This tour started amidst uncertainty on the back of medical issues I had in Bangkok and time for traveling unavailable for the first three weeks of my stay in Thailand this time. It meant that there was pressure on this tour to be a success. As we departed, I hoped for the best but prepared for the worst leaving options open as best I could.
The starting point for this tour was a logical one dictated by the need for me for me to cover more provinces. Three of Thailand's minor provinces in Isan region nicely grouped would be the focus for this tour. Beyond that there was the small matter or Songkran (Thailand's New Year) and where we should spend it.
As the days progressed my enthusiasm and clarity of thought returned and we covered the provinces of Yasothon, Mukdahan and Amnat Charoen in the first 10 days. A point had been reached where this tour was already a success with a wealth of interesting site visits already covered. At that point the direction of travel deviated completely from what I had in mind originally. Heading south into Ubon Ratchathani Province was a bit of a lottery. This province is by no means a minor one and accordingly takes a lot of work to cover. Nevertheless, the plan was to start in the northern districts and work southwards and see how far it went. Initially, most of the time was spent near the Mekong River which offered amazing opportunities. Far more was achieved during this time than I could ever have expected with some iconic attractions visited. The final day and a half in the province were spent in the city itself covering the amazing temples.
I cannot deny what a privilege and opportunity I was afforded during this time, but nothing is free also it seems. There was a penalty to pay; working in temperatures sometimes over 40 Deg. Celsius. This wasn't pleasant at times I can tell you.
In the end I spun this tour out to last 16 days which was conducted without incident or misdemeanour for which I was extremely grateful.
Of course, this was another long-distance tour with the maximum distance from Bangkok being over 700 kilometres. Once again, I thank my partner for her driving and research which enabled me to maximize the number of site visits as well as providing valuable information.
Finally, I always need to keep track of the cost of these tours and have often achieved 1,500 baht per day which is ridiculously cheap by many people's standards. The quality of accommodation wasn't great at times and then and there's nothing I could have done about the fuel that we used. Where we managed to save a little money was by purchasing food in local night markets, using local restaurants serving Thai food or at 7-Eleven. Having said that we did have a few special dining experiences. While the 1500 baht is no longer achievable, we came close to it due to the low cost of living in Isan. The biggest inflationary cost in Thailand now is that of fuel but overall, the cost of living is still remarkably cheap for me.
First Page.
The starting point for this tour was a logical one dictated by the need for me for me to cover more provinces. Three of Thailand's minor provinces in Isan region nicely grouped would be the focus for this tour. Beyond that there was the small matter or Songkran (Thailand's New Year) and where we should spend it.
As the days progressed my enthusiasm and clarity of thought returned and we covered the provinces of Yasothon, Mukdahan and Amnat Charoen in the first 10 days. A point had been reached where this tour was already a success with a wealth of interesting site visits already covered. At that point the direction of travel deviated completely from what I had in mind originally. Heading south into Ubon Ratchathani Province was a bit of a lottery. This province is by no means a minor one and accordingly takes a lot of work to cover. Nevertheless, the plan was to start in the northern districts and work southwards and see how far it went. Initially, most of the time was spent near the Mekong River which offered amazing opportunities. Far more was achieved during this time than I could ever have expected with some iconic attractions visited. The final day and a half in the province were spent in the city itself covering the amazing temples.
I cannot deny what a privilege and opportunity I was afforded during this time, but nothing is free also it seems. There was a penalty to pay; working in temperatures sometimes over 40 Deg. Celsius. This wasn't pleasant at times I can tell you.
In the end I spun this tour out to last 16 days which was conducted without incident or misdemeanour for which I was extremely grateful.
Of course, this was another long-distance tour with the maximum distance from Bangkok being over 700 kilometres. Once again, I thank my partner for her driving and research which enabled me to maximize the number of site visits as well as providing valuable information.
Finally, I always need to keep track of the cost of these tours and have often achieved 1,500 baht per day which is ridiculously cheap by many people's standards. The quality of accommodation wasn't great at times and then and there's nothing I could have done about the fuel that we used. Where we managed to save a little money was by purchasing food in local night markets, using local restaurants serving Thai food or at 7-Eleven. Having said that we did have a few special dining experiences. While the 1500 baht is no longer achievable, we came close to it due to the low cost of living in Isan. The biggest inflationary cost in Thailand now is that of fuel but overall, the cost of living is still remarkably cheap for me.
First Page.
Wiman Phaya Taen (Phaya Naga Museum), Nai Mueang, Mueang Yasothon District, Yasothon Province
Wat Ban Song Khon or Our Lady of the Martyrs of Thailand Shrine, Pong Kham,
Wan Yai District, Mukdahan Province
Phu Thai Village, Kham Khuean Kaeo, Chanuman District, Amnat Charoen Province
Pha Taem Rock Paintings, Huai Phai, Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province