Day 9, 31 October - Udon Thani
Last Bueng Kan Breakfast....... Today should be the last day in Bueng Kan province and it's just a question of how much ground we can cover before exit. We go down for breakfast with no great enthusiasm expecting no cold buffet today. In the dining hall there is no cold buffet only a warm one. Right! There were less people staying overnight but quite how that makes a difference I'm not sure. Probably it's that there are less people to keep opening the doors of the warmers and the food kept in a smaller space. Anyway, we've packed early and are ready to leave as soon as breakfast is over.
Today looks like it might be messy as we initially head west to a location near the Mekong River.
Wat Pa Ban Phan Lam....... Wat Pa Ban Phan Lam in Tambon Wisit, is a Maha Nikaya Sect temple and a respectful place for Dhamma practice. The temple features Luangpho Sila, a sacred Buddha image in a giving blessing posture carved from stone. It is 40 inches wide across the lap and is highly revered by people in the area. It is believed that the one, who pays homage to this sacred image, will have good fortune and be safe from harm. I continue to follow my list provided by the Tourist Office but know that sometimes they list locations with limited interest.
Kut Thing (or two)....... Southeast of Bueng Kan is a lake known as Kut Thing. Two locations are listed around this reservoir, but we struggle to find a suitable viewpoint. We're probably on the wrong side but from what I can see, the lake is pretty featureless.
Keng Sadok....... We now continue east where I hope to find an attraction that I missed yesterday. We are around Keng Sadok, and I get more views of the Mekong River but to be honest the river is not best viewed this time of year during high water.
Namtok Tham Fhun....... Could I get lucky today to view another elusive waterfall? We cross the water gate creating Huai Bang Bahd and this affords a good photo opportunity. We then locate a wildlife reserve area but try as we might, we cannot locate Namtok Tham Fhun. At this point there is just one attraction left on my list as we continue east. Then unexpectedly we see a sign for Namtok Tham Fhun pointing right but hit a roadblock. Here there is another entrance to Phu Wua Forest Park with the usual park fee. Moreover, the ranger says there is no water running over the falls now. The rains season has just ended right? Is today going the way of yesterday?
Haad Sida....... We now head for Haad Sida, and the ranger has warned us there is nothing to see. However, when I arrive there is a picture postcard view across the river into Laos. I take the point that there is little activity here; there won't be until the water level drops. Around the Songkran Festival each April the exposed beach will be packed with people. This will replicate what I witnessed last April around the freshwater beaches of Ubon Ratchathani. Given the amazing view, this location could well outshine those Ubon beaches.
Furthest Point....... As the river bends and turns south, this must be the furthest point in Isan from Bangkok and further than Chiang Mai in the north. Any direction from here moves us closer to Bangkok. I'm happy to declare the end of my visit to Bueng Kan province but time is still with us. However, a more ambitious aiming point tonight gets cancelled as we take a more scenic route continuing south along the Mekong.
There is one last opportunity to view the Mekong River in Khok Kwang, Bung Kla District and to say goodbye. But first we take a late lunch of noodles and visit the local temple, Wat Chantharam and then it's off west to begin our journey home. That does not mean the end of our visits, however. As we head inland, we are faced with the magnificent, Phu Langka, a stand-alone mountain ridge with jagged cliffs towering above the Mekong River. In the process we have inadvertently strayed into Nakhon Phanom Province where the Phu Lanka National Park is located. From here we skirt around the northern edge of the mountain and back into Bueng Kan.
Naka Cave....... At the foot of Phu Langka on the western side is Naka Cave in Bueng Khong Long District, the boundary between Bueng Kan and Nakhon Phanom.
The highlight of Naka Cave is that inside you will find a rock shaped like a giant snake or the body of a serpent. It looks like the scales of a large snake. In term of geology, it was formed by rocks on the Earth's surface through alternating hot-cold temperature changes and the physical processes of decay. The cracks on the surface surrounding the rock are called sun cracks. According to folklore or local beliefs, some people believe that the Naga that the villagers called Pu Aue Lue was cursed to become a stone trapped in this cave.
