery and local crafts.
Dots Coffee is ideal if you’re catching a ferry off the island as its entrance is directly opposite the pier!
There is also a co-working space upstairs for all those digital nomads out there!
Western Restaurants And Bars - Our Best Picks
Culture Club
The Culture Club is a fantastic, higher end, all in one, brunch, lunch, dinner and bar combo. We visited the Culture Club for lunch and had an excellent meal.
We ordered two wraps, one the breakfast burrito which was stuffed full with melted cheese, beans, avocado, egg and sausage and a second, the falafel wrap which was overspilling with perfectly crisp falafel, salad and a fresh lemon, garlic sauce. Alongside our delicious wraps, we ordered two iced americanos which were especially brilliant - in fact we’d go as far as saying it was worth a trip to Culture Club for the coffee alone!
We loved our lunch at the Culture Club. It was super chilled out, with good music and a laidback vibe. The portions were big and although it was a little more expensive than what we’re used to spending on the mainland, the quality of the food definitely justified the higher price tag.
The cafe is open from morning until late at night and is a very popular spot in Chaloklum.
Grandma’s Kitchen
Although serving Thai food, we are going to keep this in the ‘Western’ home comforts section of this guide, as the food from Grandma’s Kitchen was definitely adapted to the Western palate. That’s said, we thoroughly enjoyed our food from here!
Sitting in a row alongside several other ‘stir fry’ restaurants, we jumped into Grandma’s Kitchen and ordered 2 spicy, pork pad kra pao’s. Out came delicious plates, stuffed full of vegetables and even showing some evidence of spiciness in the form of sliced green chillies. Although not as spicy as we had hoped, the staff at Grandma’s Kitchen had managed to caramelise the meat to the point where it was sweet (but not too sweet) and the egg was cooked to perfection. Super crispy egg white, but with a perfectly runny, bright yellow egg yolk.
The restaurant serves up all the tourist favourites, including fried rice, a selection of curries, pad thai and fried pork and kale.
There’s only one thing we would remark on - we definitely knew we were dining in a tourist area as there was no cruet on the table - not a downer, but we do love to pimp our meals with dried chilli and vinegar!
My Thai Burgers
Proudly advertised as voted the “Best Burgers on Koh Phangan” we couldn’t resist putting this accolade to the test. We are happy to report that yes, My Thai Burgers serves up some incredible burgers! The best on the island? It’s hard to say as we only had burgers from here, but what we greedily devoured (we came twice), were brilliant!
My Thai Burgers has a great menu, offering loads of different toppings and options. We tried the “Texas” burger which came with slices of bacon, crisp onions rings, sweet BBQ sauce, cheese and a fat, super moist beef patty. We also had the “Cheeseburger” which came with slices of cheese, tomato and lettuce and topped with sweet onions, all sitting on a juicy burger! We also splashed out on some extra mozzarella sticks (John cannot resist them, if we see them they have to be bought!) and fries, and whilst it was a little pricey, it was worth every penny!
My Thai also offers excellent accommodation just above the restaurant in the Mythai guesthouse. We actually stayed here and can highly recommend the guesthouse. We had an enormous, super comfy, private room, with en-suite bathroom and seating outside. It was very clean and a perfect retreat to head back to after a day on the beach. To book a stay at Mythai guesthouse, click here and for all accommodation reccomendations make sure you check out our full guide here.
Final Thoughts
As we said at the start of this article, this food and drink guide is nowhere near complete and is just a list of our favourite spots we found whilst on the island. To try everything Koh Phangan has to offer we would need to stay for at least a year! Let us know in the comments if we have missed any of your favourite spots and happy dining in paradise!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Koh Phangan - What To Do Beyond The Full Moon Parties
Koh Phangan maybe famous for its neon splattered Full Moon Parties but there is so much more to this beautiful Thai island than techno beats and buckets of alcohol. Check our our complete guide to the island for all the best beaches, things to do, accommodation and more!
Emerald jewels amid sparkling sapphire seas, Thailand’s islands are legendary.
A trip to Koh Phangan is almost a rite of passage for young backpackers heading to the ‘Land of Smiles’. Doused in neon paint and drawn to the electronic beats of an all night beach rave, Koh Phangan’s famous Full Moon parties are almost an obligatory, non-negotiable bucket list item for backpackers travelling through Thailand. But what if you’re not a party goer? What if the idea of the Full Moon Party just isn’t for you? Is there really any point in booking a trip to Koh Phangan? Is it “just” a party island?
We asked ourselves all the same things, and after visiting the island, we can honestly say that there is so much more to Koh Phangan! We headed to the island unsure what to expect, but we quickly fell in love with the island's laidback charms, its beautiful beaches and stunning national parks. Koh Phangan has all of the benefits of a major, popular and trendy island whilst retaining the old-school, laidback backpacker charm. Cheap accommodation, loads of food and incredible landscapes, Koh Phangan has so much to offer.
Read on to find out everything there is to do on the island beyond the buckets and the beats!
In This Koh Phangan Travel Guide:
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Our Experience Visiting Koh Phangan
We have to be honest here and say that Koh Phangan had never really featured on our travel plans. If we had set off on our adventure a decade ago, then yes, Koh Phangan would 100% have been at the top of our list, but as our raving days are behind us (just!), the idea of buckets, neon facepaint and intoxicated 18 year olds just doesn’t appeal as much as it once did. Yes, we do like late nights and yes, we do enjoy a drink out, but the Full Moon raves just aren’t for us anymore. That longtail boat has sailed!
So why did we head to Koh Phangan we hear you ask?! After spending a week on the shores of Khanom on the mainland and seeing the jagged silhouette peaks of Koh Samui in the distance we decided that we should really head to one of the eastern islands before we travelled further south. As the weather was a bit hit and miss, we decided we wouldn’t be able to give Koh Tao a fair shout. An island famous for its diving and snorkelling wouldn’t mix well with wet weather. We then looked at Koh Samui and although we would love to visit one day, we decided it really needs a month or more to really delve deep into Thailand’s second largest island and so, almost by default we settled on Koh Phangan. A much bigger island than Koh Tao but nowhere near as big as Koh Samui, we decided we should give the island a go, even if we were a little skeptical of its party island reputation!
Throughout our travels we’ve learnt that sometimes you do have to put yourselves out there and visit places that you wouldn’t necessarily pick. Sometimes these decisions don’t work out for the best, but sometimes, just going for it, will turn out to be one of the best decisions you can make. This was definitely the case for us with Koh Phangan. Don’t judge an island by its parties!
As soon as we arrived, we instantly fell in love with the laidback charms, the stunning sunsets and friendly locals. The island is definitely an island of two sorts, a yin and yang of jungle trance beats colliding with yoga and poke bowls! It’s an island, with a great digital nomad community living alongside locals. Koh Phangan is full of modern coffee shops, salad bars and gyms sitting next to traditional street food stalls and local eateries.
We absolutely loved our time on Koh Phangan and really cannot wait to return!
Where Is Koh Phangan?
Koh Phangan sits on the east coast of Thailand just off the shores of Surat Thani Province in the Gulf of Thailand. You can find Koh Phangan on a map here. The island is the fifth largest in Thailand, and is one of the three islands that make up the popular Samui archipelago. Koh Phangan sits in the middle, between Koh Tao (to the north) and Koh Samui (to the south).
Koh Phangan can also be spelt Ko Pha Ngan or Ko Pha-Ngan. The name of the island translates to ‘Koh’ meaning island in Thai and ‘Phangan’ meaning sandbar. In Thai it is written as เกาะพะงัน.
The island has all the modern conveniences a traveller could want, including plenty of 7-Eleven’s, pharmacies and ATMs.
What Is There To Do?
Koh Phangan has plenty to do, whether you’re the relaxed, ‘sit by the beach and do nothing’ kind of person, or whether you’re the ‘adventurous explorer’ type. Whatever traveller category you fall into, there’s plenty to keep you occupied on the island.
Relax and Swim on the Beaches
As you are on a Thai island, you should expect some phenomenal beaches, happily Koh Phangan has plenty to choose from. When we visited the island we had quite a bit of rain during our stay, making it a little harder to really appreciate the beauty of Phangan’s beaches, but with the few sunny days we had, we made the most of its white sanded shores and turquoise waters and tried to visit as many beaches as possible.
This list below is by no means a list of every beach on Koh Phangan and we’re not going to say any one beach is the “best beach on the island” but these are just some of our favourites that we stopped to chill, swim or sunbathe on.
We’ll start our list off at the very southern tip of the island, on what may be Koh Phangan’s most famous beach….
Haad Rin Beach
During the Full Moon, the population of this beach swells to a 30,000 person all night rave. With revellers donning neon paint, slurping from buckets of questionable alcohol and dancing under the light of the full moon. During the day though and when it’s not Full Moon, Haad Rin Beach is completely unrecognisable!
The beach absolutely blew us away with just how pretty it was. We really hadn’t expected much, in fact, on the long drive to the beach (we were staying about as far away as you could from Haad Rin) we were even contemplating giving up and heading to a different beach, but as we headed down a non-descript street full of bars and massage parlours and emerged onto the pure white sand we were gobsmacked!
Stretching out in front of us lay one of the prettiest beaches we’ve ever seen! Pure bright-white sand spread out all around and in front, gently lapping at the shore, was some of the most vibrant, blue sea we’ve ever come across. Haad Rin Beach really looked like a tropical paradise!
If you’re planning to spend a full day at Haad Rin, just be aware that there is very little shade on the beach, but there are plenty of bars and restaurants offering sunloungers and deck chairs with umbrellas.
There is a carpark just behind the beach where we parked, but it gets very busy very quickly - when we came to leave we had to tetris quite a few scooters out of the way to get our ride!
The area around Haad Rin is stuffed full of bars, hostels and restaurants. If you’re after a sociable stay on the island, then Haad Rin would be a great shout!
Haad Rin and the Full Moon Party
If you’re planning a trip to Koh Phangan during the Full Moon Party, make sure you book your accommodation well in advance! Rooms and beds close to Haad Rin (in fact across the whole of the island) sell out very quickly during this time. Also expect to pay a lot more for your bed as prices during the Full Moon can double or triple in price. See more about booking accommodation in our “where to stay” section later on in the article.
Also make sure you bring lots of cash with you. There are plenty of ATMs dotted in and around Haad Rin Bay, but they can run out during the Full Moon party.
We would also recommend that if you’re not into a 30,000 strong party outside your room then maybe plan your visit to Haad Rin when it’s not the Full Moon Party. We visited the beach between parties and practically had the beach all to ourselves!
Haad Yao Beach
Haad Yao Beach is a huge white sanded beach dotted with moored up longtail boats sitting in the shallow surf. At one end of the beach you have the Haad Yao Bayview Resort that clings to the side of the cliff and all along the sand are smaller resorts and beachside bungalows. We spent a couple of hours enjoying a walk along the beach and taking in the beautiful views.
Haad Yao Beach is a very popular stretch of sand and there are quite a few beachside cafes and bars built under the swaying palms. The beach also faces northwest, so it would be a fantastic spot to watch the sunset. You could easily spend a full day at this beach, starting with brunch at the cliffside eatery What’s Cup (read more about eating and drinking on Koh Phangan in our guide) then spending a day swimming and sunbathing, before watching a fiery sunset show with a beer in hand.
If you’re travelling by scooter, there is plenty of parking available at the Haad Yao Bayview Resort.
Salad Beach
Another beautiful cove full of golden sand, swaying palms and an inviting sea! Salad Beach felt much smaller than its neighbours, but no less beautiful.
We parked our scooter in the carpark of the Salad Beach Resort (there was a lot of parking available) and followed the signs, through their very pretty garden and swimming pool to the beach.
On the beach we found a spot to lay our towel down and spent a chilled out afternoon relaxing to the sound of the waves!
There are a handful of scooter rentals, dive agencies, restaurants, cafes and bars dotted in the area behind the beach.
Mae Haad & Koh Ma Beaches
Joined together, the sands and shorelines of Mae Haad and Koh Ma Beaches are perfect spots for a full day of relaxation. During low tide, a sandbank emerges and you can walk across the sand over to Koh Ma Island. On Koh Ma look out for the small stone stacks piled on the shore. There is also an abandoned floating raft that’s full of graffiti and street art.
Back on Mae Haad Beach, there’s a couple of resorts and restaurants lining the shore and the beach is plenty big enough for you to get your very own spot on the sand!
A lot of coral has been washed up on the shore of this beach and we loved how the sand crunched with the shards of mini shells as we walked. During low tide, you’ll need to wade out quite a long way to reach a depth that’s higher than your knees, but that’s just us being picky - it really is another stunner of a beach! Also if you’re after a good spot for sunset, Mae Haad is a great shout.
To the right of the main beach, there is a fishing beach, with plenty of colourful boats moored up. This beach (despite some large hotels) still felt very quiet, however there was quite a lot of development going on and it looks like things will change in the future.
If you’ve travelled by scooter there is plenty of parking linking the road next to the Koh Ma Beach Resort.
Chaloklum Beach
As we were staying in the north, Chaloklum Beach is where we would spend most of our time. A curving white sand bay split in two by a small pier, with warm shallow seas that are perfect for a dip. Chaloklum is another pretty beach to add to the mix.
If you’re planning a full day on the beach, the best spots for relaxing are to the right hand side of the pier (if you’re looking down the pier towards the sea) or to the very far left of the beach next to the volleyball court (here). This left hand spot seemed to be the unofficial backpacker hangout of Chaloklum. There were always loads of sunkissed / burnt travellers relaxing in the sea.
Every evening when the sun started to set, the beach would swell with backpackers, families and locals. We would always join them, either by sitting on the beach, having a beer in a bar or, taking a dip under the setting sun!
Haad Khom Beach
We stumbled upon this little gem of a beach on our last day and wished we had come earlier in our stay. Haad Khom Beach was such a pretty spot. A small, sandy cove surrounded by palm trees and rock pools, it was a great spot to spend the afternoon.
To reach the beach, just park on the side of the road (free to park) and walk down through the very pretty garden of the Coconut Beach Bungalow resort.
At low tide, there are plenty of boulders and rocks for you to sit or sunbathe on and at the far end there’s a rocky peninsula that’s full of rock pools. The beach still felt very underdeveloped and the wooden bungalows of the Coconut Beach Bungalow Resort were some of the prettiest we’ve seen in Thailand. There is a small restaurant at the far end of the beach serving beer, soft drinks and meals.
Bottle Beach
A curving arc of white sand and blue water surrounded by dense jungle and huge mountains, Bottle Beach is exactly the type of beach you hope to find on your backpacking adventures in Thailand. It’s the type of beach that just radiates that ‘OG backpacking’ kind of vibe. The beach itself is very remote and a little difficult to get to, which means it’s never that busy, plus it’s a huge beach so there’s always plenty of space for you to get your own little sliver of paradise.
To get to the beach you have three options: walk, drive or get a boat.
If you’re planning on hiking to the beach, there are 2 routes. One route starts close to Haad Khom Beach (located here on a map) and loops through the jungle and around the headland down to Bottle Beach. The second route winds its way down through the jungle next to the Phasawan Viewpoint (Bottle Beach Viewpoint). We looked for the start of this trail but failed to find it, so decided on the another route.
The other way to approach the beach is via a road. When we say “road” what we actually mean is a crater-pocked, gravel ski slope that descends almost vertically down the mountainside. We are not exaggerating, it is a treacherous, technical trail that is well beyond our scooter abilities.
If you (sensibly) decide you do not want to drive your scooter to its doom. There is a small car park just before the road gets truly unmanageable (located here). Even this short stretch of road is a little sketchy, so we left our bikes at the Bottle Beach Viewpoint carpark (located here) and walked the 5 minutes down to the car park.
When you reach the carpark, you have two choices. One is to wait for a 4x4 to take you down the vertical descent or two, you can walk the 3 KMs to the beach. If there are no pickup’s waiting in the carpark, there is a poster with a telephone number that you can message and they’ll come to collect you. To get down to the beach it’ll cost you 100 baht per person per trip.
As we are cheap backpackers and love hiking, we decided to walk. The walk started off fine, but as soon as we turned the first corner, we can only describe the route down as a gravel covered adventure full of deep trenches, slick sand and absolutely no grip whatsoever! We were wearing our trainers and we still managed to slip over multiple times - it felt like we were Bambi on ice!
Whatever you do, do not attempt to ride your scooter down this hill. No matter how confident you are, how much of an expert rider you think you are, just don’t do it! The hill is super steep and very slippery, and you really don’t want to come off your bike here - Bottle Beach is very far away from the nearest hospital! There are signs all along the route warning those who do decide to scooter down the hill that it’ll cost 1500 baht to get rescued with your bike and that’s if you’re lucky. The road was slick enough just walking down it, that if you decided to ride down, we’re sure you’d be left with a very large scooter repair bill and one hefty hospital fee. Trust us, don’t be an idiot, listen to the signs!
At the bottom of the hill (around the last 1KM), the path flattens out and you follow the valley floor down to the beach itself. Although very slidy in places, we still enjoyed the walk down and it really didn’t take us that long. At the beach (when it’s time for you to leave) there will be plenty of drivers waiting to take you back up the slippery, sandy road, again for a 100 baht fee per person.
The other, much pricier, yet less sweaty way to get to the beach is to take a longtail boat. You can arrange a boat trip from Chaloklum Pier (located here) where many boat drivers sit waiting. Prices will start at 150 baht per person per ride, but expect to pay a lot more if you’re looking for a private transfer.
After all that, is Bottle Beach worth the trip? YES absolutely! The beach is stunning and probably our favourite on the island. If you can, make sure you don’t miss out on a full day of relaxation here!
If you’re looking for a secluded stay on Bottle Beach, where it’s just you, the beach and the sound of the waves, then there are two options for you to choose from. Check out Smile Bungalow or Bottle Beach Bungalows both of which offer rooms with a beach front view and both have small restaurants / bars selling full meals, snacks, beer and soft drinks.
Thong Nai Pan Beach
Thong Nai Pan Beach was definitely the most resort-ty of the beaches we encountered on Koh Phangan. The beach is lined with two, very high-end hotels, the 5 star Anantara Resort and the 4 star Buri Rasa Village Phangan.
There’s a reason why the luxury hotels have set up shop here as Thong Nai Pan Beach was stunning! The sand on the beach was some of the whitest we have ever seen and the sea bright blue! If you were after a full day of relaxation and swimming, Thong Nai Pan would be a great shout. We just plonked our towel down on the beach, but we have heard that it is possible to rent a sunlounger from the Sand In My Shoes Beach Loft if you purchase something from their bar / restaurant.
Even on an overcast day Tong Nai Pan Beach is beautiful!
The small town surrounding Thong Nai Pan Beach was full of restaurants (including a lot of Italian eateries), a really cool reggae-style beach bar and a couple of cafes including the fantastic Brew Coffee (make sure to read our Koh Phangan where to eat guide).
There’s a carpark in the main street or if it’s quiet, you can park your scooter in the very fancy looking Buri Rasa Village Phangan car park.
Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach
The much larger sister beach to Thong Nai Pan beach, Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach certainly lives up to its name. Yai in Thai means large! Divided by a jungle outcrop jutting out of a headland into the Gulf of Thailand, Thong Nai Pan Yai is another beautiful beach full of golden sand, palm trees and warm turquoise sea. There are a couple of resorts that line the beach and a few bars / cafes to sit at, but if you’re backpacking we’d recommend heading up the beach, back towards Thong Nai Pan Beach to the abandoned resort where there’s plenty of places to sit under the shade.
The beach is also apparently home (marked on Google Maps as an attraction) to ‘Good Boi’ an adorable golden retriever. Unfortunately, he wasn’t out to play when we visited, but next time Good Boi, next time we’ll meet you!
If you’re heading to Thong Nai Pan Yai make sure you stock up on water and supplies from other 7-Eleven’s on the island. The water here was double the price!
We drove here on our scooters and parked next to the Bamboo Bungalow resort.
Explore the Namtok Than Sadet National Park
Located in the mountainous northeast, Namtok Than Sadet National Park is stunning, and in our opinion the drive to the park is worth doing alone, it’s an incredible road! As you leave the busy roads of the main town behind, you’ll find a quiet stretch of tarmac that curves and switch-backs its way up steep mountains and through dense jungle.
When you reach the roundabout, take the right hand fork. You’ll know you’re on the right road when you pass a small garden and monument dedicated to King Rama V on your right. The road to the Namtok Than Sadet National Park is free to drive along and all along the road (towards Haad Saet Beach) are a series of paths that lead down to jungle waterfalls.
The first stop in the park is at the ‘Blind Guy Food and Drink Shop’ (here). Just pull over and park in front of his shop. Behind his house and shop, a steep path leads down into the jungle. As you head further down into the valley, you’ll start to hear the water thundering down. At the bottom of the trail, a river cascades over huge rocks and boulders. You can clamber your way down over the rocks, or sit with your feet in the cool water. Before you leave, make sure you stock up on supplies from the lovely blind man. He sells soft drinks, snacks, beer, gasoline, coconuts and coconut oil and if you are lucky you may be treated to a song!
After you’ve finished here, hop back on your bike and head down the steep road, past the Dragon Soul Retreat Centre to park on the side of the road to climb down to Phu Sam Pan Waterfall (here). Again, to reach the falls below, it was another hot and sweaty, steep descent into the valley. At the bottom there was a lot more climbing and scrambling over large rocks to reach the water. The riverbed here is dotted with plenty of pools to swim in and plenty of rocks to lie out on in the sun.
Once you’ve finished at Phu Sam Pan, head down the road onto the last stop of the park, Pho Darng Waterfall (here). Just over the road from the carpark there is a small set of steps that lead down to the river below. Pho Darng was definitely the most waterfall-y ‘waterfall’ of the day. At the bottom of the steps a huge pool opened up in front of us. At the far end, a small stream of white water crashed down over gently sloped platforms of rock. It was beautiful!
All three waterfalls are free to enter, but in peak season you may need to register with the National Park Office at the top of Pho Darng Waterfall. Make sure you wear your swimwear, pack lots of water (it’s very hot and humid in the jungle) and douse yourself in lots of insect repellent. The mosquitoes in the park are super hungry! Also be careful on the rocks as they were very slippery! We wore our trainers and had no problem jumping and clambering up the rocks but it may have been a different story if we were wearing flip flops!
From the Namtok Than Sadet National Park you can continue down the road until you read the carpark and barriers for Haad Sadet Beach. To access the beach you’ll need to pay a 100 baht entry fee per person, plus an additional 20 baht to park your bike. As we didn’t fancy a swim (we had already enjoyed the cool waters of the waterfalls) we decided to save the pennies and headed to….
Take in the Epic Cliffside Views at the Hide On High Viewpoint and Cafe
Let’s be honest here, this incredible viewpoint is not easy to get to. The approach to the treehouse cliffside bar is up a dirt track that’s full of loose gravel and deep crevices. As soon as we saw the approach to the viewpoint we decided to park our bikes on the side of the road and walk there.
If you decide to park your bikes on the side of the road like we did, make sure you give enough space to let others pass. There were a lot of signs on the road suggesting there’s been problems with this in the past. The walk to the bar wasn't long (about 0.5 KM) and took us about 10 minutes. If you are really skilled on two wheels you could try accessing it via a scooter, but we’d only recommend you do this if you’re super confident. It was very sandy and very slippery even on foot!
As soon as you reach the bar don’t be put off by the many signs outside asking you to be polite, order drinks and generally don’t be one of those “arsehole travellers”! We found the guy who owned it to be super friendly and super welcoming and spent a good while chatting to him about where we had been and where we should go next. After we ordered our drinks, he brought out two, super comfy cushions and laid them out on the wooden decking outside.
The view is absolutely incredible! From up high in the trees, you get an amazing 180 degree panoramic view over thick, dark green jungle, the golden sands of Haad Sadet Beach and the jagged grey and turquoise of the coastline. It was amazing! The vibes were super chilled out, with laidback reggae tunes playing from inside the bar. The bar felt completely unchanged and was like we had stumbled upon something from the old-school backpacking era of the late 90s!
Hide on High serves everything from fresh coconut water to cocktails, smoothies to beer. The prices are a little higher than elsewhere on the island, but then you are drinking in a treehouse! Inside the bar there is a small counter selling handmaid jewellery and other trinkets.
To visit Hide on High you will need to buy a drink or pay an entrance fee of 100 baht which feels totally reasonable given the incredible view.
Climb the Vertigo-Inducing Phasawan Viewpoint (Bottle Beach Viewpoint)
The Phasawan Viewpoint is one of the most incredible and possibly most dangerous viewpoints we’ve climbed so far during our adventures. A huge curved spine of rock juts precariously out from the dense jungle below and overhangs, giving jaw-dropping and vertigo-inducing views over Bottle Beach and Phangan’s stunning coastline. It’s one of those viewpoints that if you’re brave (or stupid enough) to risk standing on the edge of the rock, you’re granted with a view that’s a ‘pinch yourself’ kind of moment. We are sometimes less than wise, the view was phenomenal!
To get to the viewpoint, there’s a short 20 minute walk through the jungle. It’s a very easy climb that’s well marked throughout. The path follows a gentle incline which clambers up over giant tree roots. At the very end of the walk, there’s a section where you’ll need to scramble up and over some giant boulders. When you reach the viewpoint itself, you’ll need to crawl through a small rock and will need to balance along a very small ledge. From there you’ll need to haul yourself up to the rockface. The views from the back of the rock are still great if you don’t feel like risking the cliffside. On top of the rock, it’s just you and a 360 degree sweeping view over Bottle Beach and the jungle below!
Make sure you wear closed shoes as the rock is very slippery and if you were to fall off, there is literally nothing to save you. It can get very busy, so you may need to wait to get your photos, but it’s 100% worth it!
If you’re scared of heights, maybe give this viewpoint a miss. There are no barriers, no markings to say where to stand; it’s just one big massive rock hanging out from the side of the jungle!
Hike up the Haad Khom Viewpoint
This was a super easy hike, taking only 10 minutes to reach the peak. It’s an easy climb up a gentle hill, through the jungle and over tree roots. At the top of the hike, the trees start to part and you’ll be standing on top of a big flat rock with beautiful views out over Haad Khom Beach and Chaloklum Bay.
The viewpoint is well worth the quick hike, but just make sure you douse yourself in mosquito repellent as there were some especially peckish mozzies floating about.
To reach the trail, just park in the gravel car park on the side of the road. When we visited we were the only ones on the trail and had the whole car park and hike all to ourselves. This car park is also where we would recommend parking if you’re planning on hiking to Bottle Beach.
If you’re heading here, be warned that there is a super steep hill just before you reach the Boulder Kafe (read more about it here), so if you’re heading this way, make sure you’ve tested your bike brakes!
Take a Look at the ‘Big Tree’ or Yang Na Yai Tree
Yang Na Yai Tree or the ‘Big Tree’ is Koh Phangan’s largest tree and is aptly named given its size (again ‘Yai’ in Thai translates to big or large) and whoever named it was bang on the money - it’s humongous! We made a stop here after exploring the Namtok Than Sadet National Park and couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw the tree. The trunk is massive and towers over you like a natural skyscraper. There is a small shrine at the base and a place to park your scooter. You won’t need long at the tree, but it’s worth a quick stop if you’re passing through. Plus the tree marks the beginning of our favourite road to ride on! The road leads to the Namtok Than Sadet National Park and the beaches of Thong Nai Pan and Thong Nai Pan Yai. Behind the ‘Big Tree’ the road curves steeply, climbing up into dense jungle. As you switch back your way further into the forest, breaks in the trees give incredible views out over the island. It’s an amazing road and was always very quiet when we travelled on it.
Shop for Local Delicacies at the Chaloklum Sunday Market
We were lucky enough and managed to visit Chaloklum’s very popular Sunday Walking Street Market twice!
Every Sunday evening from 4pm until late, the main street behind Chaloklum Beach is closed to traffic and stall holders set up selling everything from Thai street food favourites to arts and crafts. The Sunday Market is super popular with locals, expats and backpackers and was a lovely way to spend an evening. We absolutely loved the chilled out vibes, the live music and the fact that everyone sat along the pier eating their market meals!
We’ve been to many night markets in Thailand, and the Chaloklum Sunday Market is definitely one of our favourites! We cover everything we ate at the market in our ‘Koh Phangan Where to Eat’ guide which you can read here.
If you’re staying in the main town there is also a Saturday Walking Street Market (here) which opens from 5pm every Saturday evening. We didn’t make it to this market, but it’s definitely on the list for next time!
Other Things to Do
In this guide we’ve only touched upon only a small fraction on what there is to do on Koh Phangan. Here’s some other suggestions on how to fill your time. We did not do any of these activities, so cannot give any honest opinions, we can only suggest them to you as possible things to do. Let us know in the comments what we missed!
Visit more waterfalls
We only managed to explore the waterfalls in the Namtok Than Sadet National Park, but in the centre of the island (just north of the main town, close to the main road heading to Chaloklum) there are plenty of other waterfalls to visit including Khao Ra (find it on Google Maps here) and the waterfalls of Than Nam Rak (located here).
To the north, close to Mae Haad Beach there’s the Wang Sai waterfall (located here) and next to Thong Nai Pan Yai Beach you can find two more falls; the Than Prawet Waterfall (located here) and Thong Nai Pan Waterfall (find it here). Next time we’re on the island, we would love to visit all of these.
Koh Phangan’s Than Sadet National Park is vast!
Go snorkelling or diving off Koh Phangan’s shores
Snorkelling tours leave Koh Phangan and head to the Mu Ko Ang Thong National Marine Park sitting to the east of the island. We absolutely adore snorkelling and really wanted to do it whilst we were on Koh Phangan, but unfortunately the weather just wasn’t playing ball. Next time though we will definitely book a trip! If you’d like to book a snorkelling tour in advance, why not check out this full day snorkelling trip from Get Your Guide.
If you would like to go diving, then there are a couple of dive schools on the island. Every day, on our way to Chaloklum Beach we would pass by the Chaloklum Diving School. For more information, check out the Chaloklum Diving School website.
Take a yoga class
The whole island is dotted with plenty of yoga retreats and studios, with many offering single classes, weekly or monthly memberships. If you’re looking to get your flex on or in need of some serious centering, Koh Phangan has you covered.
Explore the island by quad bike
During our stay, one of our favourite things to do was to ride the jungle road between Namtok Than Sadet National Park and Thong Nai Pan Beach on our scooters. Most days we would encounter a stream of ATVs, twisting and turning along the road, before they suddenly disappeared off through a small gap in the dense jungle. There are plenty of companies who offer ATV tours but if you would like to book a trip in advance, why not check out this ATV tour on Get Your Guide.
Take a cooking class
One of the best things to do on any trip to Thailand is to take a cooking class. We have done several cooking classes (We especially loved our cooking class in Chiang Mai), and they are always fun and result in a very tasty meal! We only found out about Chilli Best Thai Cooking Class & Restaurant when we passed by on our last day on the island and were gutted we didn’t notice it before. To book a cooking experience, click here.
Where To Eat And Drink On Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan is full of restaurants, coffee shops, bars and street eats. Whatever you fancy, there’ll be somewhere on the island that you can eat at. We have written a full blog on where to eat and drink on Koh Phangan covering everything from local rice and curry joints to western brunch and craft coffee spots!
There’s also plenty of 7-Eleven’s dotted all over the island if you’re after a budget friendly ham and cheese toastie or iced americano!
Where To Stay?
Koh Phangan has accommodation to suit every style, budget and comfort level. From party hostels and jungle escapes, yoga retreats to budget guesthouses, 5-star luxury hotels to the quintessential Thai beach front bungalows, whatever you’re after, there’ll be a place for you to stay.
If you’re travelling to the island on or around New Years Eve, Songkran or the Full or Half Moon parties then make sure you book your accommodation well in advance. During this time, beds sell out extremely quickly and can be quite costly!
Our accommodation - Mythai Guesthouse
We can only recommend one place to stay as we only stayed in one guesthouse for the duration of our stay and that was the excellent Mythai Guesthouse in Chaloklum in the north of the island.
Set a short 15 minute walk from Chaloklum Beach and town, Mythai guesthouse was wonderful! Super spacious and comfy rooms, en-suite bathrooms, AC and even a semi-private table on the veranda. We liked it so much we actually ended up extending our stay here twice. Also it helps that it was above the excellent (as in it one of the highest rated burgers on the island) My Thai Burger restaurant!
To book your stay at Mythai Guesthouse, click here.
They also offer dorm rooms for those looking for a cheaper stay.
All other accommodation
Koh Phangan has plenty of accommodation to choose from. If you’re after the hostel, Full Moon party scene, then we’d recommend you seeking out a stay in the Haad Rin area of the island. If you’re after yoga classes, poke bowls and co-working spaces then check out accommodation to the south of the main town close to Haad Ban Tai Beach or to the north of town, following the coastline along from Hin Kong Beach to Zen Beach and onto Haad Yao Beach.
For those looking for laidback vibes, then definitely check out Chaloklum in the north. It was much quieter than the south of the island and the sunsets were phenomenal here! Also when we travelled it was by far the most budget friendly area of the island.
If you’re after a luxury escape in a high-end resort then head over to the Thong Nai Pan area of the island.
Wherever you want to stay, we’d recommend entering your holiday dates on our handy map below and seeing what is available across the island!
Getting Around The Island
Koh Phangan is a big island and to explore properly, you are going to need a set of wheels.
Motorbike and Scooter Hire
The easiest way to explore Koh Phangan is to rent a motorbike or scooter. The island is big, and it takes just over 35 minutes to travel from Haad Rin in the south all the way to Chaloklum Beach in the north by bike.
Motorbike and scooter rental can be found everywhere on the island, with many of the hostels, guesthouses and hotels having their own fleet of scooters to rent.
We were staying in the north of the island in Chaloklum and hired two scooters from here (no Google listing, but the rental place is just next door to Albert’s Macaron) for 220 baht per day per bike. This price seemed to be average across Phangan. If you’re wanting to rent a scooter straight from the ferry, then there are plenty of rental places, just opposite the pier. Just shop around to find what type of bike you want and check the reviews.
For those wanting to ride pillion consider splashing the cash and getting a more powerful / newer bike. Koh Phangan is very mountainous and there are quite a few steep roads to contend with! We saw many couples come to a complete stop on some of the steeper hills as their bike couldn’t reach the top with both of them on board. We’re sure many couples have had a sweaty argument after one of them has had to hike up a steep hill whilst the other one swans up on a scooter!
Self-service petrol pumps can be found all over, and there are plenty of manned petrol stations so you shouldn’t ever need to worry about running out of gas!
If you’re planning to rent a bike, all the usual safety warnings apply. Koh Phangan is a very busy island with lots of traffic and very steep, curvy hills. Only rent a bike if you’re confident at riding and always, always wear a helmet!
Taxis and Songthaews
If you cannot ride a motorbike or scooter, there are plenty of taxis and songthaews to take you around the island. Just be aware that it will be a very expensive way to get around as taxi prices on Koh Phangan are fixed at 200 baht per person per ride. You will only be able to hail local taxis or songthaews to take you where you want to go as Grab and Bolt do not currently work on Koh Phangan.
For those planning to stay in the north of the island near Chaloklum, there is a taxi station just next door to the Lotus supermarket (located here) which runs songthaews to the south of the island every hour from 8AM until 8PM at night.
When we arrived on Koh Phangan we arranged, through our guesthouse My Thai Guesthouse, for a taxi to come and pick us up from the pier as soon as we docked. We paid 400 baht for this transfer. A little pricey, but necessary when you’re staying in the very north of the island! Next time, as we know the roads and are a little bit more confident on scooters now, we will rent bikes from the pier and drive ourselves.
Some of the roads on Koh Phangan are very steep!
How To Get To Koh Phangan
Koh Phangan is extremely well connected with ferries and speedboats to both the Thai mainland and to the neighbouring islands of Koh Tao and Koh Samui.
Whether you’re coming from Bangkok, Surat Thani, Koh Samui or Koh Tao you’ll arrive and depart Koh Phangan from the Thong Sala Pier (located on Google maps here). The nearest airports to the island are Koh Samui and Surat Thani.
To book your tickets to the island in advance, we would recommend using 12Go below. You can choose to pick transfers straight from Bangkok, from Surat Thani or from either Koh Samui or Koh Tao.
We’ve written an in depth article about how to get to the island: check out our detailed guide to getting to the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan for more detailed information on operators, departure times and where to get the boats from.
