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
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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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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
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 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 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
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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 daao!
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.
The cafe itself served up phenomenal coffee - our two lattes were delicious. The best bit about this cafe though is their cakes! We ordered an apple crumble muffin and it was some of the best cake we’ve eaten in Thailand. Sweet, crumbly and stuffed full of almonds it was a naughty but necessary purchase!
25 July Coffee
This is another super modern coffee shop in Bueng Kan set amongst a pretty garden. Inside, the cafe is painted white with a sleek concrete bar, a leather sofa and lots of antique style wooden furniture.
We ordered two lattes and they were delicious. Nutty, milky and not too sweet, they were everything we wanted them to be for a post breakfast beverage! If you’ve eaten your breakfast at Banpu Porridge (like we did most days) it's only a short walk to this cafe.
Also the staff are super friendly and helpful!
White House Cafe
This tiny, welcoming coffee shop serves up tasty coffee alongside slices of layered cake, cheesecake and other sweet treats.
We picked up a couple of iced americanos to walk with as we explored the Mekong Riverfront and they hit the spot perfectly.
The cafe is also open till late during the Walking Street Market so if you’re in need of a caffeinated brew before your market munching, head here!
Why Go To Bueng Kan? Essential Information For Visiting The Town
Where Is Bueng Kan?
Bueng Kan is part of Thailand’s largest region - Isan and sits clinging to the banks of the Mekong in the very north east corner of Thailand. You can find Bueng Kan on a map here.
Bueng Kan is sometimes referred to as Bung Kan.
The town of Bueng Kan is also the provincial capital of the Bueng Kan district; Thailand’s newest province created in 2011. Bueng Kan sits between Nong Khai in the south west, Sakhon Nakhon to the south and Nakhon Phanom to the south east. To the north of Bueng Kan, across the Mekong, lies the province of Bolikhamsai in Laos.
Bueng Kan lies 768 KM (around a 10.5 hour drive) away from the Thai capital in Bangkok.
How To Get To Bueng Kan?
For most travellers, Bueng Kan will be part of a larger Isan trip. In fact it was our second stop on our very own Isan Mekong discovery trail, where we would follow the Mekong and stop in the Isaan towns and cities along the way!
For those spelling geeks out there, you’ll probably have spotted that we’ve been spelling Isan in two different ways: 'Isan’ or ‘Isaan’. The northeast district of Thailand can be spelt in a variety of ways with Isan being the most popular. Some other variations of its spelling are Isaan, Esan or Isarn.
Isan is the name given to the northeast region of Thailand. The region consists of over 20 different provinces including Bueng Kan.
Almost all travellers heading to Bueng Kan (unless you’ve hired a car or motorbike) will arrive at Bueng Kan’s Bus Station, located 2KM away from the Mekong River. The bus station sits just off the main road that connects Nong Khai to Bueng Khan and onto Nakhon Phanom. You can find the bus terminal on a map here.
Bueng Kan’s bus station is very quiet, clean and has plenty of seating whilst you wait for your bus. There are toilets on-site and, just over the main road, opposite the bus terminal is a good sized 7-Eleven - perfect to stock up on snacks and supplies for wherever you’re heading to next - if you’re lucky and catching the bus late afternoon the roti man may also be there!
Bueng Kan’s bus station is very quiet!
When you arrive, there’ll be a couple of tuk tuk drivers and taxis eagerly waiting to see if they can offer you a lift into town. We declined their offers as we were staying at the Wisdom Residence Hotel only a short walk from the bus terminal.
Getting to Bueng Kan From Within Isan
Wherever you are in Isan, you’ll have no problem catching a bus or minivan to get to Bueng Kan. All the major towns and cities will have a bus station and there’ll be plenty of buses criss-crossing the region.
To get to Bueng Kan ourselves, we caught a minivan from Nong Khai Bus Station in the morning and arrived in Bueng Kan by lunchtime - our bus tickets cost 250 baht per person.
Make sure to have Google Translate on your phone - a lot of the time the bus timetables are written in Thai!
There’s very little information online for the smaller bus routes in Thailand so wherever you’re starting your journey from within Isan, we’d recommend heading to the nearest bus station and asking there for up to date times and ticket prices.
The nearest train station to Bueng Kan is either in Nong Khai or Udon Thani. Both cities have direct trains to Bangkok. From there you’ll need to catch a bus or minivan to Bueng Kan itself.
Getting to Bueng Kan From Bangkok
The easiest way to get to Bueng Kan from Bangkok is to catch a bus. Buses depart every day from Bangkok’s Mochit Bus Station, with around 6 departures per day. Most buses will travel overnight, leaving Bangkok early evening and arriving early the next morning. Journeys will take anything from 11 to 13 hours depending on traffic / number of stops along the way.
We have used the overnight buses in Thailand extensively and have always had a comfy ride. With your bus ticket, you’ll almost certainly be given a pillow, blanket, water and snacks. There is usually a toilet on board and the bus will stop halfway for a food / toilet break.
Getting To Bueng Kan From Chiang Mai
Overnight buses depart from Chiang Mai’s Bus Terminal 3 everyday leaving at 17:00 pm and arriving at Bueng Kan at 08:25 am the next morning.