The cave is open from 7.00am. This is due to the long duration walk to reach the cave system. To compensate, the park closes at 4.00pm and the last entry is 2.00pm. From this you should expect the round trip to take 2 hours. Unfortunately, I cannot tick any of the boxes here. 2 hours is too stiff for me and besides we arrive too late anyway. Then there's, of course the dreaded 400-baht foreigner tax. This attraction just gets added to a long list of impossibles in Bueng Kan province. As we continue west there is one final attraction that I can manage.
Wat Seka Chetiyaram....... Wat Seka Chetiyaram is a beautiful temple in Seka District with multiple pagodas formed in Lang Xang style copied from Wat Phrathat Phanom Chedi. The principal chedi contains Buddhas relics and there is a museum here containing accumulated possessions and works of a famous monk. It seems appropriate that our visit to Bueng Khan Province starts with a temple and ends with one.
Winding Down....... At 4.00pm my work on this tour is all but over as we continue west through Nakhon Sakhon province and towards our destination, Udon Thani. No accommodation has been booked but the long holiday which caused so much headache has passed. There is a huge selection of accommodation in Udon Thani, it's just a matter of finding something at the right price. Two hotels I locate are rejected so it takes a little time for Katoon to find something more suitable. She locates an apartment near the Nong Prajak Lake. Talanta Place will do for our last night but again it's over budget at 700 baht with just coffee and toast provided in the kitchen. However, it's convenient for a good selection of eateries around the lake and there's a 7-Eleven just next door. Talanta Place is otherwise good enough for our needs although lacking a counter which many modern style apartments have which is more convenient while working on my laptop.
Final Dinner....... We are finally settled just after 7.00pm but while it would be convenient just to use 7-Eleven we decide to eat out and find a Korean BBQ for our final night on tour. That leaves little time for me to write up my blog for the day.
Next Page.
Last Bueng Kan Breakfast....... Today should be the last day in Bueng Kan province and it's just a question of how much ground we can cover before exit. We go down for breakfast with no great enthusiasm expecting no cold buffet today. In the dining hall there is no cold buffet only a warm one. Right! There were less people staying overnight but quite how that makes a difference I'm not sure. Probably it's that there are less people to keep opening the doors of the warmers and the food kept in a smaller space. Anyway, we've packed early and are ready to leave as soon as breakfast is over.
Today looks like it might be messy as we initially head west to a location near the Mekong River.
Wat Pa Ban Phan Lam....... Wat Pa Ban Phan Lam in Tambon Wisit, is a Maha Nikaya Sect temple and a respectful place for Dhamma practice. The temple features Luangpho Sila, a sacred Buddha image in a giving blessing posture carved from stone. It is 40 inches wide across the lap and is highly revered by people in the area. It is believed that the one, who pays homage to this sacred image, will have good fortune and be safe from harm. I continue to follow my list provided by the Tourist Office but know that sometimes they list locations with limited interest.
Kut Thing (or two)....... Southeast of Bueng Kan is a lake known as Kut Thing. Two locations are listed around this reservoir, but we struggle to find a suitable viewpoint. We're probably on the wrong side but from what I can see, the lake is pretty featureless.
Keng Sadok....... We now continue east where I hope to find an attraction that I missed yesterday. We are around Keng Sadok, and I get more views of the Mekong River but to be honest the river is not best viewed this time of year during high water.
Namtok Tham Fhun....... Could I get lucky today to view another elusive waterfall? We cross the water gate creating Huai Bang Bahd and this affords a good photo opportunity. We then locate a wildlife reserve area but try as we might, we cannot locate Namtok Tham Fhun. At this point there is just one attraction left on my list as we continue east. Then unexpectedly we see a sign for Namtok Tham Fhun pointing right but hit a roadblock. Here there is another entrance to Phu Wua Forest Park with the usual park fee. Moreover, the ranger says there is no water running over the falls now. The rains season has just ended right? Is today going the way of yesterday?