If you’re planning to travel to Koh Phangan during the Full Moon, New Years Eve or Songkran in April, make sure you book your transport to and from the island well in advance! The island swells with revellers during these times and you don’t want to get stuck or left behind.
When To Visit The Island - Wet And Dry Season
Obviously, the best time to visit the island is during the dry season which runs from December to March. During these months you should have hot sunny days, with very little rain. However, the dry season is the peak season for tourism on the island which means the island will be very busy and accommodation and transport may sell out!
The wettest time on the island is from September to November and is considered to be the low season for tourism. During these months accommodation will be a lot cheaper, but it may not be optimal weather for sunbathing! Also some of the bars and restaurants may be closed during this time.
We visited in May, during the shoulder months between the wet and dry season. During our stay we were treated to a huge mix of weather. Some days we had beautiful blue skies and no rain and on other days, we had torrential downpours. Although it was wet at times, the rain never lasted that long, and every day we managed to get to the beach for a swim or a walk.
Even with the rainy days, we were still lucky and saw some incredible sunsets!
Final Thoughts
Koh Phangan was one of the most unexpected highlights of all our travels and definitely exceeded both our expectations. We headed to the island with not knowing what to expect and had only planned to stay only a couple of nights, but after only an afternoon on the island we were already extending our stay. Koh Phangan has a reputation of being a party island, but there really is so much more to it than that.
The island can cater for those party goers out there, but if you’re into beautiful beaches, stunning jungles and laidback vibes, the island is for you too. The island has a bit of everything. From modern coffee shops to street food, night markets to high-end restaurants. Whatever you want to get out of the island, we’re sure that Koh Phangan could provide.
We absolutely adored Koh Phangan and are already planning a return! It’s an island we would love to set up a base on and spend some time exploring fully. It’s a big island that’s full of great things to see and do, and it really does deserve a lot of your time! Put any fears of parties, buckets and face paint aside, they all exist and we’re sure are great fun if you want to indulge, but there is so much more to this beautiful island!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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The Red Lotus Lake - Isan’s Stunning Sunrise Spectacle!
The Red Lotus Lake of Udon Thani is a beautiful hidden gem in Thailand’s Isan region. During the winter months, as the sun rises the whole lake erupts into a sea of bright pink water lilies. The best way to see the lake is to get up early and get on a boat. We had an absolutely magical morning floating amongst the flowers. Find out all you need to know about visiting the Red Lotus Lake in our full guide which covers everything from our experience, the best time to see the lilies, boat fees and how to get there!
Thailand’s northeastern region of Isan hides a stunning sunrise spectacle that still remains unknown to most travellers. Set a short drive away from the city of Udon Thani, the Red Lotus Lake showcases a magnificent, floral masterpiece that each morning, explodes into a vibrant carpet of bright pink water lilies that cover the whole of Kumphawapi Lake.
During the cooler winter months, as the sun begins to rise, the Red Lotus Lake (or Talee Bua Daeng as it is known in Thailand) transforms into a spectacular sea of lily flowers. The best way to see the blooms is to take a boat trip across the lake and float in amongst the vibrant blanket of flowers. There is something special about seeing a sunrise whilst you are travelling, but there is something even more magical about seeing the sun rise whilst you are sitting in a wooden boat, floating on a sea of flowers in the middle of Thailand!
The Red Lotus Lake is an absolute must if you’re visiting the city of Udon Thani. We had an incredible morning, floating on the lake and experiencing this natural phenomena for ourselves. Read on to find out everything you need to know about visiting.
In this Red Lotus Lake Guide:
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
The Red Lotus Lake - Water Lilies or Lotuses?
Before we delve into this article, we do need to clear some things up. Although the name suggests you will be seeing a lake filled with lotuses, you will, in fact, be seeing bright pink water lilies instead!
The confusion comes as the Thai name for the lake, Talee Bua Daeng translates to ‘Red Lotus Sea’ in English with the word ‘Daeng’ meaning Red, ‘Bua’ meaning Lotus and ‘Talee’ meaning Sea.
Although both lotuses and water lilies look very similar, water lilies actually grow and flower above the water, whereas lotus flowers float directly on the water’s surface. Although the name suggests lotuses, it is a sea of lilies you will see instead.
Our Experience Of Visiting The Red Lotus Lake
We woke pre-dawn and headed down to the car-park and stumbled, still yawning into our waiting taxi. As we headed towards the outskirts of Udon Thani, the city, even at this early hour, was a throng of activity. The streets were busy with food vendors setting up shop for the day, and the roads were packed full of cars and bikes of all shapes and sizes. Some of the scooters were riding low, weighed down by precarious piles of produce, on their way to early morning markets.
After a short drive, we pulled into the car-park of the Red Lotus Lake. We headed to the shoreline and, with a bit of pointing, some very broken Thai and 300 baht later we had acquired a boat and a driver. Lifejackets donned and cameras at the ready, we hopped into our small wooden chariot.
A warm glow was starting to light up the horizon as our boat skimmed across the mirrored surface of the perfectly still, indigo lake. The only sound filling the still air was the spluttering purr of the boat's engine as it sped towards the slowly rising sun. As we floated deeper into the watery mass, the horizon suddenly erupted into a dazzling fiery display above us. Our driver pulled us to a stop and we sat and watched as the sky came to life. Strokes of lilac merged with huge swathes of dusty pink and pastel orange. The fiery show came to its grand finale as the perfectly spherical, bright red sun rose from the shadows below. If we had come all this way just to see this sunrise, we would have been very happy. But this was only the start of this morning’s magical surprises!
Our driver turned the boat around and we headed away from the rising sun. From our boat, we could see a thick line of dark pink dividing the blue sky above and the glass-like surface of the lake below. As we got closer, the dark pink line grew brighter and brighter, until all we could see was a sea of lily flowers, blanketing the whole of the lake. The flowers stretched out for miles and miles, we had seen photos of the lake on Instagram but nothing had prepared us for this vast covering. All around, water lilies rose up towards the sky, their pink petals each splayed out to catch the sun’s morning rays.
It is hard to describe just how magical the lake looked. The perfectly still mirrored surface of the lake and the dark contrast of deep green lily pads against the pink petals created the perfect reflection. The lilies themselves were so vibrant, it was like someone had edited the scene in front of us and turned up the saturation. We had expected to see some lilies, but we really did not expect to see this vast carpet.
As we drove deeper into the bright pink, floral sea, we spotted charcoal grey and emerald green swamphens and pure white egrets emerging from the thick reeds, whilst above us giant hawks dove down into the lake to hunt. It was a spectacular sight!
Our boat driver (pilot? captain?) was great, alternating between paddling us through the serene pink blooms and stopping at perfect picture opportunities. There was something truly magical about rowing through the lilies, the boat's small wake gently undulating the carpet of flowers around us.
After a little over an hour, taking photos and soaking in the peaceful atmosphere, our boat driver turned us away from the thick blanket of lilies and we headed back to shore.
We’ve taken many boat trips on our adventures through Asia but this was definitely one of the most memorable and special.
The Red Lotus Lake Essential Information
Where Is The Red Lotus Lake And How To Get There?
The Red Lotus Lake is located around a 45 minute drive (around 40 KM / 25 miles) southeast from downtown Udon Thani.
The lake can be found on Google Maps here:
The easiest way to reach the lake is to hire a scooter from Udon Thani. There are plenty of different rental places in the city, but we were recommended renting a bike from Happy Motorbike (located opposite the Central Plaza Shopping Mall in Udon Thani). They have plenty of different size bikes available, with scooter rentals starting at 300 baht per day.
If you would prefer not riding in the dark, then you can easily arrange a taxi driver to take you to the lake, wait whilst you take your boat trip and then drive you back to Udon Thani in time for breakfast. We arranged our driver through our accommodation Chanathinat Place and paid 1600 baht for a taxi and a driver for the two of us. This price seemed about standard, with taxis costing anywhere between 1000 to 2000 baht per trip from Udon Thani.
For more information on Udon Thani, including getting there and where to stay make sure you check out our city guide here.
When Is The Best Time To Visit The Red Lotus Lake?
The best time to visit the Red Lotus Lake is at sunrise during the cooler winter months, between late November and February. During this time the lilies are in full-bloom and will cover the whole lake like a bright pink carpet.
It is also very important to put your alarms on and get there as early as possible in the morning. Just after sunrise is when the lilies are at their most vibrant and open. If you leave it later than this, you’ll be in for a much more subdued show. The lily flowers open for the dawn and will close up over the course of the morning. By midday the lake will be a green lily pad strewn carpet, pretty, but not the vibrant pink of the morning’s flower show!
Get to the lake early - at the end of our trip some of the water lilies were already closing up!
Entrance Fees And Boat Prices
Entrance fees to the Red Lotus Lake are extremely reasonable, with boat prices costing:
300 baht to rent a small boat that fits up to 2 people.
500 baht to rent a larger boat that fits up to 6 people.
These prices include the driver, use of a life jacket and a 2 hour trip around the lake. To buy tickets, just head to one of the stalls that line the shoreline next to the car-park. If you have booked a trip from the town, check if the price includes this or just the taxi ride!
How Long Is The Boat Trip?
The boat trip around the lake lasts around 1.5 to 2 hours, depending on how long you decide to stop for. The boat drivers (at least ours and the other drivers in our mini boat convoy) would pull over for you to get as many photos as you wanted and waited until you signalled to them to let them know you were ready to move on.
We felt that this was the perfect amount of time to be on the water. We had plenty of time to watch the sunrise, soak up the chilled out atmosphere and get all the photos we wanted without ever feeling rushed or bored.
What To Wear?
Even in the hot and humid heat of Thailand, there are times where it can get a little chilly (we know, hard to believe), this is especially true if you’re visiting a lake pre-sunrise! As you’ll be heading out onto Kumphawapi during the cooler winter months you may want to take a lightweight hoodie or jumper to keep you warm. We each took hoodies with us but ended up not wearing them, your experience may vary!
If you are planning a trip to the lake, do think about your outfit. The lake makes for a very pretty backdrop for a photoshoot, so if you have been lugging around that ‘pretty dress’ now is the time for you to wear it!
Make sure you head to the Red Lotus Lake before the sun rises!
Facilities At The Red Lotus Lake
On the shoreline, next to where you buy your boat tickets from, there are plenty of lakeside stalls selling grilled meats, sticky rice and sweet BBQ bananas. If you fancied taking a picnic breakfast out onto the boat with you, then there are plenty of portable snacks for you to pick from.
If you’re after larger meals, then there are a couple of restaurants and coffee shops nearby in Ban Diam, the village closest to the shoreline.
There are toilets available close to the car-park, just remember to pack some tissues with you.
Where To Stay?
The majority of travellers will stay in the nearby city of Udon Thani. The city is packed full of accommodation. From budget guesthouses to luxury hotels, whatever your travel style is, you’ll find the perfect bed in the city. We stayed in the super cheap, very basic Chanathinat Place that was perfect for our needs, but if you are after a hotel stay, why not check out Centara Udon, Hotel MOCO or the Banbua Grand Udon Hotel.
If you would prefer a later wake up call, then there are a couple of places to stay in the villages surrounding the shoreline of Kumphawapi. Why not check out the Bua Daeng Homestay Resort, the Hormduk Resort or the Green Gecko villa.
Next time, we would love to stay closer to the lake. We absolutely adore staying in smaller Thai towns and villages and being close to the lake would mean we could treat ourselves to a lakeside sunset!
To book a stay near the lake, check out our handy accommodation map below. Just enter your travel dates and click search:
Our Complete Udon Thani Travel Guide
Most travellers heading to the Red Lotus Lake will be staying in the nearby city of Udon Thani. The city is stuffed full of delicious street food, vibrant night markets and festivals.
Make sure you check out our complete guide to the city below. We cover everything you need to know about visiting, from where to stay, how to get there, what there is to see and do as well as our favourite spots to eat and drink!
Final Thoughts
If you’re visiting Isan during Thailand’s winter months, then a trip to the Red Lotus Lake is an absolute must!
We are not normally one for early mornings, but sometimes, it really pays to get up. The Red Lotus Lake was absolutely magical. It’s hard to describe in writing just how much we loved it, but there is something really special about watching the sun rise above you, whilst floating on a sea of flowers. Also we feel that everyone should get the opportunity to feel like a Disney princess at least once in their lives, even John!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
All Our Isan Travel Guides
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Udon Thani A Complete Travel Guide - An Isan Adventure
The Isan city of Udon Thani is a great spot to base yourself to explore some of Thailand’s lesser known attractions. Home to night markets, great food and the incredible Red Lotus Lake, find out everything there is to see, do and eat in the city as well as where to stay and why Udon Thani should be on your next Thai itinerary!
From the outside, Udon Thani looks no different to any other Thai city. A big, sprawling metropolis full of busy roads, streets lined with huge shops, garages and warehouses. But if you dive underneath its industrial shell and delve a little deeper into the city, you'll be welcomed to a different side of Udon Thani. A city that’s full of character, incredible night markets and plenty of things to see and do.
We arrived in Udon Thani with very little idea about what we wanted to do in the city. We knew we had to plan a trip out to see the famous Red Lotus Lake, but apart from that, we had no idea what to expect. So, as soon as we arrived, we did what we always do. We dumped our bags and headed out onto the streets. In a matter of hours we had wandered our way across nearly the whole of the city, passing markets piled high with fresh produce and stopping at ornate temples thick with incense. We feasted on delicious Thai street food and soaked up the laidback charm and buzzing energy of the city. After our one day walk around the city, we knew Udon Thani had a lot to offer!
We only had a few days to explore the city, but absolutely loved our time there. Udon Thani is a city where you need to go with no plan, an empty stomach and a sense of adventure! It’s a place that really requires travellers to plunge into its busy streets and explore. The city is a great starting point to visit more of Thailand’s lesser known northeastern region of Isan. Udon Thani could also make a fantastic springboard for adventures in Laos. The nearby border giving quick and easy access to the Laotian capital of Vientiane.
Here’s our complete travel guide on what to see and do where to stay and what to eat in the Isan city of Udon Thani!
In this Udon Thani travel guide:
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
If you can, try and plan a trip to Udon Thani in December to catch the colourful Thung Sri Muang Festival!
What to do in Udon Thani?
Take a walk around Nongprajak Public Park
Nongprajak Park is a beautiful green oasis amongst the dense urban sprawl, made up of several islands all sitting on a big lake and connected to each other by bridges. The park is a great spot to head to for a bit of peace and calm. It’s full of shaded lawns, play areas and gym equipment (if you’re insane and feel like a sweaty workout in the humid heat!).
There’s also an art trail to follow, with lots of different sculptures to spot including a transformer robot (complete with guns), a massive pot that looks like it has been dug up and placed like some archaeological find, as well as Udon Thani’s famous, enormous yellow, rubber ducks!
The park is a great spot to head to before or after visiting the museum or city pillar (see later).
Learn about local history at the Muang Udon Thani Museum
Set in a beautifully renovated, mustard yellow and red tiled colonial-style building, the Udon Thani City Museum is stuffed full of exhibitions showcasing the history, art, culture and archaeological finds of the city as well as the wider Udon Thani province.
Most of the information is written in Thai, but there is an interesting section (with English translation) about the US armed forces, their use of Udon Thani as an airbase and their involvement in the Vietnam War. There’s even an old US airbase located a short drive outside of town (find it here) which you can visit!
Entrance fee: The museum is free to enter.
Opening times: The museum is open every Tuesday to Sunday from 9 - 11:30 AM and from 1 - 3:30 PM. The museum is closed on Mondays and on public holidays.
Eat and shop at one of Udon Thani's Night Markets
Udon Thani is an absolute mecca for foodies with night markets and restaurants galore. Once the sun starts to dip below the horizon, the city comes alive with the smells and sounds of BBQ’s grilling and woks spitting. The most famous night markets in Udon Thani, stretch the length of the railway tracks to the east of the city.
We would recommend heading to one end and just grazing from stall to stall. One evening, we decided to have our very own street food crawl, where we walked down through the busy stalls of the market, picking up bags of grilled pork satay, deep fried chicken skin, slices of sai oua (Northern Thai sausage) and finishing with a huge plate of chicken and rice at the end! We love dining at a Thai night market. It’s always so much fun just turning up hungry and seeing what you find. Depending on what you’re after for dinner, you can choose to pick up small snacks or full meals as well as smoothies, sushi, puddings and more. As with any night market in Thailand our only advice is go hungry and be adventurous!
It’s also a great place to pick up cheap souvenirs, mobile phone accessories, sportswear of questionable providence and more.
Thai-style market sushi is one of our guilty pleasures!
Visit the City Pillar Shrine (San Lak Mueang Udon Thani)
Udon Thani’s city pillar shrine or, San Lak Mueang, sits in the middle of a huge square full of grass lawns, flower beds and ornate yaksha guardian statues. Just next door to the pillar, sits a beautiful Chinese temple studded with hanging red lanterns and intricately carved wooden pillars, all covered in dragons! A short walk on from the temple sits the Tea Kappa Chinese Gate, a gateway made up of three squared wooden entrances all covered in carvings and painted in red and gold.
The park and square around the city pillar is also where the enormous market and fairground sets up during the Thung Sri Muang Festival (read more below) in December.
From all three sites listed above, it is only a short walk to the museum and Nongprajak Park.
Visit Kromluang Prachak Sinlapakhom Monument
Another popular pilgrimage spot for locals, the Kromluang Prachak Sinlapakhom Monument pays homage to Prince Pajak, founder of the city. Sitting in the middle of the roundabout and surrounded by offerings, a statue of Prince Prajak looks out over the busy roads. Make sure to pass by at night where the monument is lit up with colourful lights!
Stock up on Vietnamese goods at Udon Thani’s Vietnam Town
We stumbled upon Udon Thani’s Vietnam Town completely by accident. As we were heading north, walking along Srisook Road, we came to a yellow and red gateway marking the entrance to Srisuk Soi 2, the home of Udon Thani’s Vietnam Town.
We moved through the gate and wandered down the street, passing under colourful silk lanterns and walking past mustard coloured buildings. Above us, hanging from the rooftops, the red and yellow star of Vietnam hung next to the red, white and blue stripes of the Thai flag. As we walked along, gone were the restaurants advertising traditional Thai dishes, but instead, huge laminated signs advertised offerings of banh xeo, bun cha and banh mi. It felt as though we had been transported to the streets of Hoi An!
Udon Thani’s Vietnam Town was the first Vietnam Town to be recognised in Thailand and the city is home to over 60,000 people of Vietnamese descent.
If you're planning a trip around Isan, and fancy delving deeper into Thailand’s close-knit relations with Vietnam, then don't miss out on visiting Nakhon Phanom.
If you’re planning a trip to Udon Thani and want to dabble in trying some delicious Vietnamese cuisine, make sure you’ve check out our food guide to Ho Chi Minh and our food guide to Hanoi to give you some ideas on what to try!
Escape the Thai heat and shop in the Central Plaza Shopping Mall
We would never usually recommend a shopping mall in a travel guide, but as pale Westerners, there comes a time on any trip to Thailand where you need to escape the intense Thai heat and Thailand’s shopping malls are godsends in these situations!
The Central Plaza shopping mall is your typical, huge and super modern shopping centre full of department stores, clothes, sportswear, electronics, camera and mobile phone stores. If you’re in need of a wardrobe update they have the Western favourites of H&M, UNIQLO (every backpackers favourite), Levi’s, Skechers MUJI, Adidas and more. We popped into the mall in search of a new memory card and somehow came out with a new GoPro instead!
In terms of eating there’s everything from steak to sushi and even a McDonalds in the basement. Upstairs there’s a big cinema complex which shows films in English.
Opening times: The mall is open every day from 10:30AM until 9PM. On Saturday and Sunday it is open from 10:00AM until 9PM.
Enjoy the colourful festivities at the annual Thung Sri Muang Festival
We very luckily, and completely by chance, timed our trip to Udon Thani during the middle of the Thung Sri Muang Festival. This fortnight long festival, held at the beginning of December, is celebrated to honour King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
The festivities kick off with a large parade that starts at Rajabhat University and finishes at Nongprajak Public Park. Next door to the park, surrounding the city pillar a huge market sets up showcasing local delicacies, arts and crafts alongside a massive fairground full of rides. It’s a humongous festival and one of the cities most important.
On the 5th December (the day of the King's Birthday) there is another city wide procession followed by a small fireworks display in the evening. We were very lucky to be in the city on this day and watched as the streets were filled with locals dressed in colourful silk attire, waving huge flags and dancing. Behind the dance troupes came huge floats filling the whole width of the street. Tailing them, huge Chinese dragons and golden serpents danced their way through the city. It was a dazzling spectacle of noise and colour. With long strings of firecrackers being set off and huge drums being beaten. It was amazing to see and something we didn’t expect when we booked our trip to the city.
Visit the Red Lotus Lake
Perhaps Udon Thani’s most famous tourist attraction, the Red Lotus Lake explodes into a sea of bright red and vibrant pink water lilies that blanket the entire lake's surface each morning. The best time to see the Red Lotus Lake is early in the morning (around sunrise) from November until February, where the flowers are at their best.
You can, like us, easily arrange a driver to take you to and from the lake. We did just this, starting pre-dawn, watching the sunrise from the lake before arriving back in Udon Thani in time for breakfast.
If there is one thing you have to do in Udon Thani, make sure it’s a visit to the Red Lotus Lake - it’s absolutely stunning and one of our favourite mornings we’ve ever had!
Check out our full guide to visiting the pink sea at the Red Lotus Lake below:
Where to Eat and Drink in Udon Thani?
If you haven't filled up on tasty Thai treats at one of the city's night markets, then there’s plenty more spots to dine at. The city is literally stuffed full of great restaurants, street side eateries and markets. Here’s just some of our favourite spots we ate and drank at!
Restaurants and street food - Our favourite places to dine
Beef noodles - Michelin recommended Pa Noi Noodles
This Michelin recommended beef noodle joint is highly rated for a reason.
From the outside there is nothing to give away its lofty accolades; it is a humble, typical Thai-style shophouse restaurant. Aunty in the front, metal tables and bubbling cauldrons, all as usual. The food however was incredible! Rich broth with meltingly tender beef was topped with deep fried garlic and fantastic meatballs. All this deliciousness was turbocharged by the jeaw or chilli sauce. The little dish of sauce almost looked like a jam but was an incendiary bomb of flavour, spicing and singing in every bite.
Seriously, if you are looking for an amazing bowl of noodles in Udon Thani, do not miss this place!
Pork tom yum noodles (หมิว บะหมี่เกี้ยว)
This super popular streetside restaurant is exactly the type of restaurant we love to find in Thailand. A non-stop meat carving, noodle dunking machine of a restaurant that serves up all your Thai porky favourites; from roast pork to red pork, noodle soup to wonton. When we visited every table was full of locals slurping up steaming bowls of noodles and there was a long queue of people waiting for takeaway bags (always a good sign).
We dove in, bagged the last table and ordered two plates of roast pork tom yum with egg noodles. The bowl was incredible! We’ve eaten our fair share of tom yum in Thailand and this is up there with some of the best. Super crispy roast pork, still juicy and moist, sat on a bed of perfectly cooked yellow egg noodles. Topping the noodles was a soup of creamy, bright orange tom yum topped with a sticky chilli sauce that we stirred in at the last minute to give an additional spicy kick. It was a stunner of a bowl and one we’ll remember for a long time. In fact writing this is making us want to jump on a plane back to Udon Thani just to have another slurp!
Pork rice porridge (ร้านน.นก ข้าวเปียกฮอดเซ้า)
Another one of our favourite Thai breakfasts, rice porridge or jok as it is known in Thai, is one of the best ways to start a day of exploring. Hearty, warm and super filling it’s a fantastic breakfast that will keep you full all morning.
We stumbled upon this small hole-in-the-wall streetside restaurant after a very early start at the Red Lotus Lake. Serving only a small menu of either jok or noodle soup, we ordered up two bowls of jok each topped with a soft boiled egg, slices of Vietnamese sausage, ground minced pork, deep fried garlic and diced spring onion. Our bowls were delicious, very delicate in taste but still full of that rich and super comforting congee flavour. They also had the option of having your jok served with chicken feet if you’re feeling adventurous!
Pan eggs (นำพรอาหารเช้า)
On both our trips around Isan, pan eggs have become one of our go-to breakfast staples. This super simple, yet super tasty protein rich breakfast dish is made up of fried eggs, slices of Vietnamese sausages, ground pork and sweet Chinese sausage all served in a piping hot metal pan. It’s a rich and hearty start to the day, and the pan eggs from this small stall were superb - plus the old lady serving was super friendly and very excited to see us each morning!
Food court near Rajabhat University
This very popular food court felt like the local student hangout with group after group piling in on scooters to order up a feast of steaming Thai-style fast food. There’s plenty of places to choose from, just take a look around and find a stall that you like the look of, place your order and sit down. We enjoyed a delicious pork pad kra pao that was spicy and generous. If you’re after a cheap but hearty meal, make sure to head here!
University street food stalls
Wherever you find students in Thailand, you’ll also find an abundance of street food stalls selling everything from fresh fruit to grilled meat and this is no different in Udon Thani. All along the main road just outside the gates of Rajabhat University are lots of different street food stalls open from mid-afternoon till late. These are perfect if you’re after a pick-up-and-munch kind of evening meal! We love eating a selection of Thai style tapas, and one evening shopped our way up and down the main road, picking up bags of sliced watermelon, grilled sausages, spicy som tam and a delicious mango sticky rice!
The best coffee shops in Udon Thani
Roast Cup
Set close to Udon Thani’s busy university district, Roast Cup is a super sleek, ultra modern coffee shop that serves up some fantastic coffee. We ordered two lattes, but were very tempted by the coffee mocktail menu featuring americano orange, matcha, coconut coffee and more. They also serve delicious looking sweet treats, including an amazing looking banoffee pie! Roast Cup is the perfect spot if you’re looking for super laidback coffee shop vibes, with friendly baristas and chilled out tunes playing from their antique stereo!
Roskhom "Bitter Taste" Coffee & Bar
This small and compact coffee shop doesn’t look like much from the outside, but inside it’s a super modern cafe where concrete chic meets neon novelty. Filled with funky artwork, industrial lights and contemporary furniture scattered around the tiny space. We stopped by for two quick iced lattes which were silky smooth and the ideal pick-me up! It looks as though the coffee shop becomes a bar at night and next time we’re in the city, we’d love to head here for a cheeky beer!
Udon Thani Essential Travel Information
Where is Udon Thani?
Udon Thani is located in Thailand's northeastern region of Isan about 600 KM away from the Thai capital of Bangkok. Udon Thani is the name of both the province and the provincial capital. Udon Thani can be translated as “northern city” with Udon meaning “northern” and Thani “city”.
The city sits directly in the middle between Nong Khai to the north, Sakon Nakhon to the east, Khon Kaen to the south and Nong Bua Lam Phu to the west.
How to get to Udon Thani?
Depending on your budget, there's plenty of different ways to get to Udon Thani. The city is very well connected with bus, rail and flight links to Bangkok and beyond. You can even hop across the border and catch a train straight from Udon Thani to Vientiane in Laos!
By bus
Catching a bus will be the cheapest option for you to get to Udon Thani, that is unless you're planning to travel by 3rd class on a train!
Buses depart Bangkok's Mochit Bus Station every day, with journeys taking around 9 hours to reach the city. To book your Bangkok to Udon Thani bus tickets in advance, click here.
If you're staying in Chiang Mai and fancy an Isan exploration, there is one overnight bus departing every evening from Chiang Mai’s Bus Terminal 2. Book your tickets here.
For those already on an Isan adventure, mini buses and vans criss-cross the region, connecting the provincial capitals with the smaller market towns. Travelling by bus in Isan is super easy, cheap and very convenient! We’ve spent about four months over two separate trips exploring the length and breadth of Isan, travelling just by mini van and have never been stranded. To get to Udon Thani, we just headed to Khon Kaen’s bus station, hopped on a mini van and a couple of hours later we arrived in the city!
There are two bus stations in the city. The main bus station, where the majority of buses will arrive / depart from is Udon Thani’s Bus Terminal 1 located in the heart of the city (here), just next door to the large Central Plaza Shopping Mall. The much smaller, almost abandoned and completely deserted, second bus station is Udon Thani’s Northern Bus Terminal (located here). This bus station is not as popular as the bus station in town, but if you’re heading to Loei afterwards (like we did) this is where you’ll need to go!
As with all Thai cities we’ve visited, there’s lots of street art to spot in Udon Thani!
By train
Udon Thani’s Railway Station (location) sits in the heart of the city, right next door to some of the city's colourful nightmarkets.
Trains depart Bangkok’s Krung Thep Apiwat Railway Station (also known as Bang Sue) everyday, taking around 9 hours to reach Udon Thani. To book train tickets from Bangkok to Udon Thani, click here.
From Udon Thani you can also catch a direct train to Vientiane in Laos once a day from Bangkok. The train heads north, passing through Nong Khai and from there the train crosses the border and heads straight to Khamsavath Railway Station in the Laotian capital of Vientiane. We did this ourselves, not from Udon Thani, but from Bangkok all the way to Vientiane. We travelled overnight, passing through Udon Thani and Nong Khai early in the morning and arrived in Laos in time for breakfast! Once you’re in Vientiane you can catch a fast train to northern Laos to explore Vang Vieng or Luang Prabang, or you can catch a bus south to ride the famous motorbike loops of Thakhek or Pakse.
To find out more about crossing the Thailand / Laos border at Nong Khai, check out our full blog here where we cover everything you’ll need to know!
The trains in Thailand can sell out extremely quickly, so to secure your seat in advance, we would recommend booking your trip on 12Go.
By air
If money's no object, then the quickest way to reach the city is by flying from Bangkok. Flights depart multiple times a day from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi airport and Don Mueang and take around an hour and fifteen minutes to reach Udon Thani.
To book your flights, we would recommend using Skyscanner to give you a list of the best flight times and prices for your date of travel. Just enter your departure / return date on the search form below:
Udon Thani’s International Airport sits to the southwest of the city (located here), around a 15 minute (6 KM) drive to the centre.
Where to stay? Accommodation in Udon Thani
As budget backpackers, we booked a stay at a very cheap guesthouse, but if you’re after something a little more luxurious, then there’s plenty of choice in the city.
We stayed at Chanathinat Place and slept in a basic, but comfy double bedroom with en-suite bathroom and small balcony. The room was not fancy at all, but it was clean and comfy and was in a perfect location only a short walk away from lots of street food, the night markets and the Central Plaza Shopping Mall. The staff were also super friendly and could help with arranging bike rental, excursions or onward transport. Plus there were plenty of seats downstairs for you to bring back food from the markets.
To book a stay at Chanathinat Place, click here.
For those looking for a fancier bed, then why not check out the Hotel MOCO, the Centara Udon, the Pannarai Hotel or the Banbua Grand Udon Hotel. If you’d prefer some more sociable vibes and a hostel stay, then make sure to check out Whereder Poshtel Udon Thani.
Whatever your budget, bed style or dates, to check out all the accommodation available in Udon Thani during your trip, just enter your dates in the map below and click search!
Where to go next? Travel plans after Udon Thani
Udon Thani is a great starting city to begin a much bigger exploration of Thailand’s lesser known Isan region. From the city, you could head north to Nong Khai and begin a Mekong loop, stopping to visit the incredible Three Whale Rock, and the vertigo-inducing Wat Phu Tok at Bueng Kan. Or you could head inland to Isan’s countryside and visit the city of Sakon Nakhon before heading east back towards the Mekong to visit Mukdahan and then onto the popular riverside town of Nakhon Phanom.
If you’re coming to the end of your Thailand visa, you can easily head from Udon Thani and cross the border into Laos. You can either catch the early morning direct train (only one service a day) from Udon Thani to Khamsavath Railway station in Vientiane. Or you can catch a bus from Udon Thani’s Bus Terminal 1 that will take you to the border, over the Thai/Laos Friendship Bridge 1 and straight into the heart of Vientiane.
To book your tickets from Udon Thani to Vientiane in Laos, click here. There is also the option to catch the train to Nong Khai and cross the border from there.
Final Thoughts
Is Udon Thani worth a trip?
Absolutely!
The city is full of things to see and do, incredible eats and a personality all of its own. At first glance, the city feels like any other Thai city, a big urban metropolis full of busy roads, shopping districts and markets, but if you delve a little deeper and get underneath its skin, you find a city that's full of history, culture and food. The city rarely features on any Western tourists Thai itineraries, but it’s a great spot to base yourself in to really explore the lesser known region of Isan.
We only touched the surface on what there is to do in the city, and outside in the wider province there’s so much more to see! Udon Thani is somewhere we need to come back to. Somewhere where we need to base ourselves for a good amount of time and deep dive into what the region has to offer.
Until next time Udon Thani, until next time!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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The Ultimate Guide To Koh Yao Yai - A Thai Island Without The Crowds
Koh Yao Yai is a true hidden island gem of Southern Thailand. Sitting between the more popular tourist destinations of Phuket and Ao Nang, Koh Yao Yai has managed to escape the throngs of mass tourism. With stunning beaches, luxury accommodation and laid back vibes, find out why Koh Yao Yai should be your next Thai island escape!
Koh Yao Yai is stunning. A large island full of postcard perfect beaches, sleepy villages and a beautiful mangrove laced coastline. Sitting right in the middle of the Andaman Sea and surrounded by the more popular Thai tourist destinations of Phuket, Ao Nang, Railay and Koh Phi Phi the lesser known island of Koh Yao Yai has somehow managed to escape the throngs of mass tourism seen in other parts of Southern Thailand.
The island retains its own local charm, despite being within arms reach of Thailand’s most popular tourist spots. It’s an island that’s very rural. Full of rubber plantations, small villages and fishing harbours, Koh Yao Yai has managed to keep its own identity.
If you’re looking to leave behind the crowds of nearby Phuket and indulge in some real Thai island life, Koh Yao Yai may be the island for you. Whether you’re looking for high-end, luxury resorts or good-value budget accommodation there is plenty on offer.
We spent a wonderful week exploring the length and breadth of the island, soaking up its easy-going vibes, relaxing on the beaches and scootering around the quiet roads.
If you’re looking for a chilled out, super laid back beach break then Koh Yao Yai is the Thai island for you. Read on to find out all you need to know about visiting this idyllic Andaman island!
In This Koh Yao Yai Travel Guide:
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Koh Yao Yai Island
Where is Koh Yao Yai?
The island of Koh Yao Yai is located in Southern Thailand approximately 800 KM away from the Thai capital of Bangkok. You can find the island on a map here.
Koh Yao Yai sits in the middle of the Andaman Sea surrounded by Phuket island to the West, the island of Koh Yao Noi and the mainland of Phang Nga to the north and the beaches of Krabi to the east.
Koh Yao Yai makes up one half of the Koh Yao archipelago. The name Koh Yao Yai translates to “Big Long Island” with it’s neighbouring island, Koh Yao Noi meaning “Small Long Island”.
“Yai” and “Noi” are really useful terms in your Thai vocabulary. You can order large plates with “Yai”, small plates with “Noi” and a little bit with “Nip Noi”!
The closest airports to Koh Yao Yai are Phuket International Airport (HKT) and Krabi International Airport. From both airports you’ll need to arrange a taxi to take you onto the nearest pier to catch the speedboat / ferry onto Koh Yao Yai.
To book flights to Thailand, we’d recommend using Skyscanner to find the best deals. Just enter your dates you are planning to travel in the search form below.
How to Get to Koh Yao Yai
From Phuket
Getting from Phuket to Koh Yao Yai is extremely easy with speedboats and ferries departing from Bang Rong Pier (located here) in northeast Phuket multiple times everyday.
When you arrive at Bang Rong Pier in Phuket you’ll need to pay a 10 baht fee per person to enter the pier area. From there just head to the ticket counter and book your longtail or speedboat tickets.
Tickets cost 400 baht per person to get to Koh Yao Yai (this is the same price as it is to get to Koh Yao Noi) and boats depart regularly from 08:30 AM in the morning until 17:00 PM. There are plenty of cafes and restaurants to wait in until the boat is ready to go.
All boats will arrive at Chong Lard Pier on Koh Yao Yai located in the north of the island. You can find the pier on a map here.
To get to Phuket from Bangkok you can either catch a quick internal flight south (around 1h 30mins flight time) or hop on to a much longer bus (12 to 14 hour journey). To book your Bangkok to Phuket flight or bus tickets, click here.
We took the boat from Bang Rong Pier and bought the tickets on the day, but if you’re travelling in peak season and want to have everything booked in advance, we’d recommend booking your tickets with 12Go.
