The Red Lotus Lake - Isan’s Stunning Sunrise Spectacle!
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:
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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
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