Getting To Bueng Kan From Laos - Crossing the Thai/Laos Friendship Bridges
If you’ve come to the end of your Laotian visa and are looking to explore northeastern Thailand, you can easily cross into Thailand from one of the Thai/Laos Friendship border crossing points. From Vientiane you can enter Thailand at Nong Khai or if you’re in southern Laos, you can cross the border at Thakhek and arrive at the riverside city of Nakhon Phanom.
From both Nong Khai and Nakhon Phanom you will need to head to the bus station to catch an onwards bus to take you all the way to Bueng Kan.
Where To Stay - Hotels And Guesthouses In Bueng Kan
During our trip to Bueng Kan, we stayed at the very comfy Wisdom Residence Hotel about a 1KM walk from the banks of the Mekong. Our room was very comfortable, with a big double bed, balcony, en-suite bathroom with hot shower, air-conditioning and a small table and chair set - perfect for munching down any treats we had picked up from the Walking Street Market! The room was cleaned everyday and despite a little difficulty with communication (our Thai is appalling) the reception staff helped us with all our questions about the town and helped to find a scooter to rent for the day.
To book a stay at the Wisdom Residence Hotel, click here.
Despite its small size, there’s still plenty of accommodation to choose from in Bueng Kan. From a 4-star hotel to local guesthouses, whatever your budget there’ll be a bed for you. To check out all the accommodation available during your stay in Bueng Kan, click here.
If you’re planning to visit on a Friday or Saturday or during a Thai festival or holiday, make sure to book your accommodation well in advance. The town does get busy and you don’t want to be left stranded without a bed!
It can get very busy in Bueng Kan at weekends!
How To Get Around In Bueng Kan?
The easiest way to explore Bueng Kan is by foot. The town is very small and is easily walkable. From Bueng Kan’s Bus Station to the banks of the Mekong, it’s only a 2KM walk. There’s plenty of pavements and even after dark, the town is well lit and as with the whole of Thailand, we never felt unsafe!
If you’re planning to head out to explore the countryside, the Three Whale Rock or Wat Phu Tok you’ll need a set of wheels.
Scooter / Motorbike Rental in Bueng Kan
Bueng Kan is very much finding its feet with tourists and at the moment, there isn’t actually a rental shop in town where you can rent a scooter or motorbike. Our advice would be to speak to your accommodation to see if they can help.
On our first day we stopped in almost every shop or garage that looked as though it dealt in motorbikes, but couldn’t find anywhere to rent a scooter. In the end we headed back to our accommodation, the Wisdom Residence and asked the receptionist there if they could help. Luckily for us, she knew a person she could ask and a scooter was delivered to the hotel's car-park for us to rent the next day.
We rented the scooter for 250 baht per day.
Unfortunately on the way back from the Three Whale Rock the bike broke down, with some help we managed to get it to limp home, but we couldn’t rent it the next day, which meant we had to find another way to reach Wat Phu Tok. This brings us nicely on to …
Taxi / Tuk Tuks in Bueng Kan
The easiest place to hail a taxi / find a tuk tuk driver is at Bueng Kan’s Bus Terminal located just off the main road here. In town we rarely saw a taxi and Grab definitely doesn’t work in Bueng Kan.
This is the taxi driver we used!
As soon as we arrived at the bus station a man appeared offering his services. We explained we wanted to get to Wat Phu Tok and negotiated a pick up time / price.
The total cost to pay for a driver to take us to Wat Phu Tok, wait for us to explore and then drive us back to town cost us 1500 baht, an awful lot more than what we would have paid if we had a scooter for a day! But still, for a driver, an air conditioned taxi and an all day exploration it's hardly a rip off! If you can find a scooter rental, it’s definitely the cheaper option, but as we’ve said above it’s not the easiest find. Bueng Kan is definitely not on the usual tourist trail!
Where To Go Next?
From Bueng Kan the next logical step would be to delve deeper into Isan. After our stay, we did just that. We caught the 2.5 hour bus southeast to the riverside city of Nakhon Phanom and after that, continued travelling down the Mekong to Mukdahan before turning inland to visit the Isan cities of Sakhon Nakhon, Khon Kaen and Udon Thani.
If you had already come up through Isan, you could continue north and visit Nong Khai and its mysterious Buddha Park before heading further into Northern Thailand to visit Loei or Phitsanulok.
If you’re at the end of your Thailand trip you could always catch an overnight bus all the way back to the international airports at Bangkok or Chiang Mai. Alternatively, you could head to the Thai / Laos Friendship Border Crossing bridges at Nong Khai or Nakhon Phanom and cross over into Laos. From Nong Khai the closest city in Laos is Vientiane (read our guide to Vientiane here) and at Nakhon Phanom you will cross into the town of Thakhek. From Thakhek you can explore the town or hire a motorbike and ride the epic Thakhek Loop - find out everything you need to know here.
Final Thoughts - Why Go To Bueng Kan?
Bueng Kan is definitely far from the normal, well-trodden tourist trail in Thailand. It’s a small town boasting endless Isan charm with great food, a bustling market and plenty of things to see and do.
Bueng Kan is never going to be at the top of anyone’s Thailand itinerary. In fact if you asked most people to find it on a map, they’re going to struggle - Bueng Kan is a town that definitely feels undiscovered!
We only scratched the surface on what there is to see and do in the province, but we really enjoyed our time in this charming Isan town.
If you’re looking to head far from the well-trodden tourist trail and see a completely different side to Thailand, then yes you should definitely go to Bueng Kan!
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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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!