Book your Phuket to Koh Yao Yai speedboat tickets here.
From Krabi / Ao Nang
If you’re staying in Ao Nang or coming directly from Krabi International Airport, speed boats and ferries depart from Nopparat Thara Pier (located here) everyday at 12 noon, 2 PM and 4 PM. The journey from Nopparat Thara Pier will take around 40 minutes and will drop you off at Chong Lard Pier on Koh Yao Yai. Tickets will cost 650 baht per person.
To book your boat tickets from Krabi to Koh Yao Yai in advance, click here.
If you’re staying in Krabi Town and need to get to Nopparat Thara Pier we’d recommend jumping in one of the red songthaews. You can just hail one down from the street or head to the Songthaew station in town located here. Journeys will cost 50 baht per person. Just let the driver know where you want to go, hop in the back and press the buzzer when you get to the pier. When you get off just remember to pay the driver!
Ferries and speedboats also depart from Ao Thalane Pier (located here) set a little north of Ao Nang. Speedboat departures are at 9.30 AM and 4 PM and with a longtail boat departing at 1 PM.
If you’re coming from Bangkok to Krabi, you can either catch an internal flight which will take around an hour and a half or you can take a much longer bus journey (around 14 hours). To book your Bangkok to Krabi flight or bus tickets, click here.
From Phang Nga
If you’re an intrepid explorer and are staying in the small (but beautiful) Thai town of Phang Nga to the north of the bay, there is one boat that you can hop on to reach Koh Yao Yai. The boat departs everyday at 1 PM from this pier (located here) set a short distance outside of town.
As there is only one boat a day leaving it does mean that if the weather isn’t on your side, or the boat breaks down you’re going to be stuck. Unfortunately this happened to us. We arrived at Phang Nga bus station and were told the boat wasn’t running that day as it was being repaired. We had two choices; one to stay in Phang Nga and hope the boat would be up and running the next day, or head to either Krabi or Phuket and catch the speedboats from there. We were quoted 1400 baht for a songthaew driver to take us from Phang Nga bus station to the pier in Phuket or 1800 baht to get to Krabi. We opted for the cheaper, Phuket option and made it to Koh Yao Yai by mid-afternoon.
There is very little information online about boat departures from Phang Nga and you cannot book your tickets online, so if you’re on holiday we’d recommend you book your boat tickets from Phuket or Krabi.
The pier in Phang Nga is also where you can charter a boat to take you to visit the famous “James Bond” island that sits in the middle of Phang Nga Bay. You can also do this tour from Phuket. We took a full day tourand had a great time exploring the island, having lunch on the floating village of Koh Panyee and visiting some caves. To book a tour in advance, check out Get Your Guide here.
From Koh Yao Noi
If you’re staying on neighbouring Koh Yao Noi you can easily arrange a long tail boat to take you over to Koh Yao Yai. Boats run all day and it should cost you around 100 baht per person per crossing.
To arrange a boat just head to Manoh Pier (located here).
What to Do on the Island
Now you’ve made it to paradise, what is there to do on Koh Yao Yai!
Relax on the Beaches
Koh Yao Yai is spoiled with a plethora of beaches, stretching all the way from the north to the southern tip of the island. If you’re planning a trip to the island, the beaches are almost certainly where you’re going to be spending the majority of your time.
Koh Yao Yai is a large island and it takes around 40 minutes to drive from Chong Lard Pier in the north, to Ao Sai Beach in the south. When you’re booking your accommodation make sure you take this into account. If you’re after a super relaxing holiday, one where you don’t need to leave the resort, we’d recommend searching for hotels and resorts on the beaches of Loh Pared and Ao Hin Kong. Both these beaches are absolutely stunning and the area around both beaches are full of hotels, resorts and restaurants.
We visited Koh Yao Yai at the start of the rainy season and had every beach to ourselves, but even in the peak season we can’t imagine the beaches ever getting too overrun!
Here’s the best beaches to explore on Koh Yao Yai:
Laem Had Beach
(location)
A short 5 minute drive or 25 minute walk from the main town nearest to Chong Larn Pier is a perfect example of a tropical Thai beach. Set on a peninsula, Laem Had Beach is made up of bright white sand, turquoise water and swaying palm trees. It’s a massive beach with its sands stretching away for miles into the distance - it’s an absolute stunner!
The beach is made up of two halves with a sand bank dividing the middle of the two. If you time your visit at low tide, you can walk right out into the Andaman Sea along the curving sand bank.
The right hand side of the peninsula (looking towards the sea) is the part of the beach where you’ll want to set down your towel. To the left, is a more “working” beach, with lots of fishing boats moored up.
If you’re planning a day on this beach there’s not a lot of shade once you’re on the sand so make sure you lather yourself in suncream!
The nearest cafe to the beach is Laleuca Café & Eatery @Laem Had (more on this later) which is a perfect stop to fuel up before a day of swimming and lounging.
To reach the beach, just drive until the road runs out and park in the abandoned resort's car park.
The sandbank literally takes you into the middle of the Andaman Sea!
Our recommendation is to get to this beach sooner rather than later. It looks as though the beach once belonged to a resort that has since been abandoned. At the moment, you can just park up and head through the grounds of the old resort to the beach, but there are lots of signs all around saying the land is for sale. It would be a real shame if this beach was put behind the gates of a fancy high-end resort!
Son Bay Beach
(location)
Son Bay Beach was possibly our favourite beach on the whole island and was completely different to all the other beaches we visited.
An absolutely massive bay of golden sand curves away on either side and is ringed by low-lying palm and jungle filled hills. The beach is huge. We visited both at high and low tide and the difference was phenomenal. At low tide, the sand stretches out for miles and miles and was filled with armies of crabs burrowing into the wet sand. At high tide the beach looks completely different with just a small slither of sand and the gentle waves literally licking the shoreline.
Son Bay at low tide is massive!
At high tide the beach completely disappears!
There is a small beach shack offering sun loungers and selling soft drinks, beer and small plates of food. We enjoyed a can of sprite in the shade and just lapped up the vibes. The view from this beach is stunning! From the shoreline, you can follow the forest filled western coast of the island as it leads down towards the hilly headland. At the end of this headland sits the modern bungalows and infinity pools of the Santhiya Resort and Spa - if you’re looking to treat yourself to a room with a view, these bungalows look like they’d be the one!
Both times we visited this beach we had the whole beach to ourselves, but even in the middle of the high season, we can’t imagine you’d struggle with getting a spot on the sand.
If you’re heading here on a scooter, parking is easy. Just drive until the road runs out and park on the side of the road underneath the trees. If you’re staying to the south of the island, there is a small road that bypasses the main road (the road that takes you back to Chong Lard Pier) and spits you out in the middle of the island. We had a look at the road but decided against it. When we visited the road was awful. It was covered in a thick layer of mud and sand and was full of deep crevices. If you’re not confident off-roading on a bike, we’d recommend sticking to the main road, taking the safer, longer route back.
Ao Hin Kong Beach
(location)
Ao Hin Kong Beach is literally a Thai island paradise!
After a week of beach hopping around the island we didn’t think the beaches could be topped, but Ao Hin Kong was a massive, amazing surprise.
When you think of a Thai beach you need the following:
Perfect sand ☑️
Clear turquoise ocean ☑️
Colourful longtail boats ☑️
Stunning limestone islands ☑️
Ao Hin Kong ticks all the boxes on what you imagine a Thai beach to look like! It’s literally a real-life postcard of what you expect to find on a Southern Thai beach.
We visited the beach at low tide and all around the sand arched away to gentle lapping waves. On the shoreline, huge wooden fishing vessels and longtail boats draped in colourful offerings sat moored on the wet sand whilst all around massive, red shelled crabs with big white pincers fought and tumbled with other crabs.
The beach is divided down the middle by Hin Kong Pier. At the end of the pier, you get a magnificent view out over the limestone and tree filled island of Ko Rang Nok that rises up out of the turquoise ocean. Behind this, layer upon layer of grey, blue limestone jagged karsts fade away to the distance.
The beach is ringed by lots of fancy looking resorts including the Anantara Resort and Spa, the Koh Yao Yai Village Resort and the Baan Taranya Resort.
If you’re after a bite to eat, then there's the Pier Yao Yai Restaurant that has brilliant views from its dining room out over the sand. We would love to have treated ourselves to a meal here, but we had already eaten lunch! If you’re on a budget, there’s also the very well-reviewed Rung Tawan Restaurant just next door.
To reach the beach, just follow the signs from the main road and drive until you reach the end of the road. There’s roadside parking just next to the pier.
Loh Pared Beach
(location)
Loh Pared Beach is up there as one of the prettiest beaches on the island. A huge curving bay full of golden sand, gentle lapping waves and clear turquoise ocean. The beach is the most built up of all the beaches on Koh Yao Yai and is where we’d say the main ‘tourist hub’ of the island is.
On one side of the sand you have the 4-star Blue Bay Resort Hotel and on the other, the 5-star Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort & Spa. Stretching between these two hotels are plenty of other resorts and restaurants. If you’re staying in the Santhiya Koh Yao Yai Resort you have your very own private pier to arrive on - how swanky!
Even though the beach is one of the most built up on the island, it’s nothing like the beaches on neighbouring Phuket! The beach is massive and very pretty, there’s easily enough sand to find your own space to throw down your towel.
There are a couple of beach bars dotted along the shoreline, varying in style. You’ve got our favourite kind of beach bar, the Gypsy Bar (location) - think wooden beach shack, Bob Marley on repeat and flag bunting. Then you have the beach club style - comfy chairs, cocktails, and a more upmarket style - Yao Yai Beach Club (location).
If you’re looking for a sunset spot for a cheeky drink, this beach would be a fantastic choice. The beach faces West overlooking the mountains and islands of Phuket.
Be careful in the wet season as the water can get quite choppy here especially after heavy rain. We had an afternoon swim and the waves knocked off John’s ring he made in the mountains of Dharamshala.
Behind the beach the whole area is full of hotels, restaurants, ATMs and tour agencies. If you want a coffee we can recommend checking out Demeter Coffee (more on this later).
If you’re not staying in Loh Pared and coming to the beach by scooter there are plenty of car park spaces lining the road leading to the beach.
Lo Chak Beach
(location)
Another big beach that stretches out for miles along Yai’s western coastline. At one end of the sands, the long concrete Loh Jak pier stretches out into the clear water and at the other end of the beach, thick jungle sits adjacent to the sand. From the shore you get stunning views out over the small island of Khai Nai and behind this, the rolling hills of Phuket.
When we visited we had the whole beach to ourselves. We took a walk across the sand and enjoyed this quiet slice of paradise. At the end of the beach there’s a sign asking people to be respectful as there is a cemetery hiding in the jungle. We couldn’t see any signs of it but there were lots of coral decorations hanging from trees and waving serenely in the sea breeze!
Close to the pier there were a couple of closed up bars, restaurants and beachside massage parlours. It looked as though they would be open in the high season but were closed when we visited at the start of the rainy season.
If you’re into jet skiing this seemed to be the beach you could hire them from. When we were visiting they were refilling them with a very long petrol hose!
There’s plenty of parking at this beach, with a big car park just next door to the pier. On the approach there are a couple of restaurants / shops to buy food and drink from.
Ao Muong Beach
(location)
Set down a small sand and dirt track just off the main road sits Ao Muong Beach. This beach felt like a secret, a real hidden cove.
We parked up our scooters and headed straight to the shoreline to find a completely abandoned and empty beach! The beach is very different to the sandy beaches to the north. The cove is completely surrounded by dense jungle and swinging palm trees. On the beach itself, there is a thin slither of white sand, followed by a pebble and rock shelf where the sea and sand meet. Despite being quite rough the day we visited, the sea was still vibrant blue and super clear!
From the shore you can see the island of Khai Nai and the blue outline of Phuket on the horizon. At the far end of the beach there was a huge curtain of crab / lobster pots stacked up ready to be used by the local fishermen.
There is a small stall that was closed when we were there, but still had the menu / signs outside. There were also lots of empty coconut shells discarded to the side which indicated that it had definitely been open recently.
If you’re coming by scooter just be careful on the small track between the main road and the beach. You’ll only be driving on it for about a minute but it is very sandy! Just park up under the trees next to the small beach shack.
Ao Sai Beach
(location)
Sitting at the very southern tip of the island, Ao Sai Beach became our go to for an early afternoon swim.
The drive alone to the beach was one of our highlights. As we were staying in the north, we had a long drive through the middle of the island, before turning off to a small road that twisted and turned through rubber plantations and small villages. The junction for the beach is down a signposted track just before the small fishing village of Phru Nhai.
Ao Sai Beach is completely different from all the other beaches on Koh Yao Yai. Big boulders and rock pools full of crabs and small fish cling to the shoreline. The sand on the beach is bright white and is made up of shattered coral and shell fragments. From the shore you can see the jagged peaks of Krabi, Railay and Phi Phi disappearing into the horizon.
There is a man sitting on a hammock at the top of the steps who sells cold drinks and snacks and on the beach itself, there is a small beach bar. If you’re on the sands you’ll almost certainly run into the owner as he’s very eager to sell his bar with the promises of having ice cold beer and delicious snacks!
Ao Sai is perfect for an afternoon on the beach. There’s plenty of shade and lots of secluded nooks amongst the rocks to set up base.
If you’re travelling in the wet season just be careful under foot. The rough seas and wet weather had dragged up some glass in the rock pools.
After the beach, we’d recommend having a quick drive through the small fishing village of Phru Nhai to the fishing pier. Ellie loves fishing boats and there were plenty moored up to admire. We loved the huge traditional wooden boats, the stilted fisherman’s houses lining the shore and the pink and gold mosque sitting underneath green palms. It’s a very pretty village!
It looks as though there is a restaurant above the harbour but it wasn’t open when we visited and we couldn’t find any information about it online. Let us know in the comments if you do go. The view from the restaurant would be incredible and the fish would be super fresh as it would literally be unloaded just below!
Hire Kayaks and Explore the Mangroves
The shoreline all around Koh Yao Yai is filled with thick mangrove forests that are perfect for an afternoon of kayaking and wildlife spotting!
We would have loved to have done a day trip through the mangroves but only found out about it on our last day and when we headed there we got stuck in a torrential downpour. Not fancying a soggy paddle we turned around, but it’s definitely on our “next time” list.
There are plenty of companies that offer kayaking tours, from morning or afternoon trips to a full day of kayaking. There is also the option to hire your own kayaks and explore the coastline at your leisure!
If you’re on Koh Yao Yai we’d recommend checking out Yamee Village Kayaking located just up the road from Son Bay Beach (here).
If you’d prefer to book your kayaking trip in advance, why not check out this mangrove tour on Get Your Guide here.
We were gutted that we didn't manage to do this. Just from driving our scooters around the island we saw so much wildlife from small robin-like birds with bright orange breasts to vibrant blue kingfishers. We can imagine the mangroves would be full of birds, reptiles and other critters!
Climb a Viewpoint
If you can drag yourself away from relaxing on the beach, then there are two viewpoints on the island to stretch your legs, both with very different views.
The first viewpoint is located just off the main road heading towards the south of the island. There is no Google listing but it’s located here. We drove past this viewpoint everyday and never saw anyone else visit it.
To climb it, you need to pay 60 baht per person. There’s an honesty box for you to put the money in just by the gate and a bell to ring if you need change. There are 5 viewpoints to climb up to. The walk up is very easy, just follow a steep set of concrete steps that wind up into the garden and jungle above.
Each of the 5 viewpoints gave a slightly different perspective out over the coastline of Koh Yao Yai and across the Andaman Sea. We visited late afternoon and the sun was casting a gorgeous golden light over the shoreline. It was absolutely stunning. From high up, you can really appreciate how beautiful Koh Yao Yai is!
There’s also a small circular jungle trek. If you plan on walking this trail, make sure you top up on insect repellent!
You won’t need long at this viewpoint but it was absolutely worth the small entrance fee. It looks as though in high season they sell snacks and soft drinks.
The second viewpoint is located to the north of the island, a short drive from Chong Lard Pier, found here. We didn’t make it to this viewpoint as the afternoon we headed there we got stuck in a torrential storm and didn’t fancy a wet trek! Let us know in the comments what the view is like. There is also a very well-reviewed restaurant on-site.
Take a Batik Making Class
(location)
Sitting just above Klong Hia Pier, Koh Yao Yai’s larger pier (used for freight and cars) is Batik de Kohyao.
This local family offers tourists the chance to try their hand at traditional batik workshops and/or painting classes. We only stumbled upon this on our last day on the island and were gutted we didn’t find this sooner as we would love to have taken a pretty souvenir home with us! Batik de Kohyao also has a small gift shop with batik clothes, trinkets and more for sale.
The village of Klong Hia is also home to a few restaurants. We had our eye on this one (located here) but as we pulled up the owner was pulling the shutters down. The boxed up pad kra pao’s on the counter looked amazing!
You could easily pair a batik making class and lunch in the village with a trip to the nearby Son Bay Beach.
Get Active With A Muay Thai Training Session
(location)
If you’re looking for an active island break, why not sign yourself up to a single, week or month long Muay Thai training session with the Pirates Andaman Muai Thai Gym. Every time we passed the gym, it was full of people kicking, jumping and throwing punches! To find out more, head to their website here.
There is no accommodation available on-site but if you’re after a cheap bed, take a look at booking a stay with Backpack Hostel Koh Yao Yai.
Snorkelling and Day Trips to the Hong Islands
The nearby Hong Island archipelago is home to some of the world’s prettiest islands. Enormous jagged, jungle covered limestone karsts rise up out of the bright, clear turquoise water. If you’ve seen the film “The Beach” then you can picture what they look like!
You can easily book a day trip out to the islands from Koh Yao Yai. We were offered a private longtail boat tour to visit a few of the Hong Islands and go snorkelling for 3500 baht. This trip would be a full day out and would include pick up and drop off at the pier, lunch and snorkelling equipment. As the weather wasn’t on our side, the sea choppy and having already done a very similar trip on neighbouring Koh Yao Noi (read more about it here) we decided to save the pennies.
If you’re on holiday in Koh Yao Yai we really cannot recommend a snorkelling trip enough. We’ve been lucky enough to go snorkelling in the Andaman Sea a few times during our visits to Southern Thailand and it’s been some of the best snorkelling we’ve ever done. You’ll spot bright orange clown fish, vibrant coral reefs and spikey black sea anemones!
To book a snorkelling trip in advance, why not check this day trip out on Get Your Guide which includes lunch. Or if you’d prefer a longer trip to the Hong Islands, sunset on a private island and even a chance to see bio-luminescent plankton, why not have a look at this snorkelling trip.
If you’re looking to go snorkelling trip make sure you keep an eye out on the weather. As we’ve mentioned above, the weather wasn’t on our side on our trip to Yai. We had torrential downpours most afternoons and the sea was very rough. If there’s been rain in the last couple of days it can mean that visibility under the waves is poor. If you’re planning a snorkelling trip, check the weather before you book!
Spend the Day on Neighbouring Koh Yao Noi Island
Koh Yao Yai is just one half of the Koh Yao island archipelago and the neighbouring, smaller island of Koh Yao Noi sits just over the water. The islands are so close to each other you can see Koh Yao Noi’s Manoh Pier jutting out into the sea from Chong Larn Pier!
Koh Yao Noi is a lot smaller than Yai but is full of pretty beaches, great seafood restaurants and amazing sunset spots. The island is also home to lots of hornbills so keep your eyes peeled in the trees! Despite it’s small size, Koh Yao Noi is actually the more popular choice for travellers and is definitely more tourism focussed than Koh Yao Yai.
We spent a week on the island and have a full guide on everything there is to see, do and eat. Check it out here:
To reach Koh Yao Noi just head to Chong Larn Pier and jump on a longtail boat. Boats depart all day and should cost around 100 baht per person per journey.
At Koh Yao Noi’s Manoh Pier there are plenty of places to rent a bike from.
Where to Eat and Drink on Koh Yao Yai
Eating and Drinking on the Island - What to Expect
Koh Yao Yai has plenty of restaurants and cafes to dine at. Whether you’re after a local Thai feast or fancy treating yourself to a fine-dining experience, there’s plenty of spots to head to.
As you are on an island, the prices are a little more than what you’ll pay on mainland Thailand, but that’s to be expected as everything you eat needs to be shipped across the sea!
Koh Yao Yai definitely still feels as though it’s finding its feet with tourism and a lot of the restaurants on the island were part of resorts or hotels, but if you look hard enough there are a couple of local gems still to be found!
As we were staying near the main town of Chong Lard a lot of the restaurants we mention are located in or around this town. We were also on a backpacking budget, so cheap eats were key for us.
If you’re on holiday and aren’t counting the pennies and after an amazing view over the coast we’d recommend seeking out the Blue Tamarind Restaurant & Bar (located here) or the Pier Koh Yao Yai (located here).
The Blue Tamarind Restaurant has a pretty epic view!
Prices for food seemed to be standard across the island with plates of fried rice / noodles costing around 100 to 120 baht a plate. Beer and cocktail prices (where sold - more on this later) also seemed to be the same with most places offering large beers at 120 baht.
Koh Yao Yai is predominantly a Muslim island which means that there is little pork available and alcohol is sold in only a few places (again more on this later in the essential travel information section).
The Best Restaurants and Coffee Shops - Our Favourite Dining Spots
Roti and Curry- Breakfast Local Style
(location)
This very local breakfast joint became our go to everyday. Serving up our favourite breakfast; roti and curry, the restaurant was always full of locals enjoying a hearty feast.
We would always order the same. Two sets of crisp roti topped with fried eggs, a bowl each of sweet, cinnamon rich beef curry and two iced Thai-style teas. It was a filling and delicious feast of texture, sweetness and spice. If you’ve never tried roti and curry, you’re in for a treat. There really is no breakfast like it!
We loved dining here every morning. The staff were so friendly and the locals were always smiling at us, sometimes looking a little intrigued at the two pasty white people greedily devouring roti. This restaurant is exactly the kind of restaurant we love in Thailand; no-nonsense, no frills, the kind of place with only a couple of things on the menu but each cooked amazingly!
The restaurant also sells plates of fried or boiled chicken and rice, crispy Thai style salad and huge spreads of khanom jeen (fermented noodles).
This restaurant is a very local kind of restaurant. Food will come as and when it's ready. It can get very popular in the mornings so expect a little wait for your food, but when it arrives it’ll be phenomenal!
Jahyah Restaurant
(location)
Located in the main town next to Chong Larn Pier, Jahyah Restaurant was always super popular with locals from morning to night. Serving all the Thai favourites from noodle soup to fried rice and noodles, we enjoyed two steaming plates of chicken pad kra pao and shrimp pad thai. Both plates were very tasty and were generously portioned!
Muslimah Restaurant 2
(location)
A short walk from the 7-Eleven in Chong Lard town is the very pretty Muslimah Restaurant 2. Draped in fairy lights with seating sprawling out of the open dining room into their garden, the Muslimah Restaurant is a pretty spot to head to once the sun has gone down.
We stuck with our Thai favourites and enjoyed dining at this restaurant twice during our stay. Their chicken pad kra pao was delicious. Not too sweet and not too saucy, the rice was topped with a generous helping of meat, sliced onion and crunchy vegetables.
The prices seem to vary widely depending on who served you. One day we were charged the menu price, the next day, the cost was literally halved and we paid what was possibly the locals price.
Don’t be put off by the big sign offering pizza!
If you’re staying in Loh Pared, you can dine at the original Muslimah restaurant there as well.
Laleuca Café & Eatery @Laem Had
(location)
This super modern eatery is about as close as you’ll get to the sleek, contemporary vibes of Koh Samui on Koh Yao Yai. A wooden and thatched reed bar sits open on all sides with comfy seating spilling out onto the white sand. Above the seating area fairy lights and colourful bunting are strung across the bar and trees of their pretty garden.
We headed here after a morning swim at Laem Had Beach and enjoyed two iced lattes which were the perfect refresher on a blazing hot day. The cafe also serves main meals, cocktails and beers. Laleuca Cafe was definitely the most modern and upmarket restaurant we visited during our stay on Yai!
The cafe also offers accommodation in pretty, Bali-style wooden bungalows. To book a stay at Laleuca, click here.
Palm Cafe
(location)
Our favourite style of Thai bar - a wooden, bamboo strewn bar full of cosy lights, hammocks, chilled out beats and lots of places to sit, lie and relax!
The Palm Cafe was a mix of a bar, cannabis dispensary and takeaway beer shop all in one. There’s a fridge full of ice-cold beer and a counter full of different strains of weed - it looked like an adult sweet shop!
We always stuck with the ice-cold beer and enjoyed some chilled out evenings with bottles of Singha, laid back tunes and a fiery sky above!
The Palm Cafe also served up a small selection of deep fried snacks and edibles - their french fries were the perfect salty snack paired with our beer.
If you’re after a cheap beer, the Palm Cafe was the cheapest beer we found on the island. They have a ‘Happy Hour’ promotion each night, charging 100 baht for a large Chang and 110 baht for a large Singha.
Chada Cafe
(location)
Set just off the main road, Chada Cafe has an incredible view down a hill, over palm trees all the way to the bright blue bay below. We stopped in here for coffee and weren’t disappointed - we ordered two iced americanos that were strong and nutty. The cafe also serves all the Thai favourites alongside pasta and cake!
The best seats are outside on the bar overlooking the shoreline and islands of the Andaman Sea.
The cafe is sandwiched between the Thiwson Beach Resort and the Betterview Bed Breakfast And Bungalow’s, both of which would have phenomenal views out over the bay!
Sbay Sbay Restaurant
(location)
Set just off the main road on the shores of a small, mangrove-filled inlet full of moored fishing boats, Sbay Sbay won the Jellie awards for the prettiest view from its dining room.
We visited the restaurant at lunch time and ordered two plates of chicken fried rice which were cooked to perfection. Crispy, fresh and full of flavour they were everything you expect from a good plate of fried rice.
Sbay Sbay is a little more expensive than other restaurants we visited on the island with fried rice costing 150 baht per plate, but for the view it’s really not bad!
Sbay Sbay also offers massages on-site in a small hut overlooking the sea. Prices start at 350 baht for a 60 minute Thai style massage.
We visited the restaurant at lunch but can imagine it would be a fantastic spot for an early dinner to watch the sunset!
At Sbay Sbay you dine right on the shoreline!
Rimnapazep
(location)
After travelling extensively through Thailand’s northeastern region of Isan (check out our blogs here) we’ve developed a love for grilled chicken (gai yang), spicy som tam salad and sticky rice and as soon as we saw this was on the menu at Rimnapazep we dove straight in!
We ordered our usual and out came half a chicken grilled to perfection. The chicken was covered in a sweet, spicy glaze, the perfect coating to retain the moist meat underneath! Our corn som tam salad was spicy, zingy and topped with a generous lashing of peanuts. A lot of the time in more tourist places when we ask for our salad to be spicy, it’s usually only shown a picture of a chilli, but this time they had certainly listened to us and every mouthful was full of that addictive spicy heat! It was the perfect accompaniment to the sweet chicken.
If you’re after an Isan BBQ feast, head here on your stay - we promise you won’t be disappointed!
Great Sushi and Fried Banana
(location)
Serving you guessed it… sushi and fried banana - a combination we could never have imagined!
Great Sushi and Fried Banana is a small stall set on the side of the main road. You’ll know you're in the right spot when you see the giant mural of a cat holding chopsticks.
We pulled in mid-afternoon and ordered a selection of sushi for a late lunch. We have developed a soft spot for Thai style sushi. It’ll never win any awards in Japan, but it's become one of our comfort eats whilst travelling. Great sushi had a selection of crab sticks, mackerel, tuna and egg sushi to choose from. All of which were super cheap!
Just be careful, the packet wasabi paste is not to be messed with! If you add too much you’re going to be crying and snorting fire 😂
After our fishy feast it was time for our fried bananas. We’ve eaten our fair share of deep fried bananas in Thailand and these were great. We think they were fried in coconut oil as every bite had a nutty undertone of coconut. They were delicious and the perfect pudding to finish off with.
Pro tip: come just as the stall is about to close - we got the last of the bananas and were given a huge bag to devour!
Coffee Bar By Demeter Coffee
(location)
Another weed, bar and coffee shop combo, Demeter Coffee is your one stop shop to get energised, high and disorientated all at the same time - although we wouldn’t recommend doing all 3!
We headed there mid-morning and ordered 2 iced americanos which hit the spot perfectly.
Demeter Coffee is an extremely chilled out spot to relax in. With plenty of places to sit and lounge out on and lots of board games to pass the time!
It’s just down the road from the popular Loh Pared Beach.
Where to Stay on Koh Yao Yai
Hostels and Guesthouses - Budget Stays on Koh Yao Yai
If you are backpackers like us and are on a strict travel budget, then don’t worry, there are some cheap beds for the night.
We stayed at the Coral Retreat Guesthouse located in the heart of the main town closest to Chong Lard Pier. Our room was very comfy, with strong air-conditioning, fast internet and a hot shower.
The bungalow was slightly strange in its layout as the bedroom was a windowless room right in the middle of the building and our accommodation seemed to be more corridor than bedroom, but that just meant there was plenty of space for us to unpack. The bungalow came with a fridge and kettle as well as a handy seating area outside. They also had the lovely touch of putting an outdoor tap outside every room which was great when coming back sandy from a day on the beach.
Coral Retreat was in a great location right in the heart of the town and was within walking distance of restaurants, shops and a 7-Eleven.
To book your stay at Coral Retreat Guesthouse, click here.
If you’re after a hostel, there is one on the island - the Backpack Hostel Koh Yao Yai. This hostel is a lot closer to the pier than Coral Retreat, but still in the same town so you’d be very close to restaurants and KNK for motorbike rental (see later).
The hostel offers mixed dorm rooms, single sex dorms, a shared kitchen and a common room.
To book a stay at Backpack Hostel Koh Yao Yai, click here.
Hotels and Resorts - Luxury Escapes on Koh Yao Yai
For those who are looking for a luxury island escape or for a beachside getaway, Koh Yao Yai has plenty of hotels and resorts to choose from. Whatever your luxury needs are; beachfront or seaview, spa or infinity pool there’s plenty of high-end escapes on offer on the island.
There’s the very luxurious, 5-star Santhiya Resort and Spa located in Loh Pared Beach with its pool or sea view bungalows. Or if you want a beachfront stay, why not check out the nearby BJ & Radisson Sea View Hotel or Royal Yao Yai Island Beach Resort.
If you’re looking for accommodation with a sensational Southern Thai view, then why not check out the Anantara Resort and Villas on the western side of the island or the Koh Yao Yai Village resort and its curving infinity pool.
Whatever your needs are, there’s plenty of spots on the island to treat yourself to a luxurious stay!
If you want a room with a view, Koh Yao Yai can definitely provide!
Booking Accommodation on the Island
Whatever your budget is and whatever type of accommodation you’re after, we’d recommend searching for your bed using our handy map below. Just enter the dates of your island break and it’ll display all the accommodation available during that time.
If you’re planning to travel during the peak season (November to April) make sure to book your accommodation well in advance! Koh Yao Yai is an island slightly less well known than other Thai islands, but it is “up and coming”, you don’t want to miss out on your epic seaview room because you left booking too late!
Getting Around Koh Yao Yai
Hiring a Taxi or Songthaew
There are taxis and songthaews available on Koh Yao Yai but they will be expensive with one-way trips starting at around 600 baht. If you want to hire a taxi, speak with your accommodation, plan a full day of sightseeing and negotiate on prices.
When you arrive at Chong Lard Pier there will be plenty of taxis waiting to take you where you need to go. Some hotels and resorts will pre-arrange a pickup for you.
Scooter / Motorbike Rental
Wherever you are on the island you won’t have to travel far to find a scooter or motorbike to rent, they are found almost everywhere! With the high price of taxis this was by far the most economical and efficient way of getting around the island.
The island of Koh Yao Yai is very big and if you’re not staying at a beachfront resort or hotel, you’re going to need your own set of wheels to get around.
We rented two bikes from the super helpful KNK Motorbike Rental just up the road from Chong Larn Pier (located here). We messaged KNK in advance of arriving on the island and arranged to hire two scooters. As soon as we landed we headed straight there from the pier where both our bikes were waiting for us. One Honda Click and one Honda Scoopy, both brand new and both a dream to ride! We paid 250 baht per bike per day.
We cannot recommend KNK highly enough. Daeng, the owner, was super helpful and so friendly. She gave us recommendations on what to see and do, where to eat and tide times. She even booked our speedboat tickets at the end of our stay and gave us a lift to the pier.
If you don’t fancy a scooter and prefer three wheels, there are options at some of the motorbike rentals on the island to hire a scooter with a sidecar. Perfect for if your other half wants to be a passenger princess!
The island of Koh Yao Yai is very rural. The roads are very quiet but be aware of wildlife and obstacles! During our scooter based exploration we saw lots of snakes slithering their way across the road, some inquisitive goats just taking a stroll and two, very big monitor lizards making a bid for freedom from the dense undergrowth. Our most fun wildlife encounter was seeing a monkey hitch a ride on a scooter towing a trailer full of coconuts!
The roads in Asia certainly keep you on your toes.
Spot the monitor lizard!
Petrol and Garages on Koh Yao Yai
If you’ve hired your own set of wheels you’ll need some petrol to explore. Luckily the island is oversupplied with petrol pumps. Just look out on the side of the road for red, metal petrol pump vending machines. It should cost around 80 to 120 baht to fill up your tank on a scooter.
There is only one petrol station on the island located here. If you can, we’d recommend avoiding it at 5pm as this seemed to be rush hour on the island. We made the mistake of turning up at 5 and it was like we arrived late for a festival!
The roads on Koh Yao Yai are very quiet!
All the Essential Travel Information you Need for Visiting
When to Visit Koh Yao Yai - Wet and Dry Season on the Island
The best time to visit Koh Yao Yai is during the dry season which runs from November until April. During this time you should have hot, sunny days and rainfall should be at a minimum. The dry season would be the best time for snorkelling trips as the seas should be calmer and visibility at its best. It also means that everythinn on the island will be open and ready for you.
The dry season is the peak tourist time so if you’re planning a trip to Koh Yao Yai during these months, make sure to book your accommodation and transport well in advance. The best hotels and resorts can sell out quickly, especially during December around Christmas and New Year and in April around the Songkran festivities. To book your accommodation on Koh Yao Yai, click here.
Koh Yao Yai’s wet season runs from May until October. During these months the weather can be wet and stormy. The island is very quiet during this time and a few hotels and restaurants may close for the low season. That being said, we visited at the start of the wet season and had a fantastic stay. We had all the beaches to ourselves and although it did rain most days, it was only for an hour or two. The rain would quickly clear up and the sunny skies return.
When it rains it rains, but it’s for too long!
The only slight negative for travelling during this time was that the sea was a little rough which meant we couldn’t do a snorkelling trip and a couple of the beach bars and restaurants were closed. Even in the low season however, we never struggled to eat.
How Long Should You Stay on Koh Yao Yai?
This completely depends on you, your travel style and what you want to get out of the island. If you’re on a holiday and staying in one of the high end resorts on the island you could easily spend a few days to a week or two just relaxing in luxury.
If you don’t have the luxury of time, you could easily condense your stay on the island to just a night or two. If you have little time we’d recommend jumping off the ferry, hiring a scooter and finding some beachfront accommodation to maximise your time on the island.
We spent a week on the island which gave us enough time to really explore it in-depth whilst still giving us the opportunity for some lazy days on the beach!
Koh Yao Yai is very undeveloped!
Island Amenities - What to Expect on Koh Yao Yai
ATMs and Cash Withdrawals
There are plenty of ATMs dotted all over the island with two machines outside the two 7-Eleven stores.
Cash is king especially if you’re dining in the more “local” restaurants or booking trips and excursions with tour agencies. The larger resorts and hotels will have card machines, but we’d always recommend you have a good stash of baht on you! Lots of places will charge an extra fee if you’re paying by card.
Convenience Stores and 7-Elevens
The island is home to two 7-Eleven stores. One in Chong Lard village (located here) and the other in the middle of the island (located here) close to the junction that leads to Loh Pared Beach. Both stores sell all the usual; toasties, sushi triangles and pot noodles but neither sell alcohol.
If you’d rather support local businesses there are plenty of smaller shops dotted in the villages throughout the island, selling everything from fruit to beach toys, toiletries to chocolate!
Alcohol and Bars
As we’ve mentioned throughout this guide, alcohol is not as easy to obtain on Koh Yao Yai as other Thai islands. The island is predominantly Muslim and alcohol is really not that widely available. There are still beach bars on Loh Pared Beach and more may be open in the high season, but the island is not as “bar focussed” as other Thai destinations. There were a few other establishments on the island that did sell alcohol but these were always thrown in with a cannabis dispensary.
If bars are a deal breaker for you, then we honestly would recommend a stay on the neighbouring Koh Yao Noi where there’s Charlie’s Bar, the Extra Sports Bar and the Mojito Beach Bar (read more about them here).
For those heading to Koh Yao Yai and staying in one of the larger resorts or hotels, then you’ll almost certainly have a bar on-site.
If you’re after a couple of beers to take home with you, head to the Palm Cafe (see above) or you could buy beer from the Nine Square supermarket located just outside Chong Larn town in the north of the island here.
Alcohol is not sold in the 7-Eleven stores on this island.
Who needs a bar when you have views like this?!
A Day Trip To Koh Yao Yai
From Phuket, Krabi and Railay
You could easily visit Koh Yao Yai as a day trip especially if you’re staying in Phuket, Krabi or Railay. To make the most out of your visit to the island we’d recommend booking tickets for the first and last speedboats of the day giving you plenty of time to explore.
If you can ride a scooter, we’d recommend jumping off the boat and heading straight to KNK motorbike rentals and hiring a scooter for the day. From there you could head for breakfast in Chong Larn town before heading off for a full day of beach-hopping and island adventures. If you can’t ride a bike but want to explore the island, give KNK a message beforehand as we’re sure they could put you in touch / arrange a driver for the day.
From Phuket the first boat leaves Bang Rong Pier at 8:30 AM. From Krabi, the best boat to catch is the 9.30 AM speedboat that departs Ao Thalane Pier and from Railay, we’d recommend catching the 9.20 AM speedboat that departs from the floating pier on Railay East.
To book your boat tickets to and from Koh Yao Yai, we’d recommend checking out 12Go here.
A day trip to Koh Yao Yai would be great especially if you’re visiting the more popular tourist destinations. Koh Yao Yai feels very different. It feels like an island where real people live and work. It’s an island where tourism is important, but not necessarily its main focus. If you’re looking to see a different side to Thailand from the resort focussed beaches of Phuket, Ao Nang or Railay, then definitely check out a day trip to Koh Yao Yai.
Visiting Koh Yao Yai From Koh Yao Noi
If you’re staying on neighbouring Koh Yao Noi, Yai is an easy day trip. Just head to Manoh Pier and arrange a longtail boat to take you over to Chong Larn Pier on Koh Yao Yai. A journey between the two islands should cost 100 baht per person per crossing.
Where To Go Next?
If you’re lucky enough to have more time on your Thai visa then there’s plenty of spots to head to after Koh Yao Yai.
Head to Koh Yao Noi Island
You could easily pair a Koh Yao Yai visit with a stay on Koh Yao Noi. Despite being so close to each other, the islands are very different. The island of Noi is a lot smaller than Yai but is stuffed full of pretty beaches, great accommodation and things to do.
For more information about Koh Yao Noi, check out our full guide to the island here.
Island Hopping Around the Andaman Sea
If you’re after more beach time then there are plenty of other nearby islands to choose from with ferries and speedboats criss-crossing the Andaman Sea.
If you’re after an island with luxury accommodation and stunning beaches, then why not check out Koh Lanta. Or if you’re after a lesser known island gem, why not head to Koh Jum, Koh Mook or Koh Libong.
All Our Thailand Blogs
We’ve got plenty of Thailand blogs, ranging from island guides to hidden gems in Isan, whatever you’re after, we’re sure to have a Thailand blog written.
To read all our Thailand guides, click here.
Final Thoughts - Why Visit Koh Yao Yai?
Is Koh Yao Yai Worth a Trip?
Koh Yao Yai felt a world away from the popular tourist destinations of Phuket and Ao Nang. The island is absolutely stunning with gorgeous beaches, laidback vibes and jaw-dropping views.
If you’re after a week of rest and relaxation in a luxury 4 or 5-star resort,Koh Yao Yai can provide. Or if you’re the more adventurous traveller, you could easily spend a week exploring the island at your own leisure, beach hopping and riding a scooter through the jungle roads.
The island isn’t as built up as other islands and if you’re after late nights out, beach bars and parties then Koh Yao Yai is not the island for you but if you’re after an undiscovered slice of Thai island life, then Yai is a great option.
For now Koh Yao Yai has stayed hidden under the radar of mass tourism but this will change. It’s a stones throwaway from Phuket and Krabi and it won’t be long until this island changes! If you want to see a Thai island with beaches you can still access without staying in a fancy resort, or see where locals live and work, then head to Yai!
Thank you for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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A Guide To Ranong - The Gateway To Thailand’s Undiscovered Islands
Sitting in a lesser known portion of Thailand’s lush southern region, Ranong city is a destination only for travellers in the know! Usually just seen as a jumping off point to the island of Koh Phayam, Ranong town has so much more to offer. Come with us as we guide you through everything to see, do and eat in Ranong.
Sitting on the western shores of the Andaman Sea, the Thai city of Ranong is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines. With strong influences from Myanmar, Malaysia and China, Ranong is a unique city full of history, art and delicious food. The city of Ranong isn’t well known amongst Western travellers. Those who do travel to the city, usually use it as a stepping stone, a quick one night stop to break up a long journey to the island of Koh Phayam.
Nestled between a row of high peaks to the east and the gentle Andaman Sea to the west, Ranong felt a world away from the more popular tourist destinations of Southern Thailand. We only had a few days in the city, but quickly realised there is so much more to this little, undiscovered corner of Thailand. From a replica royal palace to vibrant street art, a bustling market to a stunning viewpoint, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.
Read on to find out what there is to do and why there’s so much more to this little Thai city than just the islands of Koh Phayam and Koh Chang!
In this Ranong Travel Guide
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
What to See and Do in Ranong?
Shop at Ranong’s Old Market
(location)
Ranong’s Old Market is like the city's motherboard, the literal soul and lifeblood of the city. From early morning until late at night, the market is abuzz with the sounds of locals bartering, woks sizzling and cleavers clunking. It’s one of those places where your senses are heightened to another level. Inside the market the smells of dried spices mix with the pungent tang of fermented fish, whilst flickering lamps and vibrantly coloured plastic toys oversaturate the dark alleyways.
We’ve visited many Thai markets in the past, but Ranong’s Old Market was completely different. Influences from neighbouring Myanmar were prevalent throughout. Huge bags of dried cumin and turmeric, sat alongside mounds of Thai red, green and yellow curry pastes. Gone were the adverts written in Thai, and instead huge billboards recommending SIM cards and bank accounts decorated the walls with curving Burmese script.
Don’t be deceived, Ranong’s Old Market is a lot bigger than you realise. To the side of the main building (the one on the main road), a small street lined with stalls snakes its way down a steep hill to another large covered market building. This in turn tunnels its way into the streets below. As you exit this building, the market explodes out onto the backstreets all around. Ranong’s Old Market is huge, its a market that sells everything and anything. Fresh meat to underwear, stationary to dried noodles. Whatever you’re after we’re sure you could find it in this market!
If you’re after a feast the market is the best place to order a plate of local delicacies. The food court serves food all day and we ate at the market several times throughout our stay. We enjoyed a delicious bowl of roast pork noodles and ate a massive plate of rice and curry as well as some great breakfasts.
Our favourite meal we devoured was a huge spread of khanom jeen. We ordered two bowls of fermented noodles topped with what looked like a massaman style chicken curry. After we ordered, the lady quickly waved us over to a table that was covered like a stained glass window, in bowls of colorful pickles, white, beansprouts, green beans and bright orange carrots. We topped our bowls with the crunchy veg and sat down to slurp up our slippery smorgasbord spread!
Khanom jeen is a hard sell to those in the West. Cold noodles and lukewarm curry - most people instantly turn their noses up when we talk about it, but trust us, it’s delicious!
Walk Around Ranong's Old Town
(location)
Most travellers planning a trip to Ranong will find themselves staying in Ranong’s Old Town on Ruangrat Road. Full of hostels, hotels and guesthouses, this historic street is full of shops, cafes and restaurants. It is also where the town’s Walking Street market is held (see later).
During the 19th and 20th century, the city and province of Ranong flourished thanks to its thriving tin mining industry. As the city began to prosper, Chinese workers and investors flocked to the town and with them they brought their own customs and culture.
The heritage of Ranong’s tin industry can still be seen today. The Tai Tae Eia Shrine (location) sitting just down the road from Ranong’s Old Market once served as a clinic for locals. Just up the road is another Chinese temple, the Hok Tek Sue Shrine (location) its entrance marked by hanging Chinese lanterns. All along Ruangrat Road the historic shophouses have been given new leases of life in the forms of cute cafes, restaurants, hotels and hostels.
Visit Rattana Rangsarn Throne Hall and Palace
(location)
Sitting pride of place above a pretty, manicured park and gardens is Ranong’s Rattana Rangsarn Throne Hall and Palace. This dark brown, teak wood palace sits in stark contrast to the bright green lawns surrounding it.
First things first, this is not the original palace! The beautiful, huge wooden throne hall is a replica built on the original site to commemorate the historic palace. The original palace was constructed to house a royal visit of King Rama V and his Queen in 1890.
The palace and throne hall are split over two buildings, with a small covered walkway connecting them together. Inside, the wooden walls are filled with photographs from King Rama V’s visit as well as information about how the palace was built. The royal bedroom and throne room are filled with antique furniture used by the royals on their stay.
One of our favourite things about the palace was the huge open windows that looked out over the pretty gardens below and down towards the rooftops of Ranong. It hadn’t felt like we had climbed that far up out of the city, but the views from the palace and the cool breeze really felt as though we were up high.
You’ll need to take your shoes off before entering and there is strictly no photography allowed in the throne room.
Entrance fee: Tickets cost 100 baht per person for foreigners.
Opening times: The palace is open every Wednesday to Sunday from 9:10AM until 4:00PM.
Climb the Khao Niwet View Point and Skywalk
(location)
Rising up above the Rattana Rangsarn Palace looms the metal walkway of Ranong’s Khao Niwet View Point and Skywalk. Sitting like a huge, brutalist style, white concrete and metal carved silo, the architecture of Khao Niwet View Point couldn’t be any more different than its teakwood neighbour.
To reach the top, you need to climb up the gentle sloping walkway that curves its way up and around, until you reach the canopy of the trees. At the top, the walkway opens up to give you a massive 360 degree sweeping panorama view out over the jagged mountain peaks, colourful rooftops of Ranong and down all the way to the mangrove shoreline of the glinting Andaman Sea.
Standing next to the walkway, dwarfing all the trees around it, is one of Ranong’s sacred trees. This humongous tree dominates the skyline and is possibly the tallest tree we’ve ever seen! Next to the trunk of the tree, ribbons have been tied to the metal walkway, left by devotees as a sign of respect to this huge behemoth. We loved how the colourful strips of material caught the warm sea air.
To climb the viewpoint you will need to take off your shoes and borrow a pair of plastic slip-on slippers from the ticket desk.
We visited during the day, but can imagine the skywalk would be phenomenal at sunset!
Entrance fee: Tickets cost just 10 baht (for the shoes).
Opening times: The viewpoint is open everyday from 6:00AM until 8:00PM.
Visit Ranong’s City Pillar (San Lak Muang Ranong)
(location)
Ranong’s City Pillar (San Lak Muang Ranong) is a popular pilgrimage spot for locals and Thai tourists to pay their respects and leave offerings. As with all Thai cities, the city pillar is a focal point for the community and is seen as the soul or guardian of the town.
When we visited Ranong's City Pillar, it was completely hidden in a thick blanket of smoke after a group of locals set off some very loud firecrackers! After the smoke cleared, the white shrine appeared and a golden pillar wrapped in colourful ribbons emerged from the mist.
Pay Your Respects at Ho Phra Kao Kechi - Hall Of The Nine Revered Images
(location)
Sitting on the side of the road, within walking distance of Rattana Rangsarn Palace gardens, is a small red, white and gold shrine, Ho Phra Kao Kechi or Hall Of The Nine Revered Images as it is known in English.
Inside this small prayer hall sit nine seated Buddhist statues wrapped in bright orange saffron cloth, each representing one of the nine revered monks the shrine is dedicated to. There is very little information in English, but if you’re heading to Rattana Rangsarn Palace gardens or the Skywalk it’s worth a quick peek inside.
Go Shopping on Ranong’s Weekend Walking Street Market
(location)
On every Saturday from December to April, Ranong’s Weekend Walking Street Market opens up all along Ruangrat Street from early evening until late.
We unfortunately missed the market by just a couple of weeks so can't give you a first hand account of what to expect. But if Ranong’s Walking Street is like any other Thai weekend market then you're in for a treat!
Weekend markets in Thailand all follow a similar setup. Hundreds of stalls line a long street selling everything from t-shirts to phone accessories, children's toys to local crafts. The best bit about any Thai Walking Street market is the abundance of delicious local street food. From Thai style sushi to Hat Yai fried chicken, moo ping sticks to mango sticky rice, whatever your Thai cravings are there'll almost certainly be a stall to cater for you!
A Weekend Walking Street Market is an absolute must on any trip to Thailand. They're laid-back, full of locals and always a great evening out. If you do visit Ranong's Walking Street Market, let us know in the comments what we missed.
Spot Ranong’s Colourful Street Art
(location)
Throughout the Old Town, hidden down tiny alleyways and sprayed across huge walls you’ll find colourful street art.
As we explored the town we spotted lots of different vibrant murals. One painting showed a playground scene full of cats, another featured a red songthaew piled high with flowers on its roof. Our favourite piece we spotted was a Chinese dragon emerging from blue waves whilst beating a hand drum.
Just wander through the old town and see what you stumble upon!
Eat a Roti and Curry Feast at Roti Bangnui
(location)
Roti and curry is possibly the greatest breakfast dish in the whole world. Name a better morning than waking up to devour a feast of crispy roti dipped in a rich curry! For those who haven’t tried it, roti is a flakey, layered pastry style bread which is usually served alongside a warm and richly spiced bowl of creamy curry. The only way to eat roti and curry is to tear off shards of the crisp bread, dip it into the curry until it’s soaked through and slurp it up. There really is no better way to start the day!
Ranong’s Roti Bangnui is your typical, very busy Thai breakfast, shophouse style restaurant. Plastic chairs and tables sit alongside a busy serving area whilst on the street sits a massive, flaming grill.
Roti Bangnui serves up roti in every shape and style; savoury, sweet, stuffed (murtabak), fried with egg or even an Italian hybrid - roti pizza style! Whatever type of roti you fancied you could order it here.
We stuck with our usual go-to order: two crispy roti, a bowl of chicken massaman curry and two iced Thai-style teas.
Our feast was delicious. The roti was crisped to perfection and the ideal vessel to slurp up the rich massaman curry. It’s possibly due to its Burmese influences, but the massaman curry from Roti Bangnui was completely different and some of the best we’ve ever eaten. The curry was spiked with deep cinnamon, cumin and turmeric notes and the potatoes were so soft they literally melted into the sauce as we dunked our crispy pastry. It was such a good breakfast, full of sweet, savoury and spicy overtones!
We cannot recommend Roti Bangbui enough and if you only have time for one breakfast in Ranong, make sure it’s from here. The restaurant is open everyday (except Friday’s) from 6AM until 4PM.
If you’re coming from or heading on to Phuket, there’s a very good and famous roti stall in the heart of Phuket’s Old Town - find out more about it here.
Enjoy a Coffee at Haru’s Cafe
(location)
After a busy day exploring Ranong, you’ll need somewhere to rejuvenate and Haru’s Cafe fits the bill perfectly.
Sitting in the heart of the Old Town the cafe from the outside doesn’t look like much, but inside, it feels as though you’ve stepped into a cosy, yet modern art-filled cottage. Sleek contemporary furniture sits alongside warm, glowing lamps to create a snug and mellow atmosphere.
We ordered two delicious iced americanos and they were fantastic. Strong, nutty and with a bitter almost dark chocolate aftertone, they were the pick-me-up we needed after a full day of sight-seeing. The coffees came served with a sweet and savoury biscuit that was delicious paired with the rich coffee.
We enjoyed a couple of coffees in town, but the caffeine offerings from Haru’s cafe were definitely our favourite!
Other Things to Do in Ranong and Ranong Province
We only scratched the surface on what there is to see and do in Old Town Ranong. A combination of only having a few days and torrential rain storms stopped us from exploring more of the city and the wider province.
In the Old Town we didn’t make it to the 100 Years Thein Suek House (location) or the Residence of the Governor of Ranong Museum (location).
Outside of town, in the much larger Ranong Province, we would have loved to hire a scooter and explore the mountains and villages surrounding the city. A short drive away there’s Ranong Canyon (location) and the nearby Had Som Paen Reservoir (location) as well as the hot springs of Raksa Warin (location), Taryn (location) and Phongran (location). All these are located only a short distance away from the city.
Ranong is a province we will be returning to for longer and for a more thorough exploration. We’ve only sampled a small amuse-bouche of what this hidden corner of Thailand offers and what little we’ve sampled, we’ve absolutely loved. It’s definitely somewhere we’ll be heading back to!
Just some of Ranong’s Old Town attractions!
Visit the Islands of Koh Phayam or Koh Chang
The islands of Koh Phayam or Koh Chang Ranong (not to be mistaken for its much larger brother, the island of Koh Chang in eastern Thailand), are almost certainly going to be the main reason why you came to Ranong to start with. Sitting just 40 minutes away, these two Thai islands feel undiscovered and untouched by the throngs of mass tourism. They are the kind of islands you thought no longer existed in Thailand.
We spent nearly a month on Koh Phayam soaking up the chilled out atmosphere, lounging on the beaches and enjoying a beer or two in a real-life pirate ship!
Getting to Koh Phayam or Koh Chang Ranong
Both islands are super easy to get to from Ranong, with speedboats and ferries departing from the nearby Ranong Pier (located here) everyday.
To reach the pier you can either book a private taxi or tuk tuk to take you there, or you can hop on one of the red public songthaews that drive around town. To get to the pier you’ll need songthaew number 3. If you’re staying in the Old Town, they stop on the same side of the road as “A Day Inn” hostel and route around the City Pillar and market before heading to the pier.
We paid 30 baht each for the songthaew to take us from the Old Town and drop us off on the main road just next to the entrance to the pier. From the songthaew drop of point, it’s only a short, 5 minute walk to ferry. You can either book tickets at the pier itself or with one of the many tour operators that line the approach to the pier.
To get to the islands you can choose between taking the cheaper but longer ferry or the quicker but more expensive speedboat. We opted for the speedboat and paid 350 baht each for our tickets.
We bought our tickets to Koh Phayam on the day, but if you’re travelling in peak season and want to guarantee your seat, we’d recommend booking your tickets in advance.
If you have your own transport there is car and motorbike parking available next to the pier for a small fee.
Book your tickets to the islands of Koh Phayam in advance here.
Where to Stay in Ranong
Our Accommodation - The Caspar Hostel
We stayed at the excellent Caspar Hostel sitting in the heart of Ranong’s Walking Street.
We booked a private en-suite room and it was everything we needed. Our little room was clean and comfy, super cosy and the shower hot. When we visited at the start of the off-season, we literally were the only ones there.
To book your stay at the Caspar Hostel, click here.
All Other Hostels, Guesthouses and Hotels in Ranong
All along Ruangrat Road (the main road that runs through the Old Town) you’ll find plenty of hostels, guesthouses and hotels to stay in.
Just over the road, opposite the Caspar Hotel is another beautiful hostel, A Day Inn Ranong. Set in an old shophouse and offering both dorms and private rooms, it looks as though it would be a great spot to stay. A little further up the road is the extremely well reviewed Farm House Hotel. With a swimming pool, rooms with balconies and a restaurant on-site, it looks as though you’d have a very comfy stay there!
To book your stay in Ranong, check out our handy map below. Just enter your travel dates and take a look at all the accommodation available.
Getting to Ranong
How to Get to Ranong From Bangkok
The easiest way to reach Ranong from Bangkok is to catch a bus.
Buses depart everyday from either Bangkok’s Mochit Bus Terminal or the Southern Bus Terminal and journeys can take between 8 to 15 hours depending on the bus company / the number of stops it makes along the way.
To book your Bangkok to Ranong bus tickets, click here.
If you’d prefer to catch a train (6 to 7.5 hours), the nearest train station to Ranong is Chumphon Railway Station. From there, you’ll need to catch a bus (around 2 hour drive) onwards to Ranong. Book your Bangkok to Chumphon train tickets here and your Chumphon to Ranong bus tickets here.
If you’re feeling fancy and aren’t on a backpacking budget, then there is a small airport located just outside of Ranong. Currently there is only one flight departing (and returning) a day from Bangkok to Ranong.
To book flights from Bangkok’s Don Mueng Airport to Ranong Airport, click here.
Ranong’s Old Market is full of local delicacies!
Getting to Ranong From Krabi, Phuket and Surat Thani
Thailand is super easy to get around and wherever you are in Southern Thailand, you’ll easily be able to get to Ranong. With an extensive bus network criss-crossing the length and breadth of the country, you’ll never find yourself stranded.
We headed to Ranong from Krabi. We left mid morning and caught a comfy bus straight from Krabi’s Bus Terminal and arrived in Ranong late afternoon.
The route we took was absolutely stunning, we weaved through curving mountain roads, past thick jungle and jagged limestone karsts.
We stopped for lunch in a small market town and feasted on a huge plate of rice and curry, it was just the kind of bus ride we love!
To book your Krabi to Ranong bus tickets in advance, click here.
If you’re coming from Phuket, buses depart daily from Phuket’s Bus Terminal 2 and take around 5 to 6 hours to reach Ranong.
To book your Phuket to Ranong bus tickets in advance, click here.
For those who are coming from the islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao or Koh Phangan you’ll need to catch a ferry or speedboat back over to the mainland and then head to Surat Thani Bus Station to catch a bus onwards to Ranong. From the bus station in Surat Thani, it should take you around 4 hours to get to Ranong.
Book your Surat Thani to Ranong bus tickets here.
To check out all the different transport options available and to book your tickets in advance to Ranong, check out the 12Go widget below.
If you’re arriving by bus, Ranong’s bus station is located just outside the main city. You can find it on a map here. At the bus station there are plenty of tuk tuks, songthaews and taxis waiting to take you into town, onto your accommodation or straight to the ferry pier. Just speak to the drivers and negotiate a price for your ride.
If you’re hungry, there’s plenty of restaurants, food stalls and cafes surrounding the bus terminal and there’s a 7-Eleven shop just off the main road. If you’re looking for a bed, close to the bus station, why not check out the Tobedzz hotel.
Essential Travel Information for Visiting Ranong
Where is Ranong City?
Ranong is located in Southern Thailand and sits on the western coast overlooking the Andaman Sea. The city can be found on Google Maps here. The city lies 576 KM (around an eight to nine hour drive) away from the Thai capital of Bangkok.
Ranong city is the capital and name of the much larger Ranong province. Any quick Google search of Ranong and you’ll quickly find its only claim to fame - Ranong is one of Thailand’s rainiest places! Amongst locals, the city is known as the town of “eight rain, four sun”. Eight months of the year it rains heavily and the short, sunny summer months are contained to the remaining four. Don’t let this put you off though, we had a fantastic stay in Ranong!
Ranong shares a border with the Thai provinces of Chumphon to the north, Surat Thani to the southeast and Phang Nga to the south. The province also borders the country of Myanmar (previously, Burma). You can cross the border into Myanmar’s ‘Most Southerly Tip’ - the city of Kawthoung, by boat from Ranong.
Getting Around Ranong
Ranong’s Old Town is easily walkable with all the attractions set only a short distance away from each other. If you do need transport, either to the bus station or to Ranong’s Pier, you can easily flag down a tuk tuk or hop into the back of one of the songthaews that ride around town.
If you’re looking to hire a scooter, we’d recommend speaking with your accommodation or heading to Pon’s Place (location). This cafe and travel agency can help arrange scooter or car hire, taxi services, ferry tickets and even visa arrangements.
Red songthaews can be hailed down all over the city!
When to Visit Ranong - Wet / Dry Season in the City
The best time to visit Ranong is during Thailand’s dry season which runs from November until April. This is the peak time for tourism in the city.
If you’re planning a trip to Ranong during the dry season, especially during the weekend, make sure to book your accommodation and travel arrangements well in advance!
During the wet season (end of April until early November), the whole city practically shuts down to tourists and everywhere will feel very quiet. Accommodation, restaurants, tour agencies and most of the attractions will still be open but it’ll be exceptionally quiet and you’ll basically be the only ones in town. If you’re planning to visit Ranong during this time, just know that the Saturday Walking Street Market will be closed from the beginning of May until the end of November.
As we’ve mentioned throughout this article, Ranong’s main claim to fame is that it’s top of the class as one of the wettest places in the whole of Thailand. If you’re planning a trip to Ranong, make sure you pack a wet coat and umbrella. The weather can change very quickly and you don’t want to be stuck in a torrential downpour! Trust us, when it rains in Ranong it rains a lot.
That all being said, we visited Ranong in the wet season and had a great time. We love exploring without the crowds and Ranong was a chilled out (if soggy) town full of authentic food and great sights, whatever the weather.
We did get some blue sky!
How Long Should you Stay in Ranong?
This completely depends on you and what type of Thailand trip you’re on. If you’re just visiting Koh Phayam on a holiday, you’ll want to get to the beaches as soon as possible, so you’ll only need a night in town before or after your island break.
If you’re lucky enough to have time on your side, a long Thai visa or just want to see a city that’s far from the usual tourist trail, then you could easily spend up to a week just basing yourself in Ranong and exploring the wider province.
We only had a few nights before we headed off to Koh Phayam, but would love to have spent longer in the city. We were visiting at the very start of the wet season and the weather did stop us from exploring further afield. Next time, we’d love to visit during the drier months, rent a scooter and delve deeper into the province.
Final Thoughts
Is Ranong Worth a Visit?
We hate to answer this! If we didn’t enjoy Ranong we wouldn’t have wasted our time writing a whole guide to the town! So to answer this rather silly question, yes Ranong is absolutely, most definitely worth a visit!
We have been lucky to travel far and wide throughout the whole of Thailand and Ranong was one of those places that felt so different to everywhere else we’ve visited. The city had a unique identity, a curious mix of Thai and Burmese that had seeped throughout the city into its architecture, cuisine, history and art.
We only had a few days in Ranong and we have so much more to explore both in the city and the wider province. If you have the time on your Thailand itinerary, make sure you add a day or more to Ranong before your island break. It's a city that has its own distinct characteristics and is full of delicious food, friendly locals and pretty shophouses. We can’t wait to go back to explore more!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Treasures Of Isan - Temples, Ruins & Views in Sakon Nakhon
The central Isan province of Sakon Nakhon is an untravelled Thai wonderland full of things to do. From the striking, colourful naga statue at Wat Tham Pha Daen to prehistoric petroglyphs, ancient hilltop Khmer ruins and beautiful National Parks, there’s so much to see and do! Read our complete guide for everything you need to know about exploring this lesser-known province of Thailand.
The relatively unknown province of Sakon Nakhon is positively stuffed full of treasures. This central Isan region is studded with beautiful national parks, incredible temples, ancient ruins and even some prehistoric petroglyphs!
We headed to Sakon Nakhon with only two nights booked, no plans and absolutely no idea what treats lay in store for us. After a couple of days exploring the province, we were absolutely blown away by the region's beauty, laid back rural vibes and incredible temples. We quickly extended our stay and spent the next week exploring some of Isan’s lesser known gems. The province of Sakon Nakhon has so much to see and do that we only scratched the surface of what's on offer.
This is our guide to just some of what there is to do in the wider Sakon Nakhon province, we have a separate guide to Sakon Nakhon city. To find out everything you’ll need to know about visiting Sakon Nakhon city, including how to get there, what to see and do, our food recommendations and where to stay, make sure you read our Sakon Nakhon city guide here.
In this Sakon Nakhon Province Guide
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Sakon Nakhon City and Sakon Nakhon Province
As is the case for a lot of Thailand’s provinces, Sakon Nakhon is both the name for the province and its capital. The city and province are located in central Isan, deep in Thailand’s northeast, around 650 KM away from Bangkok. Sakon Nakhon can often be spelt Sakhon Nakhon.
What To See And Do In Sakon Nakhon Province
Wat Tham Pha Daen
(location)
We’ve been lucky enough to visit many different temples during our Thailand adventures, but Wat Tham Pha Daen is right up there, as one of our favourites.
We pulled in, late afternoon, to a very busy car park and had absolutely no idea of what riches awaited us at the top of the hill. To reach Wat Tham Pha Daen temple from the car park, you’ll need to pay a 20 baht entrance fee. Once you’ve bought your ticket, just hop into the back of one of the waiting songthaews (flat bed pick-up truck taxi’s), who will ferry you up the curvy hillside, to one of the most unique temples we’ve ever visited!
Our first stop was a huge, cavernous prayer hall. We wandered inside, expecting to see Buddha statues, paintings, shrines and offerings, all the usual things we come to expect from a Buddhist temple. However, what we saw completely took us by surprise. Inside, a vast forest stretched out in front of us. Huge tree trunks sat growing out of the temple floor. Like an uprooted forest, they stood in row upon row with their thick branches pollarded back to stumps. There were trees of every shape, height and colour. Some carved and some polished in a thick reflective wax resin. At one end of this bizarre yet beautiful prayer hall, sat a seated Buddha statue surrounded by what looked like an upturned tree with its roots all splaying out like a tangled wooden sunburst around the Buddha. We thought it almost looked a bit like a natural version of the ‘Iron Throne’ from the TV series, ‘Game of Thrones’.
We left the forest of trees and continued up the hill. We passed by colourful curtains of hanging ribbons full of good luck messages and wishes, before coming to a stop at a huge boulder. The boulder itself was crowded with offerings, shrines and an enormous carved reclining Buddha. Above the Buddha, crowning the centre of the rock was a large golden stupa which reminded us a lot of Mount Phousi in Luang Prabang.
One of the main highlights of Wat Pham Daen is the giant, seven headed, green and yellow naga statue that rears up, protecting a Buddha that sits on its tightly coiled, iridescent scales. Behind the naga statue, the land disappears over a steep cliff and the flat, forest filled plains of Sakon Nakhon province roll away into the distance.
We followed the shimmering scales of the naga body as it twisted and turned through the rocky terrain. Passing by a carved Buddha’s footprint speckled with coin offerings and more Buddha statues covered in garlands and flowers. Below the naga statue, a huge metal walkway weaves its way through the canopy of the trees, the branches above were strewn and hung with colourful orchids and decorative moss balls. Each turn on the walkway gave another fantastic view out over the vast plains of Sakon Nakhon. The walkway curves its way under a cliff to reveal another huge, seated Buddha statue. The Buddha sits on the shoulders of a yaksha who in turn stands on top of an open mouthed, shimmering green and blue dragon-like creature.
We absolutely adored Wat Tham Pha Daen. The temple was unlike any we have seen in Thailand. It was vibrant, serene and like a labyrinth, every corner we turned held another breathtaking secret!
There are toilets and a cafe with an amazing view at the temple and in the car park at the bottom of the hill, there are plenty of stalls selling snacks, drinks and temple offerings. If you’re after a bigger meal, as you turn off the main road (Route 2339) on the approach to Wat Tham Pha Daen, you’ll pass by lots of restaurants and bigger eateries.
Entrance fee: There are no tickets, the temple is free to enter but you will need to pay 20 baht per person for the songthaew ride up and down the hill.
Opening times: Open everyday from 6 AM until 5 PM.
The temple can get very busy. We visited late afternoon and it was still packed. If you’re planning to visit during a festival day or public holiday, we can imagine it would be heaving!
Praya Tao Ngoi: The Giant Turtle of Good Luck
(location)
The Giant Turtle of Good Luck is exactly as you picture. Standing proud in the centre of a small pond, a giant turtle statue is draped in orange marigolds, next to two naga statues. Surrounding the pond, sitting like a small army, are hundreds and hundreds of other turtle statues in every shape, colour and size.
Praya Tao Ngoi is extremely sacred amongst Thai Buddhists. Its name Praya Tao Ngoi translates from the Isan dialect as “The Great Floating Turtle” and devotees flock here to pray for good luck and good health. The turtle is also seen as a symbol of fertility and motherhood.
When we visited the pond was full of offerings, the air was filled with the chanting of monks and perfumed with burning incense and around many of the turtle necks, colourful floral garlands were draped.
From Praya Tao Ngoi, we’d recommend heading to the dark blue metal suspension bridge that crosses the river to get to …
Entrance fee: Free - no tickets needed to visit.
Opening times: Open everyday 24 hours a day.
Wat Sirimangkla Tao Ngoi
(location)
Sitting just over the river from the Giant Turtle statue, Wat Sirimangkla Tao Ngoi is worth a quick visit. To reach the temple, just cross over the suspension bridge guarded by two huge blue naga statues and follow the footpath to the temple gates.
Wat Sirimangkla Tao Ngoi is another serene temple, full of white and gold chedi’s, intricately carved red, gold and green prayer halls and lots of golden Buddha statues.
When we visited there were lots of very inquisitive dogs, who came eagerly over insisting on headstrokes before promptly lying down in the middle of the courtyard, escaping the heat by hiding in the shadows of the stupas.
You won’t need long at the temple, but it’s worth a quick visit.
Entrance fee: Free to enter
Opening times: No opening times listed on Google.
Phu Pha Yon National Park
(location)
Phu Pha Yon National Park is a beautiful, forest park set along the shores of the Huai Huat Reservoir.
There is an easy, 3 KM nature trail that winds its way through the forest, following the lake’s shoreline. The path is a linear trail, starting at the rocky shore of the reservoir (next to the car park), before delving into the shaded woodland below. The path winds its way through the forest, crossing over huge flat rocks and meadows covered in pastel coloured wildflowers. Through the trees, you could catch small glimpses of the shimmering lake. It was stunning!
The trail takes you over small streams and past four waterfalls all in varying sizes. Our favourite of the falls was the last one. A curtain of cascading white water fell from the thick forest above over a dark green, vine and moss covered cliff face. It was magical!
We absolutely love the small hike at Phu Pha Yon National Park. It was an easy walk and crossed through such unique landscapes, that it felt as though we had left Thailand and were hiking in the Rockies of America!
In the car park there are toilets, a shower block for those camping and a small snack stall selling BBQ sticks of meat, pot noodles, small plates, snacks and soft drinks.
Also as tempting as it is in the hot Thai sun, there’s no swimming allowed in the reservoir!
Entrance fee: Tickets for Phu Pha Yon National Park cost 100 baht for foreigners and 30 baht for Thai nationals. If you are arriving by scooter / motorbike there is an additional 20 baht fee.
Opening times: The Phu Pha Yon National Park is open everyday, from 8 AM until 6 PM Monday to Friday and from 8 AM until 7 PM on weekends.
Wat Tham Phu Pha Yon
(location)
Wat Tham Phu Pha Yon stands in stark contrast to the brightly coloured statues of Wat Phan Pha Daen. The temple is located deep, in the heart of rural Isan. We loved the drive to the temple, almost as much as we loved Wat Tham Phu Pha Yon.
As we drove down Route 3007, we were surrounded by rubber, coffee and corn plantations, and on the road, it was just us and a few tractors - we really were driving in the ricebowl, the heart of rural Thailand!
We turned off onto a small road that led through a farming village where we had to dodge sunbathing canines, before switch-backing our way up a steep hillside. As we reached the temple carpark we were eagerly waved in by a young, saffron robed monk.
To reach the petroglyphs just follow the stone path through the forest where you’ll pass a big Buddhist statue before reaching the base of a massive cliff. Clinging to the side of this giant cliff is a set of very steep, but tiny, wooden steps. If you’re scared of heights, this temple may not be the one!
At the top of the wooden staircase you’ll reach the tree line and a small viewpoint looking out over the jungle and flat plains below. From here, follow the right hand fork in the path to reach the ancient petroglyphs.
Carved onto a humongous wall and hiding beneath a huge rocky cliff are the prehistoric petroglyphs. These 3000 year old carvings show figures hugging and dancing and even, what looks like some animal forms. Next to the prehistoric petroglyphs are some more modern carvings in the form of a Buddha, a monkey and an elephant, all carved alongside some Buddhist scripture.
After the petroglyphs, follow the left hand path that leads up into the jungle above to see a Buddha’s footprint, more Buddhist statues and viewpoints.
The view from the top is simply breathtaking. A sweeping panorama over the whole of Sakon Nakhon. We spent a good while just sitting and taking in the view. From here, we could see layer upon layer of Sakon Nakhon unravel itself in the form of gentle hills, flat paddy fields and thick green forest. It was beautiful!
We just sat there, listened and soaked up the world around us. The forest silence occasionally broken by the distant sounds of music and karaoke coming from a local harvest party, way down at the bottom of the mountainside!
We loved Wat Tham Phu Pha Yon, it was stunning, the petroglyphs incredible and just getting there felt like a real adventure into the heart of Isan.
If you’re lucky you may even see some cute temple dogs! When we were there we encountered a very cute litter of overly eager, very friendly puppies!
Entrance fee: There is no ticket price, Wat Tham Phu Pha Yon is free to enter.
Opening times: Open everyday, 24 hours a day - although we wouldn’t recommend hiking up to the viewpoint in the dark!
Wat Tham Kham
(location)
The temple of Wat Tham Kham is built on a huge, flat rock that looks out over the gentle rolling hills of Sakon Nakhon province. In the centre of the rock, a square shaped, white, dark orange and golden temple rises up out of a polished marble stone floor. Around the temple, you’ll also find some smaller shrines, many golden Buddha statues and a carved reclining Buddha. Surrounding the temple are small ponds, jasmine bushes and lots of knotted trees.
The temple is also home to a muster of peacocks (yes we did have to look up what the collective noun was for a group of peacocks), that wander through the bushes, we loved watching them parade around, with their vibrant blue and green feathers glinting under the Thai sun.
To reach the temple, you’ll need to follow the main highway out of Sakon Nakhon before turning onto the smaller road of Route 2016. The route takes you through small farming villages, past Buddhist temples and up a fun, curving mountain road.
Make sure to bring any snacks / drinks with you as there aren’t any shops or restaurants on-site. There are clean and free to use toilets in the carpark.
Entrance fee: Wat Tham Kham is free to enter.
Opening times: The temple is open everyday from 8 AM until 6 PM.On Wednesday’s it closes at 5 PM.
Phra That Phu Phek
(location)
A short drive from Wat Tham Kham sits the ancient Khmer ruins of Phra That Phu Phek.
To reach the ancient stupa at the peak of Tambon Na Hua Bo mountain, you’ll need to climb 491 steps (at least according to the information sign) up a steep, stone staircase carved into the bamboo forest. Every 100 or so steps, you’ll see large metal bells hanging overhead which mark rest areas and benches. As you climb the side of the mountain, our tip is to not look back and wait until you get to the very top to see the view - trust us, it’s pretty special!
At the peak, the steep mountainside flattens out to a vast flat vista. In the centre, sits the crumbling ruins of an old Khmer stupa. The stupa of Phu Phek was built in the 10th to 11th century and houses a cube shaped, solar calendar that was used to track the position of the sun.
According to local legend, there was a competition held amongst the locals over the temple’s construction. It would be men versus women, whichever gender finished their portion of the build first, would be crowned the winner. The women apparently fooled the men into stopping their work by faking the rise of a holy star. The wat is now named after this star, Phu Phek. There is no roof on the stupa anymore, but we love the story of this ancient trickery!
Today the sacred site is wrapped in a yellow and orange ribbon and there is a table full of offerings at its base. Next to the ruins, sits a lily pond and a modern shrine full of golden Buddha statues.
Once you’ve finished with the temple, don’t miss out on the hilltops other secrets. Nearby to the modern shrine, there is a path that leads you to the ancient stone cutting area. Follow the small path as it winds its way though forest and wild flowers until you reach the ancient stone quarry. Huge moss covered boulders litter the area and you can clearly see where in the past, the stones have been cut and carved out. Today, the area is littered with small stone cairns placed in precarious piles by devotees and visitors.
Before you leave make sure you head over to all the different viewpoints. The view from the top of this mountainside is spectacular, a huge 360 degree view out over the city of Sakon Nakhon and its rolling green hills.
There are lots of peacocks, chickens and cats roaming the temple. One especially irreverent peacock wouldn’t stop interrupting a group of praying pilgrims; strutting past and flaunting his fantastic feathers in their faces!
There are toilets at the bottom of the hill in the car park and water to buy for a small donation.
Entrance fee: Phra That Phu Phek temple is free to enter but donations are appreciated.
Opening times: The temple and ruins are open everyday from 8 AM until 6 PM.
Despite the steep climb you’ll still need to wear temple appropriate clothing.
Phu Phan National Park
(location)
Phu Phan National Park is another forested park full of beautiful vistas, camping spots and a nature trail. At the entrance, there is a small exhibition which has information about the history and biology of the park .
The main highlight of the park is a 2 KM nature trail that circles its way through the forest. The hike starts at the Nang Mern Cliff, an incredible cliff-side vista that looks out over a sea of green forest. The Nang Mern Cliff is important in local Thai folklore as it is here that it is believed a local man jumped to his death after his lover chose to live out her days with another man! In English Nang Mern Cliff is sometimes known as the “cliff of the girl who turns away”.
From Nang Mern Cliff, the trail disappears down to the forested canopy below, following a leaf-strewn path that winds its way through the thick forest. All along the trail, there are small placards dotted around which talk about the flora and fauna you can spot. As the path heads further down into the ravine, the pristine forest is replaced by thick staves of bamboo and fields of large boulders.
At the bottom of the valley we reached a dried out riverbed. From the deep holes in the rock, we can imagine the river is a wild beast in the wet season! The hike follows the riverbed for a couple of hundred metres before curving back up to a pretty wild flower meadow full of tiny white, cloudlike flowers. The path then continues upwards to the “stargazing area” of the national park, an area full of flat rocks and incredible panoramic views out over Sakon Nakhon. From the stargazing area, the path leads you back to the start of the trail at Nang Mern Cliff.
There are plenty of toilets on-site at the park and if you’d like to camp or stay in Phu Phan’s National Park just speak to the park authorities.
Entrance fee: Tickets to the National Park cost 100 baht for foreigners and 30 baht for Thai nationals.
Opening times: Phu Phan National Park is open everyday from 8 AM until 4.30 PM.
Seri Thai Cave
(location)
The Seri Thai Cave is located 5 KM away from Phu Phan National Park. As you turn off the main road (Route 213), you’ll follow a single lane, pothole ridden road to the gates of Seri Thai Cave.
In the car park, there’s a big statue and shrine dedicated to Sirikhan Tiang (also known as the Phuphan Warrior), one of the leaders of the ‘Free Thailand’ resistance party that operated during WW2. Fighting against the Japanese occupation, Sirikhan Tiang and the Free Thailand party worked closely with the Force 136 from the British military to create a guerilla resistance group. The Seri Thai Cave was a small cave that the resistance movement used to store food and weapons.
To reach the Seri Thai Cave, it’s a short 2 KM walk (1 KM there and 1 KM back) along a rocky trail that cuts its way through the thick forest. The cave is located at a rocky outcrop where the trees part. To find the hidden cave, just follow the path lined by small pebbles and climb down the metal ladder.
We peered into the cave entrance to find Buddhist statues and a shrine. We didn’t delve any further in as we had no torch, and our phones weren’t that great at lighting the way.
At the Seri Thai Cave, there’s a sign pointing the way to another viewpoint. We didn’t bother venturing too far along this path as it was completely overgrown and dark storm clouds were rolling in! If the way has been cleared (or you’re more adventurous than us) let us know what we missed in the comments.
Entrance fee: Free to explore.
Opening times: No opening times listed on Google. The car park is manned by a Park Ranger, so visit during the daytime.
Khong Ping Ngu Curves - Route 213
(location)
As you leave Sakon Nakhon, Route 213 doesn’t feel any different to any other Thai main road - one big straight, never-ending dual carriageway, lined on either side with petrol stations, 7-Eleven’s and small roadside eateries. This all changes though as you start to approach Khong Ping Ngu and its celebrated curves!
The straight road suddenly turns into a twisting set of hairpin’s which switch back their way up an Isan hillside - welcome to the Khong Ping Ngu Curves!
Khong Ping Ngu Curves is another example of one of the things we just love about Thailand. To the rest of the world, a curvy road would just be a road, a way to get from a to b, but in Thailand, a curvy road suddenly becomes a tourist attraction and a destination to visit!
At Khong Ping Ngu, set amongst the sharp hair-pin bends, there’s colourful flower beds, viewing platforms, topiary animals and selfie-spots. We didn’t spend long at the curves, but enjoyed climbing the viewpoints and watching as endless streams of cars stopped, families unloaded and selfies snapped! If you want a snack or drink, there’s a coffee shop on site as well as toilets.
Just behind the curves is a small waterfall called Namtok Kham Hom (location). It’s not worth heading to in the dry season as it completely dries up, but if you’re in the area during the wet season, you could easily combine a quick visit to the waterfall with a stop at the curves.
Entrance fee: Free
Opening times: Open everyday, 24 hours a day.
How To Explore Sakon Nakhon Province - Itineraries And Map
We’ve split all the attractions listed above into three different day itineraries and we’ve created maps for each. All the itineraries start and end from the hotel we were staying in, the MT Place Hotel in downtown Sakon Nakhon city.
Depending on how long you’re planning to stay in Sakon Nakhon, you could easily combine a couple of the itineraries together into one bigger day of exploring.
Day One Itinerary - Head south to Phu Pha Yon National Park, temples and prehistoric petroglyphs
We’d recommend leaving Sakon Nakhon early in the morning. Out of the three itineraries we’ve created, this day has the most stops and the longest drive.
Start with visiting Phu Pha Yon National Park before heading back to see the Giant Turtle and Wat Sirimangkla Tao Ngoi. If you’re hungry, we’d recommend driving into Na Tan town (located here), a 2 minute drive from the turtle car park and stopping for lunch there. It’s a small Isan town, but there’s a 7-Eleven, CJ supermarket and Lotus Go Fresh as well as lots of small roadside eateries. We grabbed a delicious bowl of pork noodles from a restaurant here. Garlicky, meaty, rich and nutty, the soup broth was one of the tastiest we’ve slurped down on. The bowls also came topped with some unknown orange fruit that gave each mouthful a zingy, citrussy twang!
After you’ve recuperated from lunch, head on to see the ancient petroglyphs at Wat Tham Phu Pha Yon before ending the day at the colourful Wat Tham Pha Daen.
To follow our route, check out the Google Map below:
Day Two Itinerary - Head northwest to a temple and ancient Khmer ruins
This is the shortest day itinerary and could easily be combined with the next day’s itinerary if you’re short on time.
Drive northwest leaving the busy main road behind and head first to Wat Tham Kham and its beautiful cliffside views, before heading to the nearby ancient Khmer ruins at Phra That Phu Phek.
As it’ll probably be lunchtime when you arrive back into Sakon Nakhon, we’d recommend stopping for an Isan feast of BBQ chicken, spicy som tam salad and sticky rice (an absolute must if you’re exploring Isan) at Rham Somtim Nit Noi.
Check out the full driving route on our map below:
Day Three Itinerary - Head southwest to drive Route 213, visit Phu Phan National Park and explore Seri Thai Cave
From Sakon Nakhon city, drive southwest along Route 213 until you reach Phu Phan National Park. After you’ve hiked the nature trail, head back towards Sakon Nakhon. If you’re after coffee or snacks, we can highly recommend stopping at the Space Mountain Coffee Shop (located here).
Set in a roadside slow bar with a very unique sense of style, think camping mixed with cottage-core, Space Mountain served up fantastic coffee. You’ll know you’ve reached the coffee shop when you spot the turquoise VW Beetle parked on the side of the road.
After you’ve caffeined up, head onto Seri Thai Cave. From there drive back towards Sakon Nakhon stopping at the viewing platforms at Khong Ping Ngu Curves.
If you want to explore more, Route 213 connects Sakon Nakhon to the nearby province and city of Kalasin and all along there are more places to visit including seeing the many white Buddha’s of Wat Phra Phutthabat Namphip and the gentle cascades of Khao Nang Waterfall.
Check out our full route for this day below:
Getting Around And Where To Stay
How to explore Sakon Nakhon Province
To really explore Sakon Nakhon Province you will need your own set of wheels. All the attractions we’ve listed above are all located a good half an hour to an hour’s drive away from the city of Sakon Nakhon.
By far the most enjoyable and easiest way to explore the province is by renting a motorbike or scooter. In Sakon Nakhon city, we couldn’t find a rental place, but our lovely accommodation, the MT Place Hotel, helped to find us a scooter rental and had the bike delivered to the hotel carpark.
If you cannot ride a motorbike or scooter, we’d recommend heading to Sakon Nakhon’s Bus Station (located here) and speaking with the songthaew, tuk tuk and taxi drivers waiting there. You should easily be able to negotiate for a driver to take you around the sights for a day.
Where to Stay - Sakon Nakhon City
The best place to base yourself if you’re planning a trip around Sakon Nakhon province, is the city of Sakon Nakhon itself. There are plenty of hotels and guesthouses available to book in Sakon Nakhon, but we’d recommend staying at the fantastic MT Place Hotel.
We absolutely loved our stay. Our room was super comfy and clean and the staff at the hotel were so friendly and helpful.
To find out all about staying in Sakon Nakhon as well as what there is to see, do and eat, make sure you’ve read our full Sakon Nakhon city guide.
Final Thoughts
Why visit Sakon Nakhon province?
Sakon Nakhon province really was an unexpected treat for us. This small, relatively unexplored corner of Isan (at least by Western tourists) is stuffed full of so many unique and hidden treasures. We had no idea that during our stay in Sakon Nakhon, we'd see ancient petroglyphs, Khmer ruins and one of our favourite temples in the whole of Thailand!
Exploring Sakon Nakhon province really blew us away and made us feel like proper adventurers again. There’s not many places in Thailand where you can feel like this, but Sakon Nakhon province really delivered. If you’re after somewhere truly off-the-beaten path, then head to Sakon Nakhon province you won’t regret it.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Sakon Nakhon City and Town Travel Guide
The city of Sakon Nakhon is a great spot to base yourself in to explore some of Isan’s hidden gems. Our guide covers everything you need to know about staying in the city from where to stay and how to get there, as well as visiting the beautiful Wat Phra That Choeng Chum Worawihan, the historic Tha Rae Village and more!
In a region studded with secrets and surprises, Sakon Nakhon was a real unexpected treat. The city sits in the heart of Isan, Thailand’s vast northeastern region. Sakon Nakhon sits on the shores of Nong Han Lake, the waters of which holds a sacred island and dotted all around the city are ancient ruins, colonial architecture, one of a kind temples and unique Isan experiences.
The city is a smorgasbord of delicious, authentic foods, chic coffee shops and vibrant markets. Despite all of the above, Sakon Nakhon has been completely slept on by Western tourists. It’s not on the “banana pancake” trail and despite all the things to see and do, Sakon Nakhon is seldom visited and very rarely features on any Western tourists Thai itinerary. This is sure to change, with travellers getting more savy and the amount of things to see and do, Sakon Nakhon won’t remain unknown for long! We’re here to show you why you should beat the rush and come and see Sakon Nakhon now.
Sakon Nakhon (AKA Sakhon Nakhon - spelling can be fluid in Isan) is the name of both the lakeside city and the larger province.
This is our guide about what to do in and around the city of Sakon Nakhon. For our complete guide to the province of Sakon Nakhon, click here.
In This Sakon Nakhon City Guide
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
What To Do In Sakon Nakhon City
Sakhon Nakhon city is a perfect example of what we love; an unknown quantity. What is there to do? What will we find?
Sprawling away from the southern shoreline of Nong Han Lake, the city is full of history and contrasts. Sleek modern coffee shops rub shoulders with intricate temple gates, white and gold stupas tower over veteran street vendors and huge shopping malls stand like giants opposite neon lit market stalls.
What we found in Sakon Nakhon was a city full of things to see, do and explore. Read on to find out how to fill your time in this Isan city.
Wat Phra That Choeng Chum Worawihan
(location)
Perhaps Sakon Nakhon’s most famous attraction, Wat Phra That Choeng Chum Worawihan (try saying that quickly) more than lives up to its fame.
A vast stone tiled courtyard is polished to a mirror sheen and reflects the sparkling mosaics and golden glass encrusted walls of this beautiful temple.
The temple is said to have been constructed on a site where four different incarnations of the Buddha once walked and is the heart and soul of Sakon Nakhon city.
The temple buildings are spectacular, intricate, flamboyant and beautiful. With coloured glass, gold leaf and golden statues covering their walls and ceilings. Outside, the spectacle continues with a majestic white and gold chedi and the arched entrances to the temple all mirrored with shining tiles. These temple archways are in themselves an architectural marvel with layer upon layer of spiked gold carvings, rising like a Thai crown above their lintels.
Framing the temple's main building right at the heart of the complex, a golden naga statue rears up in front of a white pillar, itself crowned with four lions.
Outside, the wat is guarded by a row of stone “Foo Lion’s”. These dog-like guardians stand in lily ponds, the water reflecting their white and gold forms.
The temple is, as we hope we made clear, stunning! All the usual Thai temple rules apply; dress appropriately, be respectful and remove shoes before entering. There is parking to the right and left of the temple and plenty of shops surrounding the outside to pick up trinkets, souvenirs and snacks from.
Entrance fee: Free
Opening times: Open everyday from 6 AM until 10 PM. During festival times and public holidays, the temple may get very busy!
Sakon Nakhon Walking Street - The Indigo Market
(location)
Sakon Nakhon is known for its indigo dyes. Traditionally made from bark and other naturally occurring ingredients, this blue dye has seen a modern resurgence in popularity. Local artisans dye, weave and tailor clothing and you can see everyone from local teenagers to traditionally dressed grannies wearing the indigo patterns and fabrics.
The Weekend Walking Street focuses on selling this local speciality to residents and Thai tourists alike. From full dresses to little key chains, there’ll be a little indigo souvenir for everyone.
The market runs along the street outside of Wat Phra That Choeng Chum Worawihan. It’s not the biggest Walking Street in the world but it's well worth a nose around if you’re visiting over a weekend, especially if you’re looking for some unique clothes or just want to see the temple lit up at night.
The market has a couple of street food stalls and the whole street has plenty of sit down restaurants and coffee shops.
Don’t miss the colourful street art painted on the walls and alleyways all around!
Entrance fee: Free
Opening times: Saturday and Sunday from 3 PM to 8 PM. Get there early - it’s more of an afternoon market than a night market.
Phu Phan Museum And Planetarium
(location)
Built on the shores of Nong Han Lake, the Phu Phan museum is a tale of two halves.
On one side, the small planetarium is stuffed full of exhibits about the solar system, the Apollo 11 Moon landing and other spacey facts.
“That’s one small step for…”
The second half of the museum couldn’t be more different. Built around a giant dharma wheel, the museum splits off into different buildings with exhibits about the history, culture and peoples of Sakon Nakhon. The main focus seems to be on the Buddhist history of the region.
Outside, the museum and planetarium look a little forlorn with an old playground that seems to have fallen on hard times. Don’t let this put you off, the staff were super friendly and the astronomical and spiritual side to the museum were interesting and fun to explore. Just be aware on the spiritual side of things, most of the information will only be in Thai.
Entrance fee: Free
Opening times: Open everyday from 9 AM until 4:30 PM. Closed on Sundays.
City Pillar Shrine - Phratu Mueang Sakon Nakhon
(location)
Sitting straddling the city's main roundabout you really cannot miss Sakon Nakhon’s city pillar shrine. Standing like a Thai ‘Arc De Triomphe’ the gold crowned plinth is surrounded by flowering gardens and houses a carved circular stone.
Entrance fee: Free
Opening times: All the time, 24 hours a day.
Thai City Pillars
Thai City Pillars or Lak Mueang can be found in nearly every Thai town and city and can be seen as the spiritual locus of the area. These pillars are believed to be the home of the city's “spirit” and were born from a mix of Hindu and Buddhist culture and religion. Today, locals gather to leave offerings and pray at the pillars.
Somdej Phra Srinagarindra Park
(location)
Built just off Nong Han lake, Somdej Phra Srinagarindra Park was a colourful green oasis in the centre of Sakon Nakhon. Built around a massive ornamental lake, there are loads of gardens, flower beds, lawns and lakeside views. For those more active than us, there is a large cycling and running track that runs all around the lake and headland. We liked visiting here as a break of green and calm from the city's streets.
There is scooter parking at the entrance.
Entrance fee: Free
Opening times: From dawn until dusk.
Sakon Nakhon Clock Tower
(location)
Sakon Nakhon’s pink stone clock tower sits in the heart of a busy intersection on one of the main roads leading into the city. The carved clock tower rises up out of a Buddhist style, temple base and on all sides, sit golden Buddha statues.
The clock tower isn’t worth a trip in itself, but if you’re in the area it’s worth a quick look. The area is full of small eateries and close to our favourite coffee shop, Sniff Coffee (more on this later).
Take a boat to Don Sawan Sacred Island
(location)
As always we’re honest on this blog and we did not actually do this. The sacred island of Don Sawan is a pilgrimage and tourist spot for visiting Buddhists. Sitting in the middle of Nong Han Lake, the island is host to a series of shrines and temples, some ancient, some more modern.
The island is the focal point of many local legends and can get quite busy during festivals and holidays.
To catch a boat and visit the island, head here.
Entrance fee: 100 baht per person but you will need to fill the boat (500 baht minimum).
Opening times: Open everyday from 8 AM until 6 PM.
Freshwater Fish Aquarium
(location)
Another one of the things we didn’t do, this is a small aquarium dedicated to the lake and river fish found in the area. We didn’t do this ourselves, but if you go, let us know in the comments what we missed.
Entrance fee: Free
Opening times: Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM until 4 PM. Closed on weekends.
Kasetsart University Lotus and Waterlily Park
(location)
We don’t know what we expected but it certainly wasn’t this! After a short scooter ride from town, around to the north of Nong Han Lake, we found ourselves in a nondescript carpark near to the university. This was Kasetsart University Lotus and Waterlily Park.
A huge ornamental lake speckled with lotus flowers and ribboned with curving walkways spread out in front of us. The calm surface of the lake was like a mirror reflecting the sky and lotus blooms above. On the lake there were pagodas, clusters of students enjoying photoshoots and, dominating everything, was a huge, pure white naga.
The giant naga statue sits coiled and vigilant overlooking its lily-strewn domain. In front and in contrast to its pure monochrome body, was a colourful shrine full of incense and offerings.
The park is much larger than just the waterlilies. There are gardens, an alligator farm / research outpost as well as model farming and university agriculture projects. It’s an amazing park and a great place to walk around.
There are a few shops and snack vendors in the carpark as well as toilets on-site.
It also makes the ideal stop off if you’re on your way to…
Entrance fee: Free
Opening times: Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM, weekends 8:30 AM until 6 PM
Tha Rae Village and St Michael’s Cathedral
(location)
Hugging the northern shore of Nong Han Lake is Sakon Nakhon’s most famous village, Tha Rae Village. This little enclave is full of stunning French colonial style architecture, some elegantly decaying and some beautifully preserved.
We found a spot to park our bike and set off down this little slice of what to us, looked like New Orleans. We wandered the old main street, sauntered down picturesque alleyways full of street art and admired the towering colonial style buildings.
Tha Rae Village is home to one of Thailand’s largest Catholic communities (at least by percentage of population), the descendants of refugees and Catholics from neighbouring countries. This little commune boasts phenomenal architecture and a large modernist cathedral, St Michael’s Cathedral - the co-cathedral to St Anne’s in Nakhon Phanom. It’s especially famous around Christmas time for its brightly lit Christmas parade which has given the area its name “Land of Stars”.
Most of the old architecture is focussed around the main street of the village, with French style mansions complete with shuttered windows, arched colonnades and balconies. If you’re in need of a coffee, don’t miss the coffee shop located on the ground floor of one of the mansions. We had two delicious lattes which were the perfect pick-me-up to continue a full day of exploring.
You can also walk to the shoreline of the lake for a very pretty view. Whilst we were there, it was full of buffalo grazing on the lakeside greenery.
If you visit around lunchtime there are plenty of Vietnamese, Chinese and Thai street food stalls and restaurants.
Entrance fee: Free
Circumnavigate Nong Han Lake
(location)
The city of Sakon Nakhon sits on the southern edge of the enormous Nong Han Lake. This huge lake is one of the largest natural lakes in Thailand and is famous not only for its sacred island, but its clear waters, lotus flowers and floating restaurants.
Weaving in and out of the local roads, you can easily drive around the whole lake. We started in Sakon Nakhon city and drove clockwise around the lakes circumferance. This brought us past the lotus park and Tha Rae Village we’ve talked about above and then onwards to the incredibly colourful Wat Yod Lamthan.
After the temple we headed next door to a small, roadside restaurant for a lunch stop. We ordered pad thai and were treated to two plates piled high with fat prawns, roasted and stir fried pork, slices of tofu and wok fried egg. It was far better than we expected and an utter bargain at 50 baht per plate.
We continued on round the lake, pulling over at scenic spots and outlooks for photos. The road took us past a seated, golden Buddha, through villages of stilted wooden houses and around flat paddy fields, full of grazing buffalo. It was a very scenic drive and a complete contrast to the busy city roads. Isan is famously the rice bowl of Thailand and you could certainly tell this was the case around Sakon Nakhon. The city had long since fallen away and all around were farms and paddy fields.
Our final stop before we headed back into Sakon Nakhon was Wat Maha Phrom Phothirat (Wat Neua). This lakeside temple was utterly gorgeous, full of white and gold chedi’s amazing statuary and serene prayer halls.
This is also the area of the lake where you can hire out “restaurant rafts” although when we visited they sounded more like "karaoke rafts”. These large flat barges can be rented by groups or families who can then float out onto the lake. You can order food to them, drink or just sing the day away with a karaoke machine. On weekends it gets very busy and a collection of market stalls spring up on the lakeside.
There are plenty of wats, villages, roadside food and coffee stops you could make on an orbit of the lake. It’s one of our favourite things to do in Thailand - just get on a bike and see where the road takes us.
Check our map below for our route and the places we’ve mentioned above.
Delve deeper into Sakon Nakhon province
The city of Sakon Nakhon is only a small part of the much larger Sakon Nakhon province. The province is a treasure trove of National Parks, Khmer ruins, beautiful wats and even some ancient petroglyphs.
We’ve written a whole guide on what there is to see and do in the province, check it out below:
What To Eat And Drink In Sakon Nakhom
Where to eat in Sakon Nakhom?
Sakon Nakhom has plenty of places to eat, whether you’re after a sit-down meal in a restaurant or looking for something to pick up and go. Here’s just some of our favourite dining spots in the city.
To Charoen Si Night Market
(location)
As night falls, To Charoen Si Night Market springs into life with stalls setting up inside the covered market and sprawling out onto the streets around. There aren’t many things better than a Thai night market, and this one’s no exception.
We headed here most evenings and grazed our way through the stalls picking up sticks of moo ping (BBQ pork), Thai style sushi, Hat Yai fried chicken and other Thai street food staples.
The curry stalls are always a firm favourite of the locals!
The night markets of Thailand are like our supermarkets - only better! It’s where families will come to pick up their dinners, either as raw ingredients or full plates of cooked food. Sakon Nakhon’s Night Market held everything you could need for dinner whether it was fresh bitter melon for your curry or a steaming pile of ready to eat noodles.
Night Market near Sakon Nakhon’s Bus Station
(location)
A huge market that is one half food stalls with the other half taken up by vintage clothing stalls, toy shops and pop up beauty salons. The market snakes up and down a large car park before worming its way into a covered hangar.
There are all the Thai night market favourites on offer as well as plenty of Isan specialties - ant eggs anyone?
We picked up some freshly squeezed orange juice, Isan sausages packed full of zingy lemongrass and herbs and some sweet, crispy doughnuts. We spent most of the evening just exploring this market, it was so full of unique foods and fun stalls, there was even a bouncy castle!
Definitely head over to this market if you’re looking for some Isan style tapas. Night markets are always a great choice if you are unsure of what to eat but want to try some delicious delicacies. We loved wandering around this market. It had a great atmosphere and was super busy with students and families.
If you arrive on a scooter, there is a huge car park that runs the length of the market on the main road.
Food court and street food stalls along Suk Kasem Road
(location)
Every evening, all along Suk Kasem Road, street food stalls and restaurants open up to hungry diners.
In this brightly lit food court, we found some delicious fish ball noodle soup and fried wontons. OK we know fish ball noodles don’t sound that appealing, but trust us, this Thai-Chinese dish is delicious!
In the food court there were plenty of stir-fry stalls and noodle soup vendors serving all the usual Thai street food classics.
If you’re after something a little bit more familiar, just next door is the very popular “Hipster Steak" restaurant. We didn’t eat there ourselves, but the owners were always super friendly as we passed by; practicing their English and reassuring us they could cook a steak for us ‘farang style’ 😋
Mitre Uppratham: Historical Restaurant
(location)
Usually when a restaurant describes itself as “authentic”, “traditional” or “local” we’d steer well clear - really authentic restaurants tend not to have to tell people that!
However, there is an exception to every rule and Sakon Nakhon’s historical restaurant, the Mitre Uppratham had been recommended to us and had come with such high praise we couldn’t write it off.
Set on the ground floor of a traditional wooden house everything about this restaurant was old school. From the menu to the tables, to the decor and photos on the wall, this restaurant has definitely been around.
Flavour however is timeless and this place just nailed it. Traditional Thai dishes done properly with no bells and whistles, just pure powerful flavours. We had excellent pad kra pao’s that were deep, rich and spicy.
Generous portions, reasonable prices and great vintage vibes. Don’t miss this place if you’re in Sakon Nakhon.
Isan feast at Rham Somtum NitNoi
(location)
Whatever time of day we passed by this restaurant, it was always full to the brim with crowds of local families chowing down on colourful plates of som tam salad.
Serving all things Isan we ordered up a feast which included half a BBQ chicken, grilled pork, a salty egg corn som tam salad and enough sticky rice for two. It was everything we could have hoped for. Som tam, grilled meat and sticky rice is one of the world's greatest meals. Every aspect compliments and contrasts each other perfectly.
Rham Somtum NitNoi was especially great. The BBQ chicken was one of the best we had in the whole of Isan. Smokey and juicy with a perfect sweet-savoury marinade. The grilled pork was charred to perfection and served with a tangy and garlic rich chilli dip. The corn som tam with salted egg was the perfect accompaniment to the sticky rice and meats.
Pan eggs - streetside breakfast restaurant
(location)
This small, no frills breakfast restaurant became our go to every morning we were in Sakon Nakhon. Pan eggs or kai grata in Thai, are a breakfast staple. A small pan is heated until sizzling and then filled with egg, sausage, ground meat and whatever else the restaurant feels like. Cheap, hearty and perfect for a quick and filling breakfast.
The restaurant also serves up pork noodles, thick rice soup topped with sliced Vietnamese style sausage, pork banh mi and poached eggs.
Chicken Rice
(location)
A couple of doors down from the food court we mentioned above was this small roadside chicken rice stall.
You really cannot go wrong with chicken rice and this is a perfect example of poultry perfection.
The deep fried chicken was cooked to crispy deliciousness and the oiled rice was nutty and full of flavour. The soup on the side was also fantastic - bone-rich and garlicky!
Clock Tower Pork Noodle Soup
(location)
This small streetside pork noodle soup stall opens up late in the evening from 8pm until early morning or whenever it sells out (usually the latter!).
Sometimes in life it’s worth waiting for food and this was one of those times. Famous amongst locals, this street food stall is an institution of the area.
A steaming bowl of nood-ly goodness was topped with sweet, red, char siu and roasted pork all bathed in a truly amazing garlic rich broth. There’s a reason why this stall is famous.
We’d recommend heading to To Charoen Si Night Market early in the evening to pick up some starters and then heading here to dine when the stall opens.
Where to find the best coffee and cafes in Sakon Nakhon
Wherever we are, it doesn’t take us long to scout out a coffee shop and luckily for us, there were plenty to choose from in Sakon Nakhon. Here’s some of our favourite spots.
Sniff Coffee Shop
(location)
Sniff Coffee is a super modern, hipster coffee shop set a few doors down from Sakon Nakhon’s clock tower.
Inside, the decor is very avant-garde with graffiti and street art on the walls and leather chairs dotted about.
The coffee shop served us some fantastic coffees, their orange black’s (americanos with orange juice) were some of the best we’ve had. They also have some delicious looking doughnuts and pastries that were very hard to resist.
The coffee shop is open all day and is very popular with the local university students.
Come Home Cafe
(location)
Come Home Cafe is set in a traditional wooden house. All of our alarm bells were ringing. This was the kind of cafe which, if it was in England, would be called ‘Ye Olde Tearooms’ and would feature a disproportionate amount of doilies!
However, our fears of twee-ness were completely unfounded. The lattes from Come Home Cafe were fantastic. Sweet but not sickly, creamy but not cloying. Everything you want on a hot Thai day.
The cafe serves up a full Thai menu as well as sweet treats and cakes.
Behind the cafe, there’s a small gift shop selling indigo clothing, scarves and other trinkets.
Moon Cafe
(location)
Set in the heart of the city, Moon Cafe is a sleek and modern coffee shop with a minimalist interior, comfy chairs and chilled out vibes. We ordered two iced lattes and they hit the spot perfectly. Rich, bitter and balanced, the lattes were excellent.
This coffee shop is only a short walk from the city's famous Wat Phra That Choeng Chum Worawihan.
Where To Stay - Accommodation In Sakon Nakhon
Our accommodation, MT Place Hotel
We stayed at the wonderful MT Place Hotel in a double en-suite room. We got a great deal when we booked and it wound up being the perfect choice. The rooms were spacious, clean, comfy and had great showers.
We can’t praise the lovely staff enough, they helped us with all our questions, gave recommendations on where to eat and what to see as well as arranging a scooter hire. They even gave us a small parting gift of some very comfy elephant print pyjamas to thank us for our stay!
To book a stay at MT Place Hotel, click here.
All other hotels and guesthouses in Sakon Nakhon
There are quite a few different options when it comes to accommodation in Sakon Nakhon. As the city isn’t really on the Western tourist trail, most of the options will be in Thai, but this has never been a problem for us. The friendliness of the Thai’s combined with our bundling use of Google Translate has always seen us through.
The town is quite spread out, so take that into account when booking a hotel.
Click on the map below to see all accommodation choices in the city.
Where Is Sakon Nakhon, How To Get There And How To Get Around
Where in Thailand is Sakon Nakhon?
Sakon Nakhon lies 650 KM away from the Thai capital of Bangkok, deep in the heart of Isan in northeast Thailand. You can find the city on Google Maps here.
The city is also the provincial capital of Sakon Nakhon province. The province is bordered by Nong Khai, Bueng Kan, Nakhon Phanom, Mukdahan, Kalasin and Udon Thani. It is a great hub and base for exploring this region of Isan.
Spot the grazing buffalo!
Getting to Sakon Nakhon
Sakon Nakhon has great links to pretty much anywhere - the Thai bus network is fantastic wherever you are in the country, just head to the local bus station and ask around. We’ve never had a problem getting from a to b. There is also the option for those in a hurry to catch a plane.
These are the easiest ways to get to Sakon Nakhon.
From within Isan
Wherever you are in Isan you should be able to catch a bus or minivan to Sakon Nakhon.
If you arrive by bus you should be dropped off at Sakon Nakhon Bus Terminal No. 2 located here. From the bus station, you’ll need to grab a taxi or songthaew to take you into the centre.
Remember to look up and around - there’s lots of street art to be found in the centre of Sakon Nakhon!
From Bangkok and the rest of Thailand
As a major city, Sakon Nakhon is very well connected both to Bangkok and everywhere else in Thailand.
Buses depart from Mo Chit Bus Terminal in Bangkok multiple times everyday and journey times range between 8.5 to 16 hours depending on your route. In addition to the bus links there is also a local airport, which has flights departing to and from Bangkok daily. The flight takes around 1 hour and 10 minutes and goes to and from Don Mueang airport in Bangkok. This is a good choice if you’re short on time as instead of a 10 plus hour bus ride you’ll be done within an hour and a half!
To book tickets in advance, we’d recommend using 12Go, just click the widget below for all bus and plane options.
Getting around Sakon Nakhon
The town itself is quite spread out, but you can walk to all the “main” attractions in the city. If you’re planning a trip around the lake or exploring further into the province, you will definitely need some form of wheels.
At the bus station and waiting around town (particularly near the markets) you’ll find tuk tuks, songthaews and taxis, all of which you should be able to negotiate for a ride or day trip.
For short hops around town, the ride hailing app Grab works and we never had to wait long for a lift. This would also be a good option if you can’t find a driver for the day. Order a Grab to your first destination and negotiate with the driver to stick around to take you on to the next place.
As always our favourite method of transport was to hire a scooter and drive ourselves. We were unable to find a scooter / motorbike rental in town, but luckily our lovely accommodation (see above) sorted us out with a bike. We rented a 155 cc new Honda Click for 300 baht per day with a 100 baht delivery / pick up fee to the hotel.
The best way to get our and see Thailand!
The roads around Sakon Nakhon are very rural!
Where To Go Next?
Exploring more of Isan
Sakon Nakhon is the perfect base to explore more of Isan’s lesser known treasures.
To the east, you’ll stumble upon the market town of Mukdahan and its giant Buddha and guardian naga. From there you could head north up the Mekong to Nakhon Phanom, a gorgeous chilled out riverside spot popular with holidaying Thai’s. After Nakhon Phanom, you could continue north, following along the the banks of the Mekong to stop at the town of Bueng Kan. From the town, it’s only a short drive to visit the mysterious Three Whale Rock and Wat Phu Tok. After Bueng Kan, you could catch a bus to the city of Nong Khai, home to the mystical Sala Keo Kou Buddha park and bustling riverside market.
To the west, you could visit the larger Isan cities of Udon Thani or Kohn Kaen, both of which are stuffed full of night markets, pretty temples and lots of delicious Isan food!
Final Thoughts
Was Sakon Nakhon worth a trip?
As part of our Isan odyssey, Sakon Nakhon was a fantastic stop. It was our first Isan city away from the Mekong and it blew us away with its friendliness and lakeside charm.
We headed there expecting to stay only a night or two, but there was so much to see in the city and the wider province that we just had to extend our stay.
Was it worth the trip? Absolutely, if you’re looking to get right off the tourist trail and find some delicious, authentic food as well as lovely people and stunning scenery, Sakon Nakhon ticks all the boxes. It shouldn’t be your only stop in Isan but it definitely should be on your Isan itinerary.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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We have travelled extensively in Thailand’s lesser known Isan region, if you’re still not sure or just want to have a look at what the region holds, make sure you check out our other Isan articles below.
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The Complete Travel Guide to Mukdahan, Isan
Sitting on the banks of the Mekong, the city of Mukdahan was an unexpected delight and a treasure trove of delicious foods and surprising sights. Read our complete guide to visiting this lesser known Isan city. We tell you the best places to eat, where to stay and what not to miss on this leg of our Isan adventure.
Sitting in the northeast of Thailand in the remote region of Isan, lies the city of Mukdahan. Home to a bustling market, an incredible hilltop temple and vibrant street art, the city of Mukdahan is a melting pot of culture and cuisine. Sprawled across the banks of the Mekong River, and overlooking the Laotian city of Savannakhet, Mukdahan has a rich history. With trade links with Laos, Hue in Vietnam and onto the South China Sea, Mukdahan has marked the gateway for goods passing along the Indo-China trade route for centuries.
Very few Western travellers head this far northeast in Isan, but for those who do, this small Isan city is a treasure trove. With friendly locals, a thriving night market and riverside views, there’s plenty of things to see and do.
Read on to find out why you should add Mukdahan to any Isan travel itinerary!
In This Mukdahan Travel Guide
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What To See And Do In Mukdahan
Explore Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom
(location)
As soon as you arrive in downtown Mukdahan, you’ll see a pair of eyes gazing down at you from the peak of a forested hilltop. This penetrating stare belongs to the giant, seated white Buddha statue that sits, cross-legged on the top of Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom.
The temple is located a short 15 minutes drive (5 KM) south away from Mukdahan’s Indochina Market and is possibly the city's most famous attraction.
When you get to the temple’s car park (at the bottom of the hill) you’ll need to pay a 20 baht donation (per person) and hop onto one of the flat-bed pick-up trucks who will ferry you up the curvy road to the hillside temple.
Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom is split into two parts. To the left (as you face the Buddha), a huge, behemoth of a serpent, twists and turns across the rocky terrain, its blue, iridescent scales and red spikes shimmering in the light of the sun. The naga is a striking statue, both in stance and size. It towers over you, poised and ready to attack as you wander under its coiled body.
Surrounding the naga statue, the whole area is covered in strips of red fabric, tied to the green bushes and draped across trees. Left by pilgrims and devotees, these hanging ribbons of blood red cloth catch the wind and flutter gently with the warm breeze.
From the naga statue, head through the temple gardens, past a carved Buddha’s footprint, crossing shrines covered in incense and offerings, before walking walk up a small hill towards the giant circular, carved lotus temple building.
The lotus style temple creates the seat for the giant Buddha. To reach the Buddha, climb the staircase that circles its way up three floors. Whilst we were visiting, the lotus temple was still under construction with its three floors mid-way through renovation. Each floor had exposed concrete walls, a few mirrored columns and one lonely white Buddha. We can imagine once the renovation has been completed, these vast prayer halls will look spectacular!
At the top of the staircase you’ll emerge out onto a circular viewing platform, surrounded by flapping Buddhist and Thai flags. This massive platform is home to the giant Buddha statue which sits above an ornate gold and white shrine above a yin and yang sign. From the viewing platform you can really get an idea of the sheer scale of this statue - it’s humongous!
There is a set of stairs to climb to touch the outstretched pointed finger of the Buddha and plenty of spots to take in the phenomenal view. From the top you get a sweeping panorama over the Naga statue, city, Mekong River and out to Savannakhet and the gentle hills and countryside of Laos.
On-site there are lots of very clean toilets, a small cafe complete with Instagram chairs and selfie spots and plenty of viewpoints over the Mekong.
To get back down the hill, just wait at the octagon pagoda and viewing platform located here (where you got dropped off) for a pick-up truck to ferry you back down the mountain.
At the bottom, the car park is full of shops selling trinkets and souvenirs, snacks and drinks as well as toilets.
Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom is definitely up there with one of our favourite temples we’ve ever visited in Thailand and is definitely another hidden gem of Isan.
Entrance fee:
Free, but you’ll need to donate 20 baht per person at the donation point in the car park. This small fee is for the drivers who will ferry you up and down the hill to the temple.
Opening times:
Open everyday from 7 AM until 5 PM. During holidays and festivals, opening times may vary.
Temple Wear and Temple Etiquette
If you’re planning to visit Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom or any other temple in Mukdahan, please remember that these temples are active places of worship.
To visit, you will need to dress appropriately and be respectful. Wear clothes that cover your shoulders and knees and remember to keep your noise down! We are just visitors to the temples, but a lot of the locals will be there to pray and give offerings.
Get A Birdseye View At Ho Kaeo Mukdahan: City Observation Tower
(location)
Dominating the flat cityscape of Mukdahan, the Ho Kaeo Observation Tower rises up above the urban streets. Built on a nonegon base (a 9 sided shape - yes we did have to look up the name), the white tower is crowned with a circular viewing platform and glass golf ball style observatory at the top.
Tickets cost 100 baht per person to enter, and inside there are 7 floors to explore.
On the ground floor, there are lots of glass boxed exhibits filled with archaeological finds collected in and around the city as well as local arts, crafts and dioramas of traditional ways of life. It’s an eclectic mix which includes some Buddhist relics, clay pots, looms and even some vintage fax machines! Our favourite exhibit was a huge, dried out snake skin. On all the walls hang photographs of Mukdahan over the years.
Once you’ve finished looking around the exhibits on the ground floor, you’ll need to take the lift up. The circular floor of the viewing platform has huge windows giving tourists a 360 degree view out over the city, across the Mekong to Savannakhet and beyond. From up high you can really see the gentle rolling hills of Isan.
On this level there are binoculars set up (10 baht to use) and small signs showing what to look out for. Displayed on the inner core of the tower, there’s lots of information about Mukdahan being an important trading post on the Indo-China trade route - the city of Mukdahan sits on the same latitude as Savannakhet in Laos and Hue in Vietnam, which meant traders had a direct line from Thailand, through Laos and Vietnam and out and into the South China Sea.
At the very top, in the glass needle of the tower on the 7th floor is a small shrine, crowned by a seated silver Buddha. All around, surrounding the shrine are lots of other golden Buddha statues, all sat in the various poses to represent the days of the week.
To get back down the tower, you’ll need to use the spiral staircase that curls its way down around the lift shaft. As you descend, you’ll pass by lots of black and white photos of Mukdahan city. After you’ve spiralled down many steps, you’ll come out onto floor 2 and 1, which are stuffed full of exhibits showing the history of the local people, including information about the different indigenous groups that make up Mukdahan province and how their local customs have shaped the city today. There are displays showing their traditional dress and information about their different languages.
Outside, surrounding the tower is a pretty garden filled with flowers, a fountain and a wall painted in the style of Van Gogh’s sunflowers.
You won’t need long at the tower, but it's definitely worth a visit. Plus the friendly staff are very enthusiastic to show you around and make sure you get the most out of your visit!
There are toilets on-site but no restaurant or cafe, but if you’re hungry there’s plenty of nearby eateries on the main road outside the tower gates.
Entrance fee:
100 baht per ticket.
Opening times:
Open everyday from 8:30 AM until 4:30 PM.
Shop In The Indochina Market Of Mukdahan
(location)
Sitting above the steep banks of the Mekong River and running the length of Samrang Chai Khong Fang Tai Alley, Mukdahan’s Indochina Market is the soul and lifeblood of the city. Busy from early morning until late afternoon, the market is always abuzz with locals and tourists shopping and bartering for goods.
The Indochina Market is massive. On both sides of the roads, stalls and shopfronts spill their wares out onto the pavement. Inside, the shophouses are like a higgledy-piggledy, jumbled up, Aladdin’s Cave full of goods, stacked up from floor to ceiling in precarious piles.
The market sells everything from temple offerings to Vietnamese sweets, knock-off sportswear and perfume, to dried fruit, silverware, utensils and toys. It’s a market that seems to sell anything and everything. If there was something specific you needed, we can make a sure bet you’d find it somewhere in the Indochina Market.
The Indochina Market is a great spot to head to if you’re after cheap souvenirs. It’s colourful, chaotic and charming!
Just behind the market, there’s a 2 layer walkway and promenade that clings to the riverfront and is a great spot to head to early evening when it’s full of locals walking and jogging alongside the Mekong.
Visit the Riverside Temples and Wats
Dotted all along the Mekong Riverfront, sitting next to and behind the shopfronts of the Indochina Market are a string of pretty Buddhist temples. We spent a whole afternoon temple-hopping our way along the Mekong, stopping for snacks and coffee along the way.
To visit the temples, we’d recommend you follow our lead, starting a little way south from the Indochina Market (towards the Observation Tower) at Wat Si Bun Rueang (location). This small temple, sits just over the road from the Mekong and is full of small shrines placed beneath trees, twisted naga statues and a beautiful red and gold, carved dharma wheel.
A short walk north (towards the Indochina Market) you’ll reach the golden temple gates of Wat Si Sumang Wanaram (location), its entrance protected by two, green yaksha statues. Inside the temple grounds, you’ll find a white and gold stupa and small prayer halls decorated with stories of the Buddha.
From Wat Si Sumang Wanaram, head north and walk to the Indochina Market. Sitting in the heart of the market you’ll find Wat Yot Kaeo Siwichai (location). This beautiful temple is an absolute treasure trove, with a pretty mirrored stupa wrapped in cloth, a huge seated golden Buddha and a red, gold and green carved prayer hall. Wat Yao Kaeo Siwichai is stunning, and if you only have time to fit one temple (other than Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom) into your Mukdahan stay, we’d recommend it be this one.
From Wat Yot Kaeo Siwichai, head up through the narrow street, lined on either side with market stalls until you get to Wat Si Mongkol Tai (location). Inside you’ll find a massive red and gold prayer hall housing a small Buddhist shrine.
Outside the temple gates, don’t miss the huge sacred tree (location) sitting opposite Wat Si Mongkol Tai. This enormous sacred tree with snake-like roots growing out of the soil, is wrapped in a swathe of rainbow coloured ribbons.
Continue down until you reach the car-park. At the very end of the riverfront, next to where the smaller River Muk joins the Mekong, you’ll see a white and gold stupa standing tall over the temple walls. This stupa belongs to Wat Si Mongkol Nua (location), another stunning riverside temple full of golden Buddha statues, shrines and prayer halls.
Again, just like Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom, if you’re planning to visit any of Mukdahan’s temples then please remember to dress appropriately (shoulders and knees must be covered) and be respectful during your visit. You’re there as a tourist, not a devotee!
Look At The Colourful Muk Street Art - ถนนศิลปะ(ซอยมูลนิธิมุกดาหาร)
(location)
Spiralling out from behind Wat Si Mongkol Tai, the streets of Mukdahan are a kaleidoscope of colour. The street art found in this part of town, is all part of Mukdahan’s ‘Muk Street Art’; a huge set of murals and motifs that can be found painted directly on to the walls of the streets and across the pavements.
The street art is really varied with every artwork showing a different style of painting. The art all seemed to focus on Mukdahan’s culture, with images showing traditional ways of life and aspects of Mukdahan’s history. There was a mural showing a life-sized songthaew sitting opposite a painting of a market scene. In another, a gaggle of Grannies can be seen cooking, whilst painted nearby, a grinning girl stands in her school uniform laughing at all those who pass her by.
There are lots of murals representing Mukdahan’s close links with Vietnam and China, with a mural of a Chinese junk ship painted on shutters next to multiple paintings of Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and Hanoi’s One Pillar Pagoda.
We love finding street art, and the Muk Street Art was up there with some of our favourites. We love the ‘find-and-seek’ nature of spotting street art, it’s always fun turning a corner or heading down an alley to see what painted treasures the walls may hide! There was so much street art to find in Mukdahan. On our first trip around the streets we only found a small handful of pieces, but on our second visit, we found so much more. We loved how varied the street art was in Mukdahan, every piece was different and every image had a story to tell. There were superheroes and cartoon characters sitting next to huge portraits of people, graffiti spray paint next to watercolour style images, black and white next to bold primary colour prints. It was a huge contrast of colour, style and composition.
Each mural had a small QR code to scan for more information about the artist and the imagery. There are also various street art events and festivals held throughout the year, check out the Muk Street Art Facebook page for more information.
Wherever you are in Thailand, there’s always street art to be found, just remember to look up. One of our favourite street art spots is Songkhla city in the very south of Thailand - read more about it here.
Just some of Mukdahan’s street art we spotted!
Visit The Mukdahan Clock Tower Circle
(location)
You’ll almost certainly pass Mukdahan’s Clock Tower if you’re heading down to the Mekong Riverside / the Indochina Market. Crowning a small roundabout, at the junction of a big school, Mukhdahan’s post office and hospital, the square white clock tower is guarded on all sides by golden Buddha statues and bright green nagas.
Take A Look At The City Pillar Shrine (San Lak Mueang)
(location)
Located just off Songnang Satit road (where Mukdahan’s daily Night Market sets up), Mukdahan’s City Pillar Shrine sits inside a white, temple style building in the centre of a concrete park. Inside, the pillar is wrapped in ribbons of cloth and marigold garlands.
The City Pillar Shrine is a very popular spot for locals to make offerings and light incense.
Take A Wander Through The Mukdahan City Municipal Golden Jubilee Commemoration Public Park
(location)
If you’re looking to get a little bit of fresh air whilst in the city, Mukdahan’s park sits between the riverfront and the bus station and is a little green oasis away from the traffic filled streets. The park has lots of lawns, plenty of shade underneath swaying trees and a play area for children. The bottom of the park is dominated by a ‘U’ shaped lake with fountains, bridges and a walkway / running track around the outside.
The park gets very busy as the sun goes down with locals and families. If you’ve picked up food to go from the Night Market (see more details below), it’s a great spot to head to for an evening picnic.
Explore Mukdahan’s Produce Market
(location)
Sitting between Mukdahan’s Bus Station and the riverfront is Mukdahan’s Produce Market. This very busy, covered market is always full to the brim with Mukdahan-ians buying fresh fruit and vegetables, curry pastes, chunks of fish and legs of meat. It’s a chaotic market, with narrow alleyways stuffed full of sports tops in every shade of the rainbow, hanging above stalls selling large sacks of dried chilli and shallots.
We adore exploring a real Thai market and Mukdahan’s Produce Market was no different. We love getting lost amongst the tiny passageways, passing by each stall and seeing what’s on offer. There’ll be fruit you’ve never seen, vegetables you have absolutely no idea how you’d peel and dried goods that you’ll wonder what on earth they're used for. If you’ve never seen where the locals shop in Thailand you’re in for a real treat!
Wherever you are in the city, you’ll never be that far away from a market in Mukdahan!
Delve Deeper Into Mukdahan Province - Phu Pha Thoep National Park and Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park
The city of Mukdahan is only a tiny part of the much larger Mukdahan province. Outside, the flat Isan countryside rolls away to gentle hills. If you have a motorbike or car, there’s plenty to see and do.
Just south of the city, behind Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom lies Phu Pha Thoep National Park (location). This small national park (according to Wikipedia it’s one of Thailand’s smallest) has lots of hiking trails, rock formations and hilltop views.
Further south lies Phu Sa Dok Bua National Park (location) which has more mountain hikes, a lake to kayak on and a campsite.
If you’re planning to visit any of the National Parks, you’ll need to pay a 200 baht entrance fee for adults and 100 baht entrance fee for children. If you’re a Thai national, it’s a lot cheaper!
Unfortunately as we were wheelless, we were stuck with the attractions within the city, but next time Mukdahan, next time!
Where To Eat And Drink In Mukdahan
The Best Food Spots In Mukdahan
Mukdahan is a busy city, with plenty of street food stalls, markets and restaurants to eat at. Here’s just some of our favourite dining spots we found.
Mukdahan’s Daily Night Market
(location)
Stretching away in an ‘L’ shape across multiple streets, Mukdahan’s daily Night Market is the place to be once the sun starts to go down.
As the evening draws in, Songnang Satit road is closed to traffic and market stalls open to trade their wares. Food stalls sat alongside clothing stalls, fresh fruit stalls next to phone accessories. There was even a stall selling very cute bunnies!
The Night Market was full of street food to buy. There were stalls packed full of food, trays of curries like colourful mosaics, vats of steaming sweet, pork leg stew and fried chicken bubbling away in hot cauldrons of oil. Our only advice is to go there hungry and don’t hold back. There’s plenty of things to pick up and go and lots of stalls with seating to get full meals.
We loved Thai night markets and Mukdahan is one of our favourites. There was so much food on offer. We loved heading there as soon as the sun set as not only did the locals descend on the market, but hundreds and hundreds of birds would camp out calling out to each other on the telephone wires above!
You definitely won’t leave hungry after visiting Mukdahan’s Night Market!
Streetside Evening Food Court
(location)
Set up just next door to a large 7-Eleven store on the main road leading to the riverside, this small food court was full of different stalls selling all the Thai street food favourites. From noodle soups to roti, chicken rice to stir-fries.
As we do in any food court, we wandered around the stalls checking out everything that was on offer, this time settling on the pad kra pao stall.
What was served to us was possibly one of the best pad kra pao’s we’ve ever eaten. This is high praise for Jellie as we’ve eaten a lot of pad kra pao’s during our Thai travels.
The pad kra pao from this stall was 10/10 brilliant. Not too sweet and not too aniseed-y, it struck the perfect balance with flavour. We asked for our dishes to be spicy and somehow, the stall-holder got the spice spot-on. It wasn’t so hot we couldn’t finish the plate, but there was a fiery undertone in every bite. As always we asked for our pad kra pao to come with a fried egg which was super crispy and rich - the perfect counterpoint to the spicy kra pao.
Pad Kra Pao - Thailand’s Fast Food
Pad kra pao is a staple, stir-fry dish found for sale on almost every street corner all over Thailand. Pad kra pao (also known as pad krapow, pad gaprao or pad ka pao) is a dish made up of minced chicken, pork or beef (seafood, tofu, roast pork and vegetarian variations are all available as well) stir-fried with Thai holy basil and red chilli and garlic all cooked in a sauce of soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. The dish is then topped with a crispy, Thai style fried egg and served over rice.
If you haven’t tried it, pad kra pao is delicious. To order it less spicy, just ask for “mai ped” or for no chilli “mai sai prik”
Pad kra pao is Thailand’s version of the Big Mac - it’s cheap and hearty, pad kra pao is the Thai fast food with a spicy kick!
We finished our streetside feast with a banana roti from the roti stall. Always a firm favourite with us, the roti was super crisp and absolutely stuffed full of sweet banana and condensed milk - what’s not to love!
Nong Ju's Porridge Shop
(location)
Nong Ju’s Porridge Shop is the exact style of breakfast eatery we love to find in Thailand. A no-nonsense, no frills restaurant that’s full of metal tables and chairs and open to the street.
There’s no menu at Nong Ju’s, but instead, the walls are filled with photographs of everything they serve so just point at what you want.
We ordered two bowls of their pork congee with poached egg which were quickly delivered to our table.
The savoury porridge was delicious. A lot more subtle than other offerings we’ve eaten elsewhere, but still very tasty. We especially loved the peppery pork balls and rich liver which gave the porridge a delicious meaty hit.
The porridge was also served with pork intestines, which we usually have no problem with, but these were a little too tough for us this time, so we left them to flavour the congee.
The restaurant also serves Chinese style dough sticks (youtiao), spring rolls and freshly squeezed orange juice. We tried all three and all were great - the youtiao were especially good at sucking up the porridge.
If savoury porridge isn’t for you, Nong Ju’s also serves pork soup and rice, pan eggs and pork floss baguettes.
Nong Ju’s is a breakfast only restaurant and is open from dawn until lunch.
Chicken Rice Restaurant Near Bus Station
(location)
We arrived in Mukdahan just in time for a late lunch. Laden down with our heavy backpacks, we were hungry and eager to find somewhere to stop. Luckily for us we didn’t have to walk far as this chicken rice restaurant was just over the road from the bus station.
Chicken rice or ‘khao man gai’ in Thailand is always good, but the plates served at this roadside restaurant were particularly yummy and were a great introduction to Mukdahan. Strips of super moist, super flavourful chicken, sat on nutty oily rice next to a pile of sliced cucumbers. Alongside this plate we were served a delicate chicken broth and a potent garlicky, gingery and chilli sauce. It was hearty, full of flavour and exactly what we needed for lunch.
If you’re looking for a tasty meal before or after a bus trip, head here and you won’t be disappointed!
Let's Meet at the Mekong River Restaurant
(location)
Set a short walk, south out of town (about 20 minutes) along the Mekong promenade, Let’s Meet is a big and busy, sprawling, riverside restaurant. There is seating both inside and out, but if you’re looking for a table with a view, head to the wooden veranda which looks out over the Mekong and Savannakhet in Laos.
We ordered up a mini feast for the two of us - crispy fish and garlic, pork fried rice and stir-fried morning glory. The crispy fish was the star of the show. Instead of one big fish, four small river fish came out on a big plate, all fried to perfection. The fish were so crispy, that the deep fried fins that we usually leave were one of the best parts - a bit like tiny morsels of fishy, garlicky crisps! The fried rice was enough for a banquet and the morning glory was rich with oyster sauce, Chinese rice wine and super fiery chillies. We absolutely loved our meal and the view from Let’s Meet.
If you’re looking to base yourself for a whole evening of eating and drinking, this restaurant would be a good shout. As we were dining, there was a band playing upbeat tunes on guitars and traditional wooden flutes!
The Best Coffee Shops In Mukdahan
Coffee is a huge business in Thailand and even in the very north of Isan, there’s still fantastic coffee to be found. There’s so many coffeeshops in Mukdahan we’ve only just scratched the surface on what’s on offer.
Houseblend Coffeeshop
(location)
Sitting on the main road close to our accommodation the SC Residence, Houseblend Coffeeshop was a great little find. Run by two very friendly baristas, we were very enthusiastically welcomed in and ordered two iced lattes.
The baristas gave us a choice of beans; John went for a dark roast which was chocolatey and smokey and Ellie chose a medium roast which was nutty and smooth. Both lattes were fantastic!
There’s seating both inside and out and they offer a small selection of cakes and desserts.
Lack Of Sleep
(location)
Lack Of Sleep was possibly our favourite coffee shop we found during our first trip around Isan. Not only did we love the name and its logo but Lack Of Sleep also served up some incredible coffee.
Inside, the coffee shop is super stylish with painted green walls, exposed concrete floor, green plants, wooden furniture and plenty of trinkets.
Lack Of Sleep also roasts its own beans (we smelt the coffee shop a good few streets away) and you can choose your own roast when you order.
We tried both their iced americanos and lattes, all with different roasts and every time they were phenomenal. Rich, nutty and super smooth, they were definitely some of the best coffees we drank in the whole of Isan.
Lack Of Sleep not only serves up great coffee, but it’s also home to a very cute dog that’s more head than legs. He was wearing an adorable jumper when we visited and was very eager for head strokes.
If we haven’t sold you on the coffee, Lack of Sleep also serves up some delicious smelling bagels. We were so tempted to get one, but thought two breakfasts in one day, may be pushing it a little too far, even for gluttons like us!
The coffee shop is only a short walk from the bus station, so is the perfect spot to pick up a coffee to go before a long trip.
Home Coffee - Slowbar and Speciality Coffee
(location)
We stumbled upon this slowbar and coffee shop in the middle of the afternoon after a full day of Mukdahan sightseeing. Thirsty, tired and in need of a caffeinated refreshment, we dove in.
Home Coffee is another artisan coffee shop with a sleek modern interior, a menu of coffee beans and a selection of cakes on sale - the brownies and banana cake looked amazing!
We opted for two lattes and headed outside to the camp chairs on the street. The coffees were delicious and just what we needed to rejuvenate ourselves after a day of exploring.
Home Coffee was a super laid back and relaxed affair with the barista cracking out his acoustic guitar after he had delivered our coffees.
Unfortunately, Google now lists this coffee shop as permanently closed, which is very sad news. We’ve checked their Facebook page and it looks as though the owner is searching for another place to open up - let us know in the comments if / when he does!
Essential Mukdahan Information - Everything You Need To Know For Your Trip
Where Is Mukdahan
Mukdahan sprawls away from the banks of the Mekong River, in the Isan region of northeast Thailand. You can find Mukdahan city on Google Maps here.
The city of Mukdahan is the capital and also the name of the larger Mukdahan province, the 73rd province of Thailand. Mukdahan province was created in 1982.
The Mekong River marks the border between Thailand and Laos. With Mukdahan sitting on the western banks of the river and the Laotian city of Savannakhet sprawling away to the east.
The Second Thai / Laos Friendship Bridge is located 7 KM (15 minute drive) north from Mukdahan city centre, and is the border crossing point for travellers between Thailand and Laos.
Mukdahan is located 670 KM (10 hour drive) away from the Thai capital of Bangkok.
Where to Stay In Mukdahan - Hotels, Guesthouses And All Other Accommodation
During our stay in Mukdahan, we stayed in the SC Residence Hotel, a short walk from the Indochina Market. We had a very comfy stay here. We had a private double en-suite room with a balcony overlooking the city. The room was basic and the decor quite old, but the bed was super comfy, the room clean and the shower nice and hot. Whilst we were staying, they were in the middle of a huge renovation project downstairs, so it's possible they may be in the middle of modernising the interior of the rooms. The hotel is set in a quiet side street and we could easily walk to the riverfront and night market.
To book a stay at SC Residence Hotel, click here.
If you do choose to stay in SC Residence, just be aware that it's labelled as its Thai name on Google Maps, but you can find the hotel here.
There are plenty of other budget hotel options available including the popular chains of the B2 Mukdahan Boutique & Budget Hotel and Mukdahan’s Hop Inn.
If you’d prefer something a little more upmarket, then all along the Mekong riverfront are a few boutique hotels (some with pools) offering a little more luxury.
To book your accommodation in Mukdahan, click here or search using our map tool below.
Getting Around In Mukdahan
Mukdahan is a busy city with lots of traffic on the road, but it's still small enough to get around on foot. The city is well paved and you can easily walk from the bus station all the way to the riverside in around 40 minutes.
There are lots of songthaews and tuk tuks parked up around the Indochina Market and at Mukdahan’s Bus Station. When we wanted to visit Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom and the Observation Tower, we found a driver waiting on a street and negotiated a price.
We paid 300 baht for him to take us to the temple, wait for us to explore, then drive us back to the observation tower and wait for us to climb up and down the tower before dropping us off back in town. We feel this was a fantastic deal.
If you’re looking for a car taxi rather than a songthaew, head to the bus station as there were a couple parked up waiting for fares there.
Grab is available in the city, but only to hail motorbike taxis and not cars. We didn’t use Grab ourselves as we walked everywhere, so can’t say if, or how quickly you would get a ride.
Our Complete Mukdahan Map - Everything We've Mentioned Marked
Check out everywhere we’ve spoken about in this article. The map shows what to see in the city, where to eat and drink and where to stay.
How To Get To Mukdahan
Mukdahan is very well connected with bus routes linking the city with the whole of Isan, Bangkok and even across the border into Laos. Mukdahan’s Bus Station is located to the northwest of the city (here) and is an easy 40 minute (2.6 KM) walk from the Indochina Market and riverfront.
If you’re planning to get to Mukdahan from Chiang Mai, you’ll need to get a bus to Nong Khai, Sakhon Nakhon, Nakhon Phanom or Khon Kaen and then change to another bus to take you onto Mukdahan.
The nearest airports to the city are in Nakhon Phanom, Sakhon Nakhon and Roi-Et. From all three airports, you will need to arrange a taxi transfer or head to the bus station to get to Mukdahan. There is an airport in Savannakhet (just over the Mekong), but you’ll need to cross the Thai/Laos Friendship Bridge and get stamped out of Laos and stamped into Thailand.
If you’re looking for a quick and easy way to book transport in advance online, check out the 12Go widget below.
From Within Isan
Buses and minibuses connect Mukdahan with all the major towns and cities throughout Isan.
The easiest way to book your bus tickets is to head to the bus station itself and ask there for times and prices.
We’ve found that everyone is always super helpful at the bus stations and we’ve always managed to get to where we have wanted to go - even if all the signs are in Thai!
From Bangkok
Buses depart from Bangkok’s Mo Chit Bus Terminal to Mukdahan Bus Station everyday.
Journeys can take anywhere between 10 to 16 hours to reach the city depending on the company you book with, traffic and the number of stops the bus makes. Most buses will leave the Thai capital in the early evening arriving in the early morning the next day. We’ve taken the overnight buses throughout all our travels in Thailand and have always had a comfy ride.
From Laos - Crossing the Second Thai / Laos Friendship Bridge, Savannakhet to Mukdahan
The Second Thai / Laos Friendship Bridge marks the border point between Thailand and Laos. The border crossing is just 7 KM north upstream from the centre of Mukdahan connects Thailand with the city of Savannakhet in Laos.
To reach Mukdahan from Savannakhet, you’ll need to head to Savannakhet’s Bus Station (located here) and catch one of the 12 buses that depart for Mukdahan everyday.
At the border, you’ll need to get stamped out of Laos, cross the bridge and get stamped into Thailand.
If you have your own wheels, you can cross over the Second Thai / Laos Bridge yourself. Just be aware the border does close at night.
The border is open everyday from 6 AM until 10 PM at night.
If you’re coming from Savannakhet, see if you can spot Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom from the Laotian banks of the Mekong!
Where To Go Next?
From Mukdahan, there’s plenty of places to head to next.
For a deeper delve into Isan, you could head west into Thailand’s interior and visit the cities of Sakhon Nakhon, Udon Thani and Khon Kaen. All three cities are stuffed full of beautiful temples, great food and lively markets.
Or you could choose to follow the Mekong north and take our Isan route in reverse. We’d recommend stopping first in the riverside city of Nakhon Phanom with its giant golden Naga statue and lively riverfront promenade. After, follow the river around to the small market town of Bueng Kan where you could visit the geological wonder of the Three Whale Rock or choose to climb Wat Phu Tok rock temple. After Bueng Kan continue on the Mekong to Nong Khai, another border town sitting opposite the Laotian capital of Vientiane that’s home to an incredible Buddha Park of Sala Keo Kou and the Tha Sadet riverside market.
If you’ve come to the end of your Thai visa, you could easily head over the Thai / Laos Friendship Bridge and cross the border into Laos. From the border, it’s only 15 KM (10 to 15 minute drive) to downtown Savannakhet.
Savannakhet is a real hidden gem of southern Laos. With a bustling night market set in the ruins of an old cinema, lots of street art and great food. You can read all about visiting the city in our guide here.
Final Thoughts On Mukdahan
Why Go To Mukdahan?
Mukdahan is unlike anywhere else we’ve visited in Thailand. It had a charm all of its own, friendly locals and great food. Whether it’s because of its close links with Laos, or its position on the Indo-China trade route, Mukdahan felt completely different to every other Isan town and city we visited. We loved the laid-back vibe, its friendly locals and bustling markets. Mukdahan felt like a real city. A city not for tourists, but for locals. It felt like a true “off-the-beaten path” place, somewhere where we could feel like adventurers again. A city far from the tourist guidebooks.
We absolutely loved our time in Mukdahan and would return again. We spent our whole time in the city, but there’s so much more to do in the province.
If you have the time, Mukdahan is worth the trip alone just to visit Wat Roi Phra Phutthabat Phu Manorom. This temple is definitely up there as one of our favourites. It was a temple of two halves, but both sides were incredible!
If you’re looking for a true hidden gem, add Mukdahan to your Isan itinerary!
Thank you for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Nakhon Phanom - Isan Riverside Magic
Nakhon Phanom is a Mekong side Isan town that has somehow managed to stay off of the Western tourist radar. Follow us as we explore this amazing little city, with its incredible mix of cultures and flavours. Our guide covers everything you could need to know, from the history of Nakhon Phanom to the best attractions, places to stay and what delicious delicacies there are to eat.
Nakhon Phanom; most people won't have heard of it and still fewer will have visited. They are all missing out! Nakhon Phanom is an amazing riverside town, popular with Thai travellers and Westerners in the know. The town boasts amazing Isan, Thai and Vietnamese food as well as a rich history and buckets of things to go see and explore. From bustling markets to riverside walking trails, Mekong cruises to historic sites - there is plenty to do in Nakhon Phanom.
We were working our way down the Isan banks of the Mekong. Starting at Nong Khai we had travelled down to Bueng Kan and then hopped on to Nakhon Phanom. This was the town we had actually heard of before our trip! No less than two of our favourite travel YouTubers had rated this little riverside city as one of their favourite towns in Thailand - we wanted to see why.
We were not disappointed, Nakhon Phanom is an amazing, fun, delicious and friendly Isan city and 100% worth the effort to visit. Read on to find out why!
In this Guide:
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
The History - What is Nakhon Phanom and What Makes it Special?
Nakhon Phanom is a true Isan town, that is to say it is a delicious mix of Thai, Lao, Chinese and even Vietnamese cuisines and culture. The city had been a Khmer city back in antiquity before being part of the Lao Lan Xang kingdom. It was then absorbed (and relocated across the river) into the Ayutthayan Thai dynasty. Ho Chi Minh lived there and, on the polar opposite side of the coin, it played host to the USAF during the Vietnam / American War. Nakhon Phanom has had a lot of history pass through it, much of which can still be explored today.
The cities name, Nakhon Phanom, is a bit misleading; it translates (roughly) to: "The City of Mountains". Standing on the level streets, looking around at the incredibly flat landscape of the surrounding Isan countryside you may wonder why you would name a city after the thing it most conspicuously lacks. However, look across the river, into Laos and the cities original location and it becomes clear. The limestone karsts of Thakhek sprout and sprawl all around the Laotian town.
The Lao’s side of the Mekong is decidedly more mountain-y!
With its rich history came a diverse influx of peoples, cultures and cuisines. During the Indo-Chinese wars, and following periods of French colonial aggression, large groups of Vietnamese settled in the town. They fled from Vietnam into Laos then across the Mekong into Nakhon Phanom. With them came the broths and breakfasts of their home country. There is a fantastic "Vietnam Town" district in Nakhon Phanom, with dozens of enticing eateries, and Chinese style shrines sitting next to Buddhist temples and Laotian / Isan barbecues lining the riverfront. Nakhon Phanom mixes all of its neighbours, flavours and peoples whilst remaining 100% an Isan Thai city.
What to Do in Nakhon Phanom
It's all very well us waxing lyrical about how great the town is, but what is there to actually do with your day? Settle down, Nakhon Phaom has plenty to offer! This little city is a popular weekend break destination for Thai tourists and, in addition to having loads to see and do, is a fantastic town just to relax and wander through.
This is what we got up to in Nakhon Phanom:
Mekong Riverfront Walk
The whole town is focused around the Mekong riverfront. There is a dedicated cycle path and walking route that runs all through the town and out either side. We wandered the route most days, getting some steps in and working off some of the mountains of delicious food we had munched on.
Walking North / West
Starting at the Giant Naga Statue (more on this later), we would walk north / west, keeping the river on our right. We would walk around 4km all the way to a great little cafe set inside the Thai Navy River Security unit - Cafe De Kong.
The walk took us past quite a few of Nakhon Phanom's historic attractions (most of which we will go cover in more detail later); we wandered past the Governor’s House, St. Annes Cathedral, a French colonial style courthouse and through the Naga Tunnel. We saw little riverside allotments, free swimmers and floating restaurants in and on the Mekong. It was a great way to explore the town and have a little exercise. Although, our little workout was nothing compared to the gaggle of men and women swimming in the fast flowing river!
The first part of the walk, through Nakhon Phanom town's riverfront, is where the famous weekend Walking Street Market sets up. It is dotted with trendy bars, craft beer sellers and waterfront restaurants. The bars and restaurants that line this section of the riverfront are all achingly cool, with custom graffiti and street art. At night this area lights up with neons and candle light; you can really see why Thai's come here for a weekend away! The walking path actually sticks out from the land and over the waters of the Mekong. It is a really cool addition to the town and really encourages you to go for a wander or cycle.
The Naga Tunnel (located here) is a green metal lattice than covers the cycle lane / walking path. It takes you right out over the Mekong on a tall raised walkway that curves away from the riverbank and over the water. Just after the tunnel is a sign and a small opening in a wall; this leads to Cafe De Kong, set just inside the Naval Unit base. The cafe has a fantastic terrace with views out over the river. The whole set up is run (we think, our Thai isn't the best!), by Navy wives. This would be the point on our river walk where we would stop, invalidate any benefit our exercise may have had with an iced latte, and head back south to town.
If you want to go further you can continue on after the cafe. The cycle lane and walking path follow the river nearly all the way to the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge. This route will take you further out from the town and bring you past more riverside restaurants and some famous temples. If you do venture out this far, let us know what we missed in the comments!
If a long walk isn't your cup of tea, nearly every hostel and guesthouse can rent you a bicycle! This would turn a couple of hours walk into a much shorter affair!
Walking South / East
The riverbank is popular with everyone!
Back at the Naga Statue in central Nakhon Phanom, the walking path and bike trail also heads south / east. Along this section you will find some incredible riverfront temples (we will go into more detail in a moment) as well as great coffee shops and a plethora of yummy riverside eateries. It is also along this stretch that street food and drink stalls will set up each night. This section of the river is almost like a park; wide and tree-lined with riverfront seating and separate cycle and walking lanes. When the food and coffee vendors arrive, they set up their kitchens in and around their roadside vans and their seating spills out onto the lawns and pathways. Its a really chilled out place in the evening and a lovely area to have a twilight stroll.
The Lai Reua Fai Festival
Every year, to mark the end of Buddhist Lent, the mighty Mekong lights up with illuminated wooden boats to celebrate Lai Reua Fai Festival (also known as the Illuminated Boat Procession). The whole festival is a celebration of light, colour, fire, and incense. Unfortunately we were a week too late to join in the festivities, but as we walked along the banks of the river, we could still see the remnants of the ornate, wooden boats moored to the shoreline.
The Golden Naga - Phaya Si Satta Nakharat
(location)
You really cannot miss Nakhon Phanom's most famous monument. Towering over the riverfront, at the town's main crossroads sits a coiled golden Naga; its seven open-mouthed heads staring out across the Mekong. This enormous and beautiful brass statue venerates and celebrates the local Naga spirit that is believed to watch over the river. The name Phaya Si Satta Nakharat apparently translates to "Naga King" - at least according to Google Translate, others state it is "King of the Seven Headed Nagas". Every day jets will fire a fountain of water from the statues mouth and around its base and neck, locals burn incense and leave garlands of flowers.
What is a Naga?
Naga are mythical creatures popular in Buddhist folklore. The origin of the Naga can be found in Indian Hindu mythology, where it describes a half human half cobra. In South East Asian Buddhism the Naga has added significance. Usually depicted as having multiple heads, the Naga crops up a few times in Buddhist tales. In one story it shields the meditating Buddha from a storm, in another a Naga is converted by the Buddha and becomes the guardian of all temples. This is why you will see their statues at temple gates or running along the roof spines.
Just behind the Naga statue is a small park, its trellises and climbing plants groomed into the shape of the arching tail of the Naga, it is a nice addition to the riverfront and a good place to cool off in the shade. After dark the park and statue are illuminated and look amazing!
We were lucky and visited Nakhon Phanom just as renovation work on the Naga statue was being completed. There was a mini festival happening to commemorate the reopening and the riverfront next to the brass Naga was full of offerings, monks and people praying. Thailand's Buddhist celebrations are always so colourful, so full of flowers and saffron garlands. Every year in early July, there is a festival dedicated to celebrating the Naga river spirit.
The Naga offering table was amazing - Look at those flower displays!
Underneath the Naga, down a flight of stairs, is a community space / arcade full of local craft stores, coffee and ice cream shops as well as a couple of food stalls, all with views out over the river.
Riverfront Temples
A short walk to the east / south of the Naga statue are a string of beautiful temples: Wat Pho Si Phra Thong is the first one we encountered with a beautiful ornate drum tower and shining white, red and gold buildings.
A little further along the river is Wat Mahathat, which houses a beautiful white-gold chedi surrounded by shining golden statues. It also has multi-coloured (nearly rainbow) Nagas in a garden around a jade Buddha.
Lastly (at least on our walk, we are sure there are more!), was Wat Phra in Plaeng a stunning green and gold temple full of mythical statues. Serpent tailed people and the bird footed Kinnara guard the temple from evil spirits. All of the temples are unique and well worth a visit.
As with any temple dress appropriately and respect your surroundings.
Temples in Thailand are endlessly varied but always offer a calm respite from the outside world.
Sunset Cruises on the Mekong
(location) - There are lots of operators all along this stretch. Read on for our thoughts and reccomendations.
This sounds cheesy but was actually one of our favourite things we did in Nakhon Phanom. We liked it so much we actually did it twice! As the afternoon faded down we would make our way to the riverfront (to the left (west / north) of the Naga statue) and board a little white and blue ferry. For a couple of hours it would swan up and down the Mekong taking in the sunset whilst providing drinks and snacks.
It was actually really fun! We were the only Westerners on board so were instantly adopted by friendly families out on a jolly. We would grab a couple of reasonably priced cans of Leo from the onboard bar and establish ourselves on one of the open air tables upstairs. The boat would then leisurely float away, past all the sights on the riverside, drift across to the Laotian side of the river before finally settling down to watch a fiery Mekong sunset.
It was a brilliant way to see out a day. The boat sets off in daylight and comes back once the sun has completely gone. It is fantastic to float on the Mekong watching the sun burn down the day and then see the lights from the river cities sparkle into life.
All this for the incredibly cheap price of 50 baht per person! Seriously you have no excuse not to give this a go, it is so cheap and such a nice way to start an evening.
Sunsets on the Mekong - not a bad way to end a day!
There are lots of different operators at wildly varying levels of luxury and price. You could spend a lot more then we did and enjoy live music and dinner aboard a boat but, honestly, we don't really think our cheap and cheerful cruise can be improved on. It was just the right length of time: not rushed but not long enough for us to get bored. The wholes experience was charming and utterly unpretentious. A few months later, we found ourselves on the other side of the river in Thakhek and were very happy to see our little blue and white ferry gliding past.
Nakhon Phanom's Weekend Walking Street Night Market
(location) - The map pin is a part of the Walking Street. It actually extends all the way up and down the riverfront promenade.
Open Friday - Sunday from 5pm onwards
Ok, honesty time: We did not go to the famous weekend Walking Street. Why? Because we didn't visit over a weekend! In hindsight this was a massive oversight and mistake for us. We didn't appreciate how big of a walking street, or how famous Nakhon Phanom's weekend night market was.
It is clearly huge; all along the riverfront we could see where the market would sprawl. There were booth markings hundreds of metres up and down the Mekong walking trail. Inside the town there were large market areas set up and waiting for food courts. The whole of the riverfront would come alive with stalls, sellers, sizzling food and crafts. It would all burst into life...just after we left...
Don't be like us, plan ahead and visit over the weekend so you don't miss the market! If this is not possible, don't despair (ok, despair a little), there are other markets and street-food to enjoy.
Daily Riverfront Night Market
(location) -No specific place; the stalls will spread out all along the riverfront either side of the Naga Statue.
Just because its not the weekend doesn't mean that there is no night-time food or stalls to visit! Every day there will be impromptu shops, portable restaurants and coffee vans parking up and unfolding along the Nakhon Phanom riverfront.
To the left (north / west) of the Naga Statue a small market unpacks its wares every evening. When we visited it was mainly selling clothes, bags and fashion accessories. Outside the 7-11 barbecue stands would fire up their grills and everywhere carts selling what we call "stuff-on-a-stick" cuisine, trundled up and down.
To the right (south / east) of the bronze serpent is the parkland riverfront. Along here small barbecue, hotpot and dessert vans will transform into little campsite restaurants. The walking paths and green spaces filling up with camp chairs, gas barbecues and families.
Nakhon Phanom’s riverfront is simultaneously buzzing and laid back.
The Morning Market
(location)
If you are looking for some proper breakfast or just (like us) love the hustle and bustle of a Thai market, then you should definitely head over to Nakhon Phanom's Municipal Food Market (catchy name isn't it!).
This is a proper local market, a huge covered hall selling everything an Isan household may want. In the mornings it is alive with fresh produce. Fruit and vegetables of every shape and colour spill out of baskets and roll from tables. Meat so fresh it was walking that morning is joined by every kind of fish imaginable. It is a great way of getting a feel for local ingredients.
It is also a great place to pick up some food! You will not get fresher than a market food stall!
Indochina Market
(location)
This small market specialised in imported goods from China and Laos. Much like its larger brother in Nong Khai, the Tha Sadet Market (read about it here), the Indochina market has an eclectic mix of fashion, nick-nacks, temple offerings, clothes and pretty much anything else you can imagine. It seems to cater to the Thai tourists rather than the locals but that is to be expected in Nakhon Phanom.
There is a small food court attached (just around the back), but it was never open when we visited. Let us know in the comments if this has changed!
Colonial Architecture - the Governor's Residence and the Courthouse
(Governor's Residence location)
(Old Courthouse location)
Along the riverfront are a few decidedly Western looking buildings. The former governors residence and the old courthouse bear all the hallmarks of French colonial architecture. Thailand, famously, has never been colonised by any of the Western powers. Through clever diplomacy and shrewd manoeuvring, Thailand has remained free of Western colonialism.
It hasn't however, avoided the architecture. The influence of French building styles has seeped across the river from Thakhkek and into Nakhon Phanom. The building are, to be fair, very pretty and have now been turned into museums and displays. The courthouse is mainly empty but a great example of the mixing of architectural styles. The former Governor's Residence is a local museum with recreated period rooms and displays on the areas history.
The museum is open every day except Mondays and Tuesdays.
Opening hours are: 9:00 - 16:00
Ticket Price - Free when we visited
St. Anne's Cathedral
(location)
You cannot mention Western architecture or influence in Nakhon Phanom without talking about the massive cathedral that sits on the river banks!
Built in 1952 St Anne's is technically a "co-cathedral" as it shares its Bishops Seat with the Cathedral of St Micheal the Archangel nearby to Sakhon Nakhon. St Anne's towers over all the other buildings on the riverfront with two white towers pointing skywards.
We didn't go inside (it has school attached and both times we walked past it was flooded with children), but it is very striking from the outside, as much for its out-of-place-ness as for its actual features. The cathedral also looks lovely at sunset and, later on, when it is lit up after dark.
Vietnam Town and the Memorial Clocktower
As we mentioned in the "History" section, Nakhon Phanom has a large Vietnamese population. We are happy to report that they brought their food! Vietnam Town is studded with fantastic eateries for those looking to branch out from the (delicious in its own right) Thai and Isan cuisines. You cannot really go wrong in little Vietnam / Vietnam Town, but for our food recommendations see the "What to Eat" section later. Also, it would be a crime not to grab a cup of Vietnamese coffee when you have a chance!
On the border of Vietnam Town, nearby to the riverfront is a large ornate clocktower, similar to the ones you can find in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi in Vietnam. This is the Vietnamese Memorial Clocktower. Built in the 1960's it is a memorial and thank you to the Thai people and King for welcoming the Vietnamese into Nakhon Phanom when they needed shelter. It is a nighttime hub now - the crossroads around it have some brilliant places to eat and it always seems busy after dark.
Ho Chi Minh House and Museum
(location)
Speaking of Vietnam, perhaps its most famous son once called Nakhon Phanom home. Ho Chi Minh lived in a modest house around 5km from central Nakhon Phanom for seven years of his life. You can visit today by walking (well over an hour through main roads and suburbia - we wouldn't recommend this for reasons that will soon become apparent), or by taking a short Grab Taxi.
We rolled up one sunny afternoon and really enjoyed the beautiful gardens and restored house. There are artifacts and histories from Ho Chi Minh's time in Thailand as well as old style farm and gardening equipment and kitchens. It is a very small museum / house but we really enjoyed our quick visit.
We had planned on walking the short way down the road to the proper Ho Chi Minh Museum of Nakhon Phanom (you can see it here), however, we quickly encountered a problem. The houses and nearby museum are in a residential area, a residential area that apparently enjoys keeping large packs of very territorial dogs around. Also, the gates to most of the houses are left open.
Our bravery does not extend to angry dog packs so we got another Grab back into town. We are a little annoyed at ourselves for not just being brave and trying it, but we also are dog-bite free, so ......
Learn from our mistakes and ask your Grab to hang around whilst you go to Ho Chi Minh's House, they can ferry you past the loud canines to the museum. If you have rented a scooter this would be no issue at all as you could just breeze past the barkers. Let us know in the comments what we missed!
Explore - Nakhon Phanom and the Surrounding Countryside
One of our favourite things to do is just to get out and wander. You never know what you might find. Thailand and its towns and cities are safe and endlessly entertaining to walk around. Nakhon Phanom is no different, we would just pick a direction and go, encountering street food, small shrines, temples and a multitude of other one-off experiences.
When we visited Nakhon Phanom the Chinese Opera was in town. A whole section outside of a temple had been turned into a theatre (around here). During the day flat bed trucks would drive around town with acrobats and contortionists in their pickups, advertising that night's performance. As the evening loomed we would see performers in their amazing costumes doing their make-up on the riverside. It is always worth having a walk and seeing what you find in Thailand.
You never know what you might find in a Thai city - The Chinese Opera company was an unexpected treat.
Phu Langka National Park
Outside of the city, about an hour to the north by car is the Phu Langka National Park. This is number one on our "Next Time" list as it looks stunning. The park has hiking trails, waterfalls and the famous Naga Cave. Some of the sites look like they require a guide to access, so check before you go! If you do go, make us jealous in the comments and tell us what it is like.
Isan as a whole is a treasure box of unique experiences, if you have transport it is well worth just going out and exploring. We have travelled all along the Isan banks of the Mekong (as well as all along the Laotian side), and followed the trainline into the heart of the region. There is so much to see and do that is not listed on Google or to be found in the Lonely Planet - get out and explore!
What to Eat in Nakon Phanom - The Best Restaurants, Coffee Shops and Street Food
Ok enough foreplay, we have teased you throughout this article with how great the food in Nakhon Phanom is, now it is time to deliver! From authentic banh mi and pho from Vietnam Town to Isan som tam and Laotian laab there is so much deliciousness on offer in Nakhon Phanom. We are not only voracious foodies but also committed caffiene-holics. Luckily, there was plenty of coffee based brilliance to be found in town.
This is our recommendations for what to eat and drink in Nakhon Phanom. If we have missed your favourite, let us know in the comments!
ต้มเส้นหอนาฬิกา - Clocktower Pork Noodles
(location)
A good rule of thumb when deciding on dinner is to go wherever is busy with locals. That is exactly how we ended up here. After one of our sunset boat cruises we were looking for our supper and stumbled upon this small, but incredibly busy, noodle shop. There is a reason it is busy! We chowed down on two bowls of incredible noodles. The noodles were thin, floury and with the perfect chew and bite. The noodles swam in a peppery broth alongside a plethora of pork products. Meatballs, pork loaf and Viet style pork sausage all melded together with deep fried garlic and fresh herbs to produce a delicious bowl.
It was also very cheap at 50 baht per serving!
They also served all the usual Isan style thai salads (raw prawn, clams etc) as well as a choice of noodles and toppings.
ราชาบะหมี่กวางตุ้งนครพนม - Crispy Pork Noodles
(location)
Another bowl of porky paradise. This was your typical Thai noodle joint. They are everywhere and they are nearly always excellent!
We are weak people, we cannot resist moo krob - Thai crispy pork belly. Known in China as "7 layers of heaven", these little shards alternate between roasted pork meat and meltingly soft fat. Their (literal) crowning glory however is their crackling, bubbly, crunchy and completely addictive.
With this in mind it is no surprise that we ordered and loved our bowls of mee (yellow egg noodles) with moo krob and moo daeng (red roast pork). They had every texture you could dream of in a bowl of noodles and the table-supplied chilli flakes and vinegar set off the dish perfectly.
Like our previous nights noodles, the crispy pork bowls were very reasonably priced at only 50 baht per bowl.
An Jao Egg Pan - Vietnamese Breakfast Noodles
(location)
We don't just eat noodle soups we promise! But, who could turn down another bowl of loveliness? Not us it turns out. An Jao specialises in Vietnamese food, it is right in the heart of Viet Town and is one of the most popular breakfast spots in the city.
We ordered two bowls of guay jap (rolled rice noodle soup), extra poached eggs and two Vietnamese coffees. The coffee was like sugary rocket fuel, just as it should be! The noodle soup was peppery and perfect, filling and flavourful. It was just what we needed to gear up and prepare us for a full days exploration. It was a breakfast feast and only cost us 90 baht per person.
An Jao also serves the Vietnamese favourite (although we have had it all over Asia) pan eggs. The dish is simple, start with a pan, roaring hot from the burners, and add eggs. After that it is up to you and the chef. Add Chinese or Viet sausage, soy or minced pork; anything can go into a pan eggs - We have had it in Laos with beef and potatoes! If you can resist noodle soups, pan eggs are a great breakfast.
อรุณข้าวมันไก่ & ร้านเฮียเปียว ก๋วยเตี๋ยว-ข้าวมันไก่ ถนนศรีเทพ - Chicken Rice
(location) Modern Style
(location) Street Style
We love chicken rice, from Singapore, through Malaysia to Vietnam and Thailand it is a dish we always seek out. If you haven't tried it, you are in for a treat. Chicken rice is cheap, delicious and sure to convert even the most fussy of travellers. Rice is cooked in chicken fat, stock, ginger and aromats until it is perfectly infused with flavour. The rice is then topped with chicken, either fried or boiled. Traditionally the boiled variety comes with a ginger sauce and the fried chicken will be paired with sweet chilli. Both the sauces are great so we would say, get a half-half plate and enjoy both!
Luckily, in Thailand and Nakhon Phanom chicken rice is everywhere. We had two fantastic plates in two different styles of restaurant.
The modern style restaurant is nearby to the riverfront and clocktower and may even be a chain. Nevertheless, it served up fantastic crispy fried chicken over incredibly tasty rice. It was good, cheap and the portions were decently sized.
Our second chicken rice escapade (we sometimes like it for breakfast, don't judge us!) was a much more traditional affair. A small street side eatery with metal tables near to the town's larger 7-11. This little hole in the wall had the friendliest ladies working and they put out some brilliant chicken rice. It was also very backpacker budget friendly; we spent 45 baht per plate here, which is unbeatable value! We ordered the boiled chicken and the sauce it came with was just mwah! - overdramatic chefs kiss.
Krua Ya Taen, ครัวย่าแตน - Riverside Rice and Curry
(location)
If you have read any of our other blogs, you will know how much we love rice and curry. Whether we at a warung in Indonesia, of a buffet in Sri Lanka, we love having a spread of curries to mix and match. Nakhon Phanom has a fantastic little rice and curry joint right opposite the Naga statue at the centre of the towns riverfront.
Listed on Google as a Vietnamese restaurant, Krua Ya Taen has a mini-but-mighty selection of daily curries on display at the back of the restaurant. Available over rice or khanom jeen (fermented rice noodles), the curries change daily but are always spicy and delicious. Curry buffets are a great place to break away from the "standard" Thai food; just order something you know you will like (a mild, red pork curry for example) and pair it with a new dish you haven't tried yet (we always recommend bitter melon and egg as a gateway dish!), this way you will get to expand your taste horizons without putting all your eggs in one basket! For a real backpacker hack: if you are a travelling as a couple or a group, order differently from each other so you can try even more plates!
Krua Ya Taen is cheap, delicious and a genuine taste of the area.
The Banh Mi Man
(location) - No Google listing, his van is usually parked up between Krua Ya Taen and the immigration office
Another great example of Nakhon Phanom’s cultural mix parks its van next to the rice and curry buffet every day. For 50 baht you can grab a fresh, Laotian/Viet style banh mi sandwich, its bread toasted over hot coals right in front of you. These made a great 'grab and go' meal, just be warned, they are addictive!
Som Tam WiFi, ส้มตำ WiFi สาขานครพนม - A Perfect Isan Dinner
(location)
Isan would not be Isan with out barbecue. Everywhere you go you will see the rotating charcoal spits and smell the enticing aroma of the charing marinades. We wanted a proper Isan feast of a meal so did a little research. Both our research and our favourite YouTuber, agreed on Som Tam Wifi being the perfect choice.
It was.
You cannot go wrong with barbecue but this placed showed us just how right you could be! We went for what the menu called barbecued pork neck. Juicy and sweet with the perfect char and skin, it was everything you could want. We paired it with a sharp, spicy som tam (we went for corn - you have to try it!) and a Laotian style laab (minced meat and herb "salad"). The rich, fatty meat was balanced out by the spicy som tam and fresh herbs in the laab. The whole meal was perfect, just what we had set out to find. It was also very cheap, the whole feast only costing around 250 baht!
Generous Beef Pho
(location) - No Google listing but it was somewhere around here, just look out for the modest shopfront and the wafting smell of beef pho!
After a wander around the nearby market we were in need of a feed. We did what we always do and stopped in the first place that smelled nice and had locals sitting down. This lead us to two of the most generous bowls of beef pho we have had outside of Hanoi.
We arrived right at the end of the morning rush and the wonderful owner of the place kept coming back to give us more meat and other tid-bits to try.
The pho was fantastic, rich yet light, powerful yet still, somehow, delicate. The extra beef, beef curry and beef balls were just added yummy bonuses!
Street Stalls and Market Eating
(location) - Everywhere! As we have mentioned, even when it is not the weekend the riverfront is alive with pop up street food stalls.
On the Naga's left you will find hot pots, salad stalls, ice creams and coffee all served from vans parked along the riverfront park.
To the right of the statue you will find roving barbecue stalls, stuff on stick vendors and other more mobile offerings.
For morning market eating, aim to get to the morning market in the ... morning! It sounds obvious but we rocked up at 9:30 and found it was really quietening down!
Bars and Sit Down Restaurants
There are sooo many good places for food and drink in Nakhon Phanom. All along the riverfront are awesome bars which will also serve you your dinner. We had a couple of cheeky Leos at TioTemTok and this looked like it would have been a great night out if we were up on a wild one! Further down the riverfront are loads of bars with outsides facing the Mekong. We reckon that these would be electric at the weekend!
If you are looking for a quirky craft beer bar in Nakhon Phanom we recommend ร้านเธย์ คราฟเบียร์บาร์ (find it here). We cannot pronounce the name but the owner and bar staff were fantastic and it was a great night out.
Lets just say they had quite a selection at the craft beer bar!
Another good choice for beer and a river view is ชิวกะวิว@Rim Kong (find it here). We had a few beers here one evening; it was chilled and fun. The food also looked amazing and it does live music even when it is not the weekend!
Coffee in Nakhon Phanom
There is plenty of choice when it comes to bean-based-brews. Nakhon Phanom has a booming cafe and craft coffee scene. Everything from cutesy cafe's to rugged coffee vans can be found on the cities streets. These are just three of our favourites.
Pop Cafe
(location)
A very stylish and cute coffee shop in the middle of the town. We had some fantastic lattes and treated ourselves to a very naughty banoffee pie here. The lattes were properly good, bitter but not too much, milky but not to excess, just the right blend!
Banoffee pie is never optional…
กาแฟสดรถตู้ - Peace Coffee Van
(location) - He moves around and can be anywhere along the riverside park
Coffee from a van is nothing new for us, we had already enjoyed fantastic van created coffees from the Wizard in Nong Khai. The Peace Van (our name, again our Thai isn't up to pronouncing its proper name!), serves great, rocket fuel coffee. Ellie opted for her signature "orange and black": fresh squeezed orange juice and a shot of espresso over ice. It is possibly the most perfect drink on a hot day and the Peace Van made us a corker of a cup!
Cafe De Kong
(location)
If you have done the 4km walk or cycle along the banks of the Mekong, this cafe is the perfect pick-me-up. Set inside the Naval base it is staffed by wives and relatives of the enlisted men and serves up brilliant coffee with a view! The upstairs is a wooden veranda built over the roof and around a neighbouring tree. The veranda has a great view out onto the Mekong, perfect for cooling down with and iced latte!
Where to Stay - Accommodation in Nakhon Phanom
The city is a popular tourist destination for Thai travellers and, as such, has loads of great accommodation on offer. From high end hotels to cheap and cheerful guesthouses there is a bed no matter your budget.
Our Budget Friendly Choice - SP Residence
(location)
It isn’t glamorous but it is clean, roomy, comfy and great value - We would definitely stay again!
SP Residence was our choice for our stay in Nakhon Phanom. Centrally located with large comfortable rooms at a backpacker appropriate price - What more could we ask for!?!
SP has bikes to rent, parking for cars or scooters, free tea and coffee in the mornings and loads of information and maps for the local area.
Check out the rooms here.
A Little Bit of Luxury - The Landmark Hotel
If you are not budget backpacking then you might want a little more luxury in your life. The Landmark Hotel is in the best possible location in Nakhon Phanom; facing the Naga statue and riverfront in the heart of the town.
We (obviously) didn't stay here but it was the only place we saw other Western tourists in the whole town, the bakery and restaurant downstairs looked great and the Parisian style cafe seating outside and balconies have great views.
Have a look for yourself here.
All Accommodation Choices - Our Hotel Map
If you want to have a birds-eye overview of all of the cities hotels and guesthouses, check out our handy map below. You can zoom in or out and filter by your dates and needs:
Where is Nakhon Phanom and How Do You Get There and Where do you Go Afterwards?
Location - Where is Nakhon Phanom
Nakhon Phanom is the provincial capital of the Nakhon Phanom district. It is located in the far north-east of Isan, eastern Thailand. It is around 730km away from Bangkok and sits on the Mekong river opposite the Laotian city of Thakhek.
You can find Nakhon Phanom city on a map here.
Nakhon Phanom is well connected both within Thailand and to its neighbouring city of Thakhek in Laos.
Getting there - From Thailand
If you are within Thailand there are loads of buses that can take you to Nakhon Phanom. Just head to your local bus station - every town has one. The bus station is always one of our first ports of call in a new city, just to see where and when we can go next! Even if the bus does not go directly to Nakhon Phanom they will be able to route you there.
If you are in Bangkok and looking for a bus to Nakhon Phanom, go to the enormous Mo Chit 2 Bus Station. If you are in Chiang Mai head to Bus terminal 3. The bus ride from Bangkok takes around 12 hours and the ride from Chiang Mai is a whopping 15 hours.
Alternatively, if you want to book in advance, check out 12Go for all the transport options:
12Go will not show all of the available buses, but is handy if you want to secure a seat in advance - follow the links to se more options!
Thai - Laos Friendship Bridge - Thakhek, Laos to Nakhon Phanom
The Third Thai / Lao border is only 14 km from the centre of Nakhon Phanom. The bridge is an official border crossing point between Laos and Thailand and will bring you out next to the Laotian city of Thakhek.
You can easily catch a bus that will take you all the way across the border; just head to Thakhek's International bus station, (located here). There are several buses a day (it looks like 4 at the moment) starting around 8am and running until around 5pm. You cannot, apparently, book these online so either head to the bus station yourself or ask your accommodation for help booking one. The bus should take you all the way to Nakhon Phanom's main bus station located here. You can also do this journey in reverse if you are looking to hop from Thailand into Laos.
You have to take a bus or drive across the border bridge, you can't just wander across! If you have made your way to the border point without a bus, then there should be a dedicated bus at the border to shuttle you across the bridge for a small fee. Once on the other side there will be plenty of tuk tuk's, taxi's and songthaew to ferry you into town.
The border opening times are listed as open everyday from 6am until 10pm. Like any border crossing leave plenty of time, you will need to be stamped out of Laos and then into Thailand.
If you are coming into Laos, please be aware: At the moment you cannot use the e-visa to enter Laos at the Third Thai-Laos Friendship bridge. Confusing, as you can at bridges one, two and four!
Where Should you Go After Nakhon Phanom?
More Isan Adventures
We are really trying to show you the lesser known regions of Thailand. Isan is a beautiful, massive and, at the moment, a less travelled area of the country. Isan is absolutely stuffed full of fantastic things to discover and see.
You could continue your Isan exploration from Nakhon Phanom by going:
North to Bueng Kan with its incredible Three Whale Rock and the spiderweb walkways of Wat Phu Tok. Or, further on, there is the riverside border town of Nong Khai, with its viewpoints and the bizarrely beautiful Buddha Park.
South to Mukdahan, another relatively unknown (to the West at least), Isan gem. A fantastic city with a phenomenal hilltop temple and bustling local markets.
Into the interior of Isan: Sakhon Nakhon, Udon Thani or Khon Kaen. All of which are treasure troves of fantastic sights, foods and amazing people - more on these to come, when we have written it!
You really should check out our articles of what you can see around Bueng Kan!
Bangkok
There are daily buses back to the Thai capital. The bus journey will take around 12 hours, so we would recommend travelling overnight if possible.
If a 12 hour bus ride just isn't your scene then, for not a huge amount more money, you can catch a flight from Nakhon Phanom's local airport. The flight to Bangkok only takes around an hour and there a few flights daily (depending on the season).
You can check both options here.
Chiang Mai
If you are looking to head north to Chiang Mai there are a couple of overnight buses available from Nakhon Phanom. The journey is a long one at 15 hours. For us this isn't a problem, Thai buses are nearly always comfy, clean and give you food and blankets.
You can fly from Nakhon Phanoms airport to Chaing Mai but it does cost quite a bit more than the bus and requires you to change planes in Bangkok! That being said it does save you a lot of time; it takes the travel day from 15ish hours down to around 4.
To check out flights and buses to Chiang Mai click here.
Laos
If you are looking at Laos then you can head over to Thakhek or challenge yourself to the beautiful Thakhek Loop. Honestly, we cannot recommend the Loop, or its sister adventure - the Bolaven / Pakse Loop enough; they are some of the most amazing things we have done so far! From the north to the south, Laos is stunningly beautiful; make sure you check out all our guides here.
If you are entering Laos from Nakhon Phanom over the Friendship bridge border, remember that you cannot use the Laotian E-Visa at this crossing. It is the only friendship bridge that doesn't use the E-Visa so do not get caught out. You can still get a Visa on Arrival (depending on your home country) at the border.
Conclusion - Is Nakhon Phanom worth your time?
... Seriously? You're going to ask that? Ok, well it is our website so technically we “asked that" but all the same - YES Nakhon Phanom is worth visiting, we cannot wait to go back!
We had high hopes when we booked our bus to Nakhon Phanom but they were all blown out of the water by reality; it is just endlessly charming! From the craft coffee shops to the river cruises, the history to the food, Nakhon Phanom is simply a fantastic town. It made an ideal "rest town" amongst our other Isan explorations; most of the things to see are only a walk or bike ride away from the main town. We really relaxed into its riverfront, holiday vibes and easy-going restaurants, bars and cafes. The food was varied and delicious, the multiple culinary influences transmuted into something deliciously new and yet definitely Thai.
There is no stand out "must see attraction", no popular Insta spot or dramatic viewpoint to pull tourists to Nakhon Phanom, it is an undercover delight!
Those in the know go, so should you.
Thanks for reading.
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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Treasures of Isan - The Temple Mountain of Wat Phu Tok
Wat Phu Tok is not on the traditional Thailand tourist trail; the region it is in, isn’t even well know amongst travellers. We are here to show you why you should venture out to Bueng Kan, Isan and explore the incredible Lonely Mountain Temple. Our guide covers everything from what to expect to how to get there and all the other essential information you will need to visit one of Thailand’s true hidden gems.
Deep in the north of Isan, in Thailand's far east is a secret. A huge, sprawling spiderweb of walkways, caves, steps and stupas cling to the edge of a mountain - Wat Phu Tok, the temple of the Lonely Mountain. Climbing their way up the precarious cliff faces, the paths of Wat Phu Tok spiral upwards and around the mountain.
The way is not for the faint of heart, the wooden plank walkways and stairs hang right over the cliffs, the gaps between floorboards giving glimpses of the ground far below. Monasteries, prayer halls, statues and meditation spaces are carved into or perched on top of the vertical cliff faces.
Wat Phu Tok is, like lots of Isan's treasures: unexpected, beautiful and utterly unique.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
Wat Phu Tok - What is it?
Phu Tok translates to "Isolated Mountain" from one of Isan's local languages (at least it does according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand). Phu Tok Mountain is visible for miles and miles around, rising up from the flat plains like a Thai Sigiriya. It looks ancient, primordial, like a monolith from another era....
However...
The mountain may be pre-historic but the temple certainly is not. The temple's construction started in 1969 and was ordered and overseen by a famous master of meditation - Phra Achan Chuan Kunlachettho. The monk had found the lonely mountain and seen that its tranquility, isolation and beauty were perfect for a spiritual mediation retreat. Over the next five years monks and locals built the winding stairs and pathways that now climb and criss-cross the mountain.
The temple is referred to by a few names: Wat Phu Tok literally means "temple of the isolated mountain" but it can also be called Wat Chetiya Khiri Wihan or Wat Jetiyakhiri. The temples name in Thai is วัดภูทอก.
The temple grounds around Wat Phu Tok’s base are impressive enough!
The temple complex starts on the ground; temples halls, gardens and a new museum chedi / Buddhist art display - The Atthaborikhan Museum Chedi Phra Ajarn Juan Kulchetto. Even if you just wanted to stay at ground level, the ornamental lake, gardens, carvings and sculptures of the Museum Chedi are beautiful and well worth a look.
From here on out it is onwards and upwards! A steep wooden staircase climbs the near-vertical rock-face. The stairs rise up through seven levels of cliff-side prayer halls, seated Buddhas, meditation retreats and walkways. On each level there will be paths around the mountain and staircases leading up to the next stage.
This was one of the nicer staircases, it had handrails and everything!
On the lower levels, the path is usually carved into the mountain, a rock walkway snaking between caves, buildings and devotional sites. As the altitude rises the way becomes a wooden plank platform, wedged into the side of the vertical cliffs, hugging the curving side of the mountain. On the fifth level the way snakes off over a bridge to a promontory rock jutting out the side of the lonely mountain. On this isolated rock is another temple with amazing views. The final levels at the top brings you out onto the summit and through forests to viewpoints and incredible panoramic vistas.
The whole site is beautiful, the paths constantly give breathtaking views and not just because of the drop! Everywhere there are intricate and amazing carvings and statues. It is a very, very special place and one that seems to have completely escaped the attention of Western tourists.
To say Wat Phu Tok is amazing is a massive understatement!
Visiting Wat Phu Tok - Our Experience
We did not know what to expect when we set off that morning. The previous day had been amazing, we had set off by scooter to the incredible Three Whale Rock (we always think it should be "Whales" but apparently not!).
After having been blown away by its beauty we then promptly broke down; our bike leaking petrol all over the car park. After some help from park rangers we had limped back to town on our wounded scooter.
Our transport for the day - Not usually the backpackers choice, but sometimes you have to pony up to see the sights!
We had tried to arrange another bike for the day but with no luck. We were in the town of Bueng Kan (read all about it here), a day or so away from the Loy Krathong celebrations and there were just no more bikes to rent!Luckily for us, we had found a lovely taxi driver who spoke English and negotiated a price for a day's ride out from Bueng Kan to the temple mountain of Wat Phu Tok.
We had heard the temple was spectacular. It had been on our radar for years, ever since a mid pandemic YouTube binge had brought us to one of Mark Wiens videos. We were in Isan and wanted to explore, so we paid our taxi driver 1500 baht and hopped in the car.
The ride was about 45 minutes and wound through the Isan (or Issan, Isaan, Esarn or Isarn depending on your preference) countryside. The way was mainly flat, going past red and white temples, small towns and roadside restaurants. We passed the turning to the Three Whale Rock that we had scooted up the previous day and continued on into the heartlands of Bueng Kan province.
We arrived at a large car park and were instantly confronted by the huge, new looking, golden topped chedi that dominates the base of the mountain. Sitting in an ornamental lake festooned with hanging green plants all around, it looked a little like a Thai version of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon! There is another enormous Chedi, almost a mirror image, on the land to the south - this is the Atthaborikhan Museum Chedi - Phra Ajarn Juan Kulchetto.
We knew we had a climb ahead of us and, not wanting to delay the inevitable, set off for the stairs. The sun was unforgiving and our temple appropriate trousers were not the most cooling of outfits, but we found that we really couldn't complain when we were joined on the steps by a dozen, white clad, elderly pilgrims. The little old ladies shuffled and hauled themselves up the steps in great humour, laughing and prodding each other with their walking sticks. They were incredibly friendly to us, the two random foreigners suddenly in their midst, our Thai wasn’t good enough to understand what they were saying to us, but it was, apparently, hilarious!
It is always lovely in Thailand when you come to the hilltop shrines, temples and mountain retreats. They are clearly loved, respected and revered by the locals but, and we think this is important, they are used by them. They are not a distant object for detached veneration, they are a solid, holy part of the landscape to be enjoyed and appreciated.
We climbed on and upwards passing through the gaggle of grannies.
We like to get all of the hard work over with at the start so we decided to climb all the way to the top layer first, then work our way back down the 7 levels of the mountain temple. It was steep, it was tiring, it was, above all, HOT. It was mid November in Isan and the temperature was well above 35 (over 95 for any of our American friends.). It was not, therefore, ideal weather to be climbing nearly 400 meters up a Thai mountainside.
The top of Wat Phu Tok is mainly forested, this just gives the final reveal much more impact!
Up on the final, seventh level of the mountain, the wooden steps gave way to a forested path as we approached the summit. We scrambled up the last few sections, using tree roots as ladder rungs. Drenched in sweat and out of breath (too much congee can weigh a man down), we continued up a tree covered path.
It was worth it, worth the taxi fare, worth the climb, worth the heat, it was even worth the horrible feeling of boxer shorts clinging in uncomfortable bunches (not much else is worth that). The view from the top of Phu Tok is incredible. The path at the summit goes all around the flat(ish) top of the mountain and opens up again and again into jaw dropping vistas. The way is a little precarious up at the top, there are no handholds and very few safety measures, but it feels incredible when you emerge from the forest into the clear air, breeze and hundred-mile views.
You don’t realise how high you have climbed until you get a view like this.
Being a "Lonely Mountain" means the Phu Tok commands a view over everything else. It stands proud over the whole landscape, giving birds eye views over Bueng Kan and Isan. It is really very special. You can see another, lower rock formation nearby and, on a clear day, see in the distance the mountains and formations that hide the Three Whales Rock, but Phu Tok absolutely dominates the local landscape.
We orbited the top of the mountain taking in viewpoints and wandering through picturesque forests. Our guide had warned us about monkeys at the top, but we didn't even catch a glimpse of them. He had also warned us about snakes but had been laughing at the time...we did not see any slitherers. Let us know if he was pulling our leg or not in the comments!
We started to make our way down the stairs to the lower levels, each was an adventure in their own right. The top two layers below the summit (5 & 6) were actually our favourites. They had the most amazing views. Somehow the massive vistas are even more incredible when framed by a cliff wall and a walkway that would make Indiana Jones think twice!
The pathways and hanging wooden walkways are what make this temple famous (or infamous if overly dramatic YouTubers are to be believed - which they aren't!). They are a test of resolve and really feel like something from a bygone era; they are like the old bridges you see in the Himalayas, or deep in the jungle. The walkways are half the fun and most of the adventure at Wat Phu Tok.
We did say that the walkway could be a little narrow!
On the fifth level was another surprise, a road led us off away from the main mountain and onto a promontory rock. Improbably perched on top of this satellite stone was a small shrine. This mini temple had sweeping views of its own but also really served to highlight the massivity (is that a word? Our spell checker doesn't think so!) of Wat Phu Tok itself.
Dotted everywhere are reminders that this is a holy place. Symbols carved into the walls at auspicious junctions. Seated Buddhas and statues of venerated monks gaze out over the incredible views. Flowers and incense sticks add pops of colour and fragrance to the whole temple. It is a very well used and maintained site - we passed groups of monks and nuns who actually live up on the mountain, their monastic homes drilled into the rock.
There were halls full of the most intricate statues - Each monk was unique.
We wound downwards, passing halls of seated statues - immortalised monks sitting forever in the lee of the mountain, beatifically smiling Buddhas and incredible carvings. By the time we reached the blissful air conditioning of our taxi; we were both certain;
This was one of the most unique, beautiful and amazing temples we have ever visited, not just in Thailand, but anywhere in the world!
There really is nothing like Wat Phu Tok.
Essential Information - What to Know Before You Go to Wat Phu Tok
If the above has whetted your appetite for adventure and you fancy exploring Wat Phu Tok, make sure you arm yourself with everything you need to know:
Where is Wat Phu Tok
Short answer: here
Long, more helpful, answer: Wat Phu Tok is in the Bueng Kan Province of Isan, deep in the east of Thailand. It is over 700km from the Thai capital of Bangkok, the nearest towns and cities are:
Bueng Kan Town (sometimes spelled Bung Kan) - 43km or around an hour on a scooter or by car (this was where we stayed, more on this later).
Sakhon Nakhon - 135km. 2.5-3. hours by car or motorbike
Nakhon Phanom - 150 km. 2.5-3 hours travel
Nong Khai - 150km, again 2.5 to 3 hours travel time.
Getting to the Lonely Mountain Temple
You will be able to arrange a driver or tour from any of the above places to get to Wat Phu Tok or, if you have your own wheels you can drive yourself. If you are in Bueng Kan, ask at your accommodation for scooter hire, hopefully our bad luck won’t transfer to you (see later 😝).
Driving Route to Wat Phu Tok
The temple sits just off of Road 3012.
From either Nakhon Phanom or Bueng Kan you would take the main road 212, then come off onto the 3009 and then finally the 3012. From Nong Khai you would just drive to Bueng Kan then follow the above. The way to the temple is well signposted and down good roads.
You could easily drive a scooter or bike from Bueng Kan / Bung Kan, the only reason we didn't was because the only scooter for hire in the town had broken down on us the previous day!
Taxi’s and Tours
We paid 1500 baht for a taxi driver from Bueng Kan town. He picked us up at our hotel (the cheap and lovely Wisdom Residence), drove us all the way to the temple and waited for us in the car park. It was a good 4+ hours so we feel this was a very good deal.
This was our lovely drivers card.
If you are in any of the towns or cities we have listed, there will be private tours and taxi’s available, just ask at your hostel / hotel / guesthouse.
We recommend heading to the bus terminal and asking the local taxi’s If you are starting your journey in Buen Kan or any of the smaller Isan towns, there is often not much English spoken, or passing taxis!
Is Wat Phu Tok Dangerous to Climb?
A quick Google of Wat Phu Tok will reveal a flurry of sensational headlines, usually from slack-jawed, shocked-faced YouTube thumbnails. The titles proclaim Wat Phu Tok to be, "Thailand's deadliest temple!" or brag at surviving the "most dangerous temple in Thailand!". Take these dramaticisms with a fistful of salt, they are clickbait. Wat Phu Tok is dramatic, it is precarious, the walkways do creak and you can occasionally see through the floors; however, we never felt unsafe - it is a temple and pilgrimage site, not an extreme sports challenge!
The path is narrow but well maintained. It creaks a bit but we never felt unsafe
That all being said, Wat Phu Tok may be a little much for vertigo sufferers or those not a fan of heights.
You have been warned!
The views are spectacular, they are also very high up with little to no safety rails at the top! The paths wrap around the sides of the cliffs with very narrow portions and blind corners out over the void.
We don't have an issue with heights and cannot say if it is beyond your personal limits, just be aware, it is high up and the path can be less than reassuring! However, if you can handle it, the rewards are amazing.
Opening Times and Entrance Fees for Wat Phu Tok
Firstly some good news: There is no entrance fee for Wat Phu Tok. Donations are appreciated but, as a holy pilgrimage site, there is no cost to climb the Lonely Mountain.
Wat Phu Tok is open daily between 6:30am and 5pm. This may change on religious holidays. We do not recommend climbing the rock in the dark, so in the shorter daylight months, plan accordingly. We arrived around 11am on a weekday and there were barely any people and the summit was completely deserted. It was, however, hot, next time we would aim to climb in the cooler morning air. We would advise to aim for a balance, too early and the views may be obscured by morning mists, too late and you may (like us ) roast! We also imagine the stairs could get busy on Thai holidays, weekends and festivals.
What to Wear - Temple Etiquette
Wat Phu Tok is a temple, it is in the name! You will have to dress appropriately. This means shoulders, knees and midriff covered. It is a hot and sweaty climb but it is a hot and sweaty climb through a holy site and should be respected as such.
We wore loose fitting athletic clothes (it was the only athletic thing about us). Not going to sugar coat it, it was boiling! Sometimes you need to sweat to get to the rewards!
When you are on the mountain (or in Thailand as a whole), monks and nuns have the right of way. Stand aside as they pass and do not touch them! It is very bad form for a woman to touch a male monk and visa-versa. Interaction varies from monk to monk; some are super friendly and want to take photos with you, some just want to be left to meditate in peace.
There will be pilgrims and visitors praying at the temples and shrines all over the holy mountain. These people have priority access to anything they may want to - you are here for photos they are here for the temple. Again, we encountered nothing but friendly and funny people but remember, they are just that; people, not props for your photos!
There will also be areas where you need to remove your shoes, obey the signs and don't act like an idiot and you will be fine.
Conclusion - Is it Worth Visiting Wat Phu Tok
We hope it is fairly damn clear what we think! Wat Phu Tok is one of the most impressive religious sites in Thailand and a proper Isan adventure! The views and walkways are beautiful and the whole site is like nothing else we have seen. The only thing we can think of that is even remotely similar is Sigiriya in Sri Lanka - that is a pretty flattering comparison! Wat Phu Tok was an unexpected delight, we had seen and read about it, but nothing could prepare or compete with the actual experience. The Lonely Mountain Temple is bigger, more beautiful and more impressive than we had ever imagined.
Whether Wat Phu Tok is "worth it" will depend on you. Where are you? If you are already in Isan, then of course it is worth it. It is worth travelling the 6 hours round trip from Nong Khai in our opinion, especially if you can combine it with a visit to the Three Whale Rock! If you are in Koh Samui....then the journey may be a little long for a day trip! If you are looking for a real adventure, away from the crowds of holidaymakers and toastie wielding backpackers, Isan awaits!
We would say that this corner of Isan holds so much bounty: Just north of Phu Tok is the amazing Three Whales Rock, there are national parks, waterfalls and the mighty Mekong River. The town of Bueng Kan is great, with a weekend riverside night market, fresh spicy som tam salads and amazing grilled meats; Bueng Kan is a great base to explore this region.
We are attempting throughout this new series of posts to show you what a trip though Isan can bring. We hope that this article shows how amazing just this one temple is, there is so much more out there to see.
Wat Phu Tok is a jewel in this treasure box of a region. Do not miss out.
Thanks for reading,
John and Ellie x
#adventures of Jellie
Is Wat Phu Tok worth a visit? What do you think!
Make sure to check out our articles on the nearby Three Whale Rock and the Town of Bueng Kan
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Treasures Of Isan - The Three Whale Rock
One of Thailand’s unknown treasures, the Three Whale Rock bursts out of an Isan mountaintop in the lesser travelled Bueng Kan province of Thailand. An adventure for those in the know, the Three Whale Rock is an incredible place with unmatched views, jaw-dropping scenery and very few other Western travellers. Read our guide for everything you need to know about visiting this less travelled corner of Thailand.
Far in the northeast of Thailand is a very unusual sight. Three stone whales surf out of a forest hilltop, their enormous bodies shaped from red-brown rock. Visitors from all over Thailand come to climb the mountain and see this petrified pod of whale shaped stone. With gorgeous views out over the Isan countryside and incredible rock formations, the Three Whale Rock is a completely unique experience.
The Three Whale Rock is found in the Bueng Kan province of Isan in northeast Thailand. This area is traditionally overlooked by Western tourists, but is full of unexpected treasures to find. Come with us as we explore the Three Whale Rock and hopefully convince you to come off the tourist trail and explore a piece of Isan.
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
It’s not everyday you get to take a photo from the enormous back of a whale!
What Is The Three Whale Rock?
The Three Whales Rock (AKA The Three Whale Rock - although this sounds odd to us) is a geological feature found in the Bueng Kan province in Isan, deep in the northeastern corner of Thailand.
As the name suggests, the Three Whale Rock gets its name from its uncanny resemblance to a family pod of whales. There are, as you might guess, three stone whales; the largest is known as the “father”, with the “mother” next to him and the smaller “child” in tow next to her. The rocky whales burst out of the thick jungle as if they are crashing out of the breaking green surf.
The Three Whale Rock is part of the Him Sam Wan Recreation Forest Park. It’s name literally translates to Rock (Him), Three (Sam), Whale (Wan) - it’s Thai spelling is หินสามวาฬ. The park is more than just the Three Whales Rock, there are other caves, viewpoints and rock formations to visit in the park.
The above may explain what the Three Whale Rock is, but it really can’t convey the sheer scale of the geological wonder. Read on for our day out at Him Sam Wan Recreation Forest Park.
Our Day Visiting The Three Whale Rock
We had a complicated start to our day. We were staying in the small but charming town of Bueng Kan (read all about it here). It was a day away from the Thai festival of Loy Krathong and we just couldn’t find a scooter to rent anywhere in town. We had tried dealerships, asked in cafes, repair shops and anywhere else we could think of. Western tourists aren’t too common in Bueng Kan and all the Thai tourists had their own cars. We were running out of options.
Luckily for us, we were talking about our issues with the lovely staff at the Wisdom Residence Hotel where we were staying. The lady at reception knew a man who knew a man, who turned out to have the last scooter for rent in town!
We soon had our wheels, a Honda Click that looked older than us, but it fired up on the first try and the brakes worked just fine. We had our transport.
The road to the Three Whales Rock was an easy drive. Most of the way was down the main road linking the Mekong-side towns and cities of Isan. It took us around half an hour to reach the car-park of the Three Whale Rock. See later on for more detailed directions.
We had read about the Three Whales Rock online and we had watched it on YouTube. What we hadn’t seen or read about was the huge car-park and entrance area. Just because it's relatively unknown to Western tourists, doesn’t mean it’s not famous amongst the Thai’s. We had arrived around 11am and the car-park was filling up fast.
It’s technically possible to walk to the top of the Three Whale Rock, however when we arrived, we were strongly advised not to do this. A 6KM hike up a mountain road in the 35+ degree Thai heat didn’t sound fun! We opted for the lazy, jeep option.
We grabbed our tickets and hopped in the flat-bed back of a pick-up-truck and headed up. As soon as we left the car-park we could see why they had advised us from walking. A narrow road rose nearly vertically up, winding around sharp bends into the forests of the mountain.
The entrance ticket included stops at more than just the Three Whale Rock. Our “mini tour” would take us past the Elephants Rock, the Hermit’s Cave, the Dharma Courtyard as well as multiple viewpoints.
First stop though was the Dharma Courtyard. We hopped out of the pick-up and found ourselves looking at a golden seated Buddha sitting next to an enormous cliff of rock, shaped uncannily like a cat in mid-stretch. This shrine is where Buddhist visitors come to leave offerings, pray and burn incense. We were shown around the side, where another tiny shrine sat in a natural hollow in the rock, looking out over the green trees and view below. It was our first glimpse of the vistas on offer and even though we were less than half way up the mountain, we could see it was going to be an impressive day.
Once your eyes adjust, the rock on the right really does look like a sitting cat!
Back in the pick-up we resumed our bouncy roller coaster up the mountain, our driver hanging out the window to point out more rocks that apparently looked like other animals, some of these were obvious but some of them required leaps of imagination that our eyeballs weren’t prepared to make. It was now time for our rocky animal safari to be taken to the next level - as we pulled up to the crest of the mountain, it was time to see some whales!
Once more on foot, we headed through an avenue of trees, bamboo and fern, their branches and leaves knotting overhead to create an arch. The dirt turned to stone underfoot, the trees dropped away and suddenly we were walking on the spine of a whale.
It’s so hard to describe this place, it really is like a family of whales poking out through the Thai forest. We were standing on “Daddy Whale’s” back, with “Mummy” and the “Baby” whale off to one side. The rocky whales are three jutting cliffs that reach out like stone fingers out of the side of the mountain. On three sides, sheer drops greeted us and in front and all around was the view.
Isan spread out in front of us like a patchwork carpet unrolling to the horizon. Bueng Kan is mostly flat (except for Wat Phu Tok - read more about that here), so standing on the top of the Three Whales felt like standing at the tip of a lonely skyscraper. The land spread out all around us, jade forests and fields stretching out and the mountains in the horizon fading to blue..
We headed right to the tip of Daddy whale’s nose, taking the obligatory selfies and just drinking in the incredible landscape. We moved over to Mummy whale and looked back at the sheer bulk of the rock formation. Whale is an appropriate name not just in shape but in sheer scale!
As we’ve said before, the rock formations are relatively unknown to Western tourists, but they are very popular with Thai tourists. The air was filled with the sound of drones and Ellie was constantly being pulled in to take photos or pose for selfies (John can’t understand why he wasn’t invited). It’s always great fun to meet Thai’s on holiday, it feels like they’re living life to the fullest, no matter what age they are, they always seem like they’re having a great time.
Speaking of which …
We didn’t expect Harry Potter brooms on the top of the Three Whale Rock but this is Thailand and you really can’t predict anything! To the left of the Three Whale Rock car-park is another flat rock with a stunning view. It also has the perfect curve whereby a photographer can crouch down and a (often incredibly enthusiastic) subject can jump on a broomstick and have a “flying” photo. We don’t know why it tickled us so much but large groups of grannies bunny hopping with broomsticks wasn’t how we pictured our day!
We never said we were above some broom-based buffoonery!
The views from this rock (even without the brooms) were amazing and definitely worth investigating even if you don’t fancy a broomstick ride.
Back in the pick-up truck we sped down the mountain, careening through towering corridors of stone and rock. We pulled over at more incredible rock formations - the well-named Elephant Rock as well as a sweeping viewpoint, pot marked with rain created craters that looked like stony Swiss cheese. A particularly amazing scenic spot was a narrow boulder and platform sandwiched between two enormous cliff-faces, in a day full of amazing viewpoints, this was yet another highlight!
The ‘Elephant Rock’ could equally be the ‘Armadillo Rock’ in our opinion!
Our driver barrelled down the last of the mountain and delivered safely back to the car-park. It had been an incredible experience.
Unfortunately for us, when we got back to our scooter, we found it sitting in a spreading puddle of petrol. Like an elderly dog, it looked ashamed of the mess it had made. It was going to be a long way home!
One of the joys of Thailand are its people. After our bike came over all incontinent and wee’d out all its petrol in the car-park, a group of Park Rangers descended like superheroes to help us out. Within moments our bike had been stripped down, impromptu fuel lined fashioned and scraps of wire secured in place - our bike had been fixed enough to limp home! We just wanted to say thanks to the amazing staff and Park Rangers of the Him Sam Wan Recreation Forest Park! It would have been a long walk home without them.
Essential Information For Visiting The Three Whale Rock
Where Is The Three Whale Rock
The Three Whale Rock can be found here on Google Maps. The car and motorbike parking as well as the ticket counter, coffee shops, restaurants and toilets can be found here.
The Three Whale Rock sits in the Bueng Kan province of Isan in northeast Thailand around 720 KM away from Bangkok. The nearest towns and cities to the Three Whale Rock are:
Bueng Kan town (24 KM away) - 30 minutes drive - this is where we stayed, check out our guide here.
Sakhon Nakhon (160 KM away) 2.5 hours to 3 hours drive.
Nong Khai (160 KM away) just over 2 hours drive
Nakhon Phanom (170 KM away) just over 2 hours drive on the main road.
Isan is a very flat region so when you get a viewpoint like the Three Whales it’s really something special!
How To Get To The Three Whale Rock
The easiest way to get to the Three Whale Rock is from Bueng Kan town. If you come from Nong Khai you have to drive through Bueng Kan to get here anyway.
Bueng Kan is a great little town and a fantastic jumping off point for some of the lesser known treasures of the region. Make sure you read our guide to the town here.
We’d highly recommend seeking out your own set of wheels, it should be possible to rent through your accommodation and hopefully you won’t get a bike like ours. In their defence we had got the last bike in town as it was the Loy Krathong Festival!
Broomstick travel is not advised!
If you cannot ride a motorbike and want to arrange a taxi to take you, speak to your accommodation or head to Bueng Kan’s Bus Station and speak with the tuk tuk and taxi drivers there.
As soon as we got off our bus at Bueng Kan a lovely man introduced himself to us and gave us his number. We actually took him up on his offer the day after the Three Whales as our bike couldn’t be fixed and we wanted to visit Wat Phu Tok. We paid 1500 baht for a full day's air-conditioned taxi which we feel, despite the circumstances, was a good deal.
If you’re organising a taxi you could even try and fit both the Three Whale Rock and Wat Phu Tock into a single action packed day.
For those driving themselves, it’s easy to get to the Three Whale Rock. You need to get to road 3007 which is just off of the main route 212 that goes along the Mekong from Nong Khai to Bueng Kan and onwards all the way to Nakhon Phanom. If you’re coming from inland, then you’ll still need road 3007, but you might be able to get to it from route 222. All the roads are paved and in good condition.
It was free to park our scooter in the Three Whale Rock car-park.
Opening Times And Entrance Fees
The Three Whale Rock is open everyday from 5AM until 5PM. It can get very busy during holidays, festivals and weekends.
Everywhere there are hidden secrets and shrines!
Entry to the Him Sam Wan Recreation Forest Park costs 100 baht per person. You will also need to pay 500 baht to rent a jeep and driver to take you to the top of the mountain. The jeep is plenty big enough for a family.
If you’re going by yourself it's possible to join another group in a jeep and split the cost.
Vertigo And Safety
The whales and viewpoints are very very high up. The drops are massive and there are no handrails. That being said, the platforms (whales backs) are huge and you do not have to go near any of the cliff edges. There are marked out “Safety Zones” on the whales to keep you from going too close to the edge.
The Three Whale Rock is very high up!
Facilities At The Three Whales Rock
There are toilets at the base of the rock as well as at the top near the Three Whale Rock viewpoint.
If you want food or drink, there’s plenty of street food stalls and sit down eateries around the car-park at the base. There is also a gloriously air-conditioned coffee shop on site!
On the left is the “baby” of the family - he’s a little too small to walk on though!
Conclusion - An Unknown Isan Treasure
Thailand never ceases to amaze us. The landscapes are phenomenal and endlessly varied. This little known corner of Isan is an undisputed jewel. Right now, very few Westerners are making the journey to Bueng Kan and the Three Whale Rock, we can’t imagine this will be the case forever as it is simply too beautiful. If you’re in the area don’t miss it. If you’re not in the area, hopefully this will inspire you to head northeast and explore some of Isan’s hidden treasures!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
Check Our Our Other Bueng Kan Guides Below:
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Bueng Kan - A Complete Guide To The Isan Town
Bueng Kan is a small market town in Isan, northeast Thailand. The town is a great spot to base yourself in to see some of the most famous sights of the region. With a bustling weekend Walking Street, a traditional local market and plenty of delicious Isan food on offer, there’s lots to keep you occupied. Read our full guide to find out what there is to see and do in the town and why you should add Bueng Kan to your Isan itinerary!
Sitting in the corner of northeastern Thailand, in the very northern fringes of Isan lies the sleepy, market town of Bueng Kan. Clinging to the banks of the mighty Mekong River and overlooking Laos, Bueng Kan is a small but charming town with a bustling market, lots of street-side eateries and a lively weekend Walking Street. Further afield the town and province are home to the famous Three Whale Rock, Wat Phu Tok as well as national parks, waterfalls and caves.
The town and province of Bueng Kan rarely feature on any travellers itinerary of Thailand, but if you’re looking to delve deeper, explore some untrodden paths, get a taste for Isan food and see a different side to Thailand, then this guide is for you!
Read on to find out everything you’ll need to know about visiting Bueng Kan.
What’s in Our Bueng Kan Guide?
Disclosure: This article may contain affiliate links. We will earn a small commission from any purchases made through these links.
What To Do In Bueng Kan
Bueng Kan Walking Street Market
(location)
Open every Friday and Saturday, Bueng Kan’s Walking Street Market opens up to locals and travellers from late afternoon until mid-evening.
The night market is huge, sprawling all along the banks of the Mekong River. As with all weekend markets in Thailand, it is a mix of stalls; some selling vintage clothing others mobile phone accessories, local crafts and street food.
We love a Walking Street Market - we love wandering between the stalls, browsing through the wares and munching down on sticks of moo ping (grilled pork), sets of sushi (our guilty pleasure), fried chicken and mango sticky rice. A Walking Street Market is a place where you can eat as much or as little as you want!
In Bueng Kan it was rammed with families, it felt like the whole of Bueng Kan province had descended on the night market! Come the weekend, it’s definitely the busiest spot in town.
If you haven’t experienced a Thai Walking Street Market you haven’t travelled Thailand!
Opening times: Friday and Saturday from 16:00 until 20:30pm.
We were lucky to visit the town during the annual Loy Krathong festivities. A huge Buddhist festival that takes place during the 12th lunar month (based on the Buddhist calendar) where Buddhists pay homage to the spirits of the water and place offerings (krathongs) into rivers and lakes to wash away bad luck and ensure good fortune.
In Bueng Kan during Loy Krathong, the whole town was abuzz. There was a huge stage set up with live music and the market was full of families buying flowers, incense and krathongs to release into the nearby Mekong.
Bueng Kan Market
(location)
As with any small Thai town, Bueng Kan’s Market is the beating heart of the community. The main market sits inside a covered building, stuffed full of rows upon rows of stalls selling everything from fresh fruit to curry pastes, lingerie to children’s toys. A Thai market is always a great place to have a wander!
Bueng Kan’s Market is a wet market in every sense, with stalls dripping in melted ice, selling live fish and big haunches of meat.
Our favourite thing to do in any Thai town (Bueng Kan was no different) is to head to the market for breakfast. It’s always great fun seeing the markets in full swing and just wandering around snooping at what’s for sale - you’ll never know what you’ll find! When you’re hungry, just head to any of the food stalls that take your fancy, attempt in very broken Thai (if you’re us) to order whatever their selling and we can guarantee you’ll get one of the freshest, tastiest meals you’ll ever have eaten - we promise you won’t get fresher than the ingredients from a market food stall!
We’d recommend heading to the market in the early morning to see it at its best as by lunchtime, the majority of the market is winding down.
Surrounding the market on all sides are plenty of sit-down eateries, so even if you don’t want to dine inside there’s plenty of places to get some munch.
When we visited, a lot of the local market was taken up with ‘krathong’s’ for sale ready for the upcoming Loy Krathong festival. There were lots of stalls selling the traditional floral krathongs as well as these newer, very cute modern takes on krathongs!
City Pillar Shrine - San Chao Mae Song Nang San Lak Mueang Bueng Kan
(location)
Sitting in the middle of a busy roundabout, a short walk south of the main market, sits Bueng Kan’s City Pillar Shrine. Guarded by two stone elephants and swathed in yellow and orange marigold garlands, the small red and gold shrine was always busy with locals leaving offerings and lighting incense. If you can, pass by the shrine at night as it’s lit up in red Chinese lanterns and is very pretty!
Walk Along The Banks Of The Mekong River
(location)
Bueng Kan town stretches away from the banks of the Mekong. Where the town meets the river, there’s a long walking path and road running alongside it which is stuffed full of small parks, cafes, restaurants and bars.
Whilst we were visiting, the whole area was undergoing a huge renovation project, with what looks like a new park being built and a huge curving walking path that will eventually lead out into the middle of the Mekong.
We’d recommend picking up a coffee from the White House Cafe (more on this later) and walking along the riverfront.
There’s a couple of temples to visit along the way, including the red and gold Wat Bupparat Samoson, Wat Pummibal Wattana with its golden Buddha statue seated outside, as well as the colourful Grandfather Shrine of Ya Bueng Kan. You’ll know you’ve reached the Grandfather's shrine when you see the ornate, Chinese style, stepped roof gateway covered in naga’s at the top.
If you’re heading into one of the temples, just remember to dress respectfully with shoulders and knees covered!
Along the walk, don’t miss the big sign which is watched over by two enormous, shimmering green, coiled Naga statues. The sign translated says “The northern border of Isan” and when we visited, was draped in lots of colourful offerings.
“The northern border of Isan” sign guarded by two nagas. It’s called the northern border as if you went any further north you’d be in Laos!
It is also along this road and riverbank where the Friday and Saturday Walking Street Market opens up.
If you’re looking for a beer and a meal, we’d recommend heading to this street in the evening. There were lots of restaurants and bars dotted along this strip.
Visit The Three Whale Rock
(location)
Perhaps the province's most famous tourist attraction, the Three Whale Rock are just a 30 minute drive away from Bueng Kan.
Looking like a pod of rocky red whales beached on top of a hill in the middle of a Thai jungle, the Three Whale Rock are super impressive. From the top you can get an incredible panoramic view over the flat landscape below!
Check out our full guide to visiting below:
Visit Wat Phu Tok Rock Temple
(location)
Wat Phu Tok lies around 50 minutes away from Bueng Kan. Clinging to a massive rock that dominates the flat landscape, Wat Phu Tok is a fascinating temple with wooden plank walkways and precarious lookouts sprouting from the rock face.
To read more about our visiting the temple and what to expect when you’re there, check out our full blog below:
Explore Bueng Kan Province - National Parks, Waterfalls and Caves
Bueng Kan town is only a tiny part of the much larger Bueng Kan province. Outside the small market town, there’s plenty to see and do.
The most popular spot for travellers to head to is the Phu Langka National Park which runs along the border of both Bueng Kan and Nakhon Phanom provinces. In the park there’s lots of hiking trails, the famous Naga Cave and plenty of waterfalls.
As it was the dry season we decided not to visit the national park as it’s best visited during Bueng Kan’s Wet Season (May to November) when the waterfalls are at their peak flow. Let us know in the comment what we missed!
We will be back in Isan and next time it’ll hopefully be the right time to explore the national park properly.
The easiest way to explore more of the province would be by motorbike or car. The province is very remote and rural and there’s very little (if any) public transport to the attractions themselves. Although you can easily hop between major towns by local bus - just ask at the bus station for more information.
Entrance fees to Phu Langka National Park are 200 baht per adult and 100 baht per child.
Where To Eat And Drink In Bueng Kan - Our Food and Coffee Recommendations
Dining in Bueng Kan is a very local affair, with lots of brilliant Isan cuisine on offer, if you’re an adventurous eater like us, you’re in for a treat! However, if you’re a fussy eater (please don’t be, you’re in Thailand and the food is amazing) then you might find your dining choices are limited to cafes and 7-Eleven. If you’re ever unsure of where to head to for food in a Thai town we’d always recommend heading to the weekend Walking Street Market or the local markets in town - there always stuffed full of great local eats.
We only dipped our toes in to the local food scene, there’s so much more to offer, but here’s just some of our favourite eats in the town.
Fried Eggs at Banpu Porridge
(location)
This super popular breakfast eatery became our go-to almost every morning we were in Bueng Kan. Serving pan eggs, congee, pork rib noodle soup and pork floss baguettes, this small street side restaurant was packed with locals munching down their breakfast every time we visited.
We always ordered the pan fried eggs which never failed to be delicious and set us up for a full day of exploring.
Served on a scalding hot metal pan, two fried eggs were cooked to perfection and topped with slices of sweet Chinese sausage, minced pork, chunks of Vietnamese style pork sausage and slithers of spring onion. You can eat it just as it comes like we did, or you can ask for a crispy baguette to dip in the eggs. Coming in at 30 baht a plate, the fried eggs from here were some of the cheapest and tastiest breakfasts we’ve had in the whole of Thailand!
Isan Style BBQ Chicken, Sticky Rice and Som Tam Salad
(location)
It should be a law in Thailand, that if you’re exploring Isaan, there’s no way you can leave without trying some of its incredible barbecued chicken, sticky rice and spicy som tam salad.
There’s no proper Google listing for this restaurant, but it’s located just next door to the PTT garage. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the huge spatchcocked chickens spread out over smoking BBQ grills.
We ordered half a chicken, a spicy som tam salad and two portions of sticky rice and out came an Isan feast!
The som tam was delicious. The plate was piled high with snappy papaya, sweet tomatoes and plenty of crunchy peanuts all sitting in a zingy, sharp and spicy sauce. The star of the show was definitely the chicken. As we pulled it apart, the meat was so moist, the juice would literally soak into every grain of the sticky rice.
If you’re after a good Isan feast, we cannot recommend this restaurant enough!
Streetside Wonton Soup
As evening draws in, almost every village, town and city in Thailand will have a wonton and noodle soup stand pop up on the street.
Bueng Kan’s streetside wonton soup stand was always set up on the main road heading into town. It was so good, we ended up dining here twice!
Two big bowls of plump, juicy pork and prawn wontons sat plunged in a delicate porky broth all topped with crispy shards of pork belly and slices of red pork. It was a huge steaming bowl of porky goodness. The stall also sells noodle soup dishes and wonton and noodle plates with soup on the side.
If you’re unsure what to eat but want to dabble at street-side eating in Thailand, just look out for the yellow signs hung above the street carts with the words ‘Chaixi noodles’ written on it in red. We’ve never had a bad meal at any of these stalls.
Stir Fry Street Food Stall - Pad Kra Pao With Preserved Egg
This small stir fry food stall served up plate after plate of Thai favourites. From pad thai to fried rice, pad kra pao to fried morning glory and pork, whatever Thai style stir fry you fancied, you’d be able to order it at this street-side restaurant.
We headed in and decided we would order two plates of pad kra pao. As we were ordering, both of us completely forgot the Thai word for fried egg. We gingerly pointed towards the neon pink shelled eggs and hoped the server would understand what we wanted. He nodded and quickly got to work stir-frying.
What came out was a plate of pad kra pao, but our egg was definitely not the fried variety!
The slithers of black amongst the pork are the preserved egg!
The pink shelled eggs were in fact preserved eggs. On our plate amongst the steaming pork sat half an egg, its yellow interior surrounded in a thick, black jellied coat. Being adventurous eaters we had no choice but to dive in. At first we were a little unsure. The egg was super strong, almost pungent to the taste, but mixed with the spicy pad kra pao and rice, it all came together in a perfect balance of flavours - sometimes when travelling it pays to make mistakes!
P.S. If you’re after a fried egg with your pad kra pao, the word you need is kai dao!
Roo-seuk-dee Cafe & Studio
Our first mission in almost any new town or city on our travels is to find good coffee. Luckily, we found Roo-seuk-dee Cafe and Studio soon after checking into our accommodation.
The interior of the cafe is super stylish with painted white brick walls, modern furniture and lots of trinkets scattered around.
Continuing our adventures through less touristy Thailand this is our travel guide to the city of Khon Kaen. Read all about what there is to do in this under-appreciated Isan city. From lakeside night markets to jaw-dropping temples and even some friendly capybaras, our guide covers everything there is to see, do and eat in Khon Kaen.