Haad Sida....... We now head for Haad Sida, and the ranger has warned us there is nothing to see. However, when I arrive there is a picture postcard view across the river into Laos. I take the point that there is little activity here; there won't be until the water level drops. Around the Songkran Festival each April the exposed beach will be packed with people. This will replicate what I witnessed last April around the freshwater beaches of Ubon Ratchathani. Given the amazing view, this location could well outshine those Ubon beaches.
Furthest Point....... As the river bends and turns south, this must be the furthest point in Isan from Bangkok and further than Chiang Mai in the north. Any direction from here moves us closer to Bangkok. I'm happy to declare the end of my visit to Bueng Kan province but time is still with us. However, a more ambitious aiming point tonight gets cancelled as we take a more scenic route continuing south along the Mekong.
There is one last opportunity to view the Mekong River in Khok Kwang, Bung Kla District and to say goodbye. But first we take a late lunch of noodles and visit the local temple, Wat Chantharam and then it's off west to begin our journey home. That does not mean the end of our visits, however. As we head inland, we are faced with the magnificent, Phu Langka, a stand-alone mountain ridge with jagged cliffs towering above the Mekong River. In the process we have inadvertently strayed into Nakhon Phanom Province where the Phu Lanka National Park is located. From here we skirt around the northern edge of the mountain and back into Bueng Kan.
Naka Cave....... At the foot of Phu Langka on the western side is Naka Cave in Bueng Khong Long District, the boundary between Bueng Kan and Nakhon Phanom.
The highlight of Naka Cave is that inside you will find a rock shaped like a giant snake or the body of a serpent. It looks like the scales of a large snake. In term of geology, it was formed by rocks on the Earth's surface through alternating hot-cold temperature changes and the physical processes of decay. The cracks on the surface surrounding the rock are called sun cracks. According to folklore or local beliefs, some people believe that the Naga that the villagers called Pu Aue Lue was cursed to become a stone trapped in this cave.
The cave is open from 7.00am. This is due to the long duration walk to reach the cave system. To compensate, the park closes at 4.00pm and the last entry is 2.00pm. From this you should expect the round trip to take 2 hours. Unfortunately, I cannot tick any of the boxes here. 2 hours is too stiff for me and besides we arrive too late anyway. Then there's, of course the dreaded 400-baht foreigner tax. This attraction just gets added to a long list of impossibles in Bueng Kan province. As we continue west there is one final attraction that I can manage.
Wat Seka Chetiyaram....... Wat Seka Chetiyaram is a beautiful temple in Seka District with multiple pagodas formed in Lang Xang style copied from Wat Phrathat Phanom Chedi. The principal chedi contains Buddhas relics and there is a museum here containing accumulated possessions and works of a famous monk. It seems appropriate that our visit to Bueng Khan Province starts with a temple and ends with one.
Winding Down....... At 4.00pm my work on this tour is all but over as we continue west through Nakhon Sakhon province and towards our destination, Udon Thani. No accommodation has been booked but the long holiday which caused so much headache has passed. There is a huge selection of accommodation in Udon Thani, it's just a matter of finding something at the right price. Two hotels I locate are rejected so it takes a little time for Katoon to find something more suitable. She locates an apartment near the Nong Prajak Lake. Talanta Place will do for our last night but again it's over budget at 700 baht with just coffee and toast provided in the kitchen. However, it's convenient for a good selection of eateries around the lake and there's a 7-Eleven just next door. Talanta Place is otherwise good enough for our needs although lacking a counter which many modern style apartments have which is more convenient while working on my laptop.
Final Dinner....... We are finally settled just after 7.00pm but while it would be convenient just to use 7-Eleven we decide to eat out and find a Korean BBQ for our final night on tour. That leaves little time for me to write up my blog for the day.
Next Page.
Bueng Kan Province
Wat Pa Ban Phan Lam, Wisit,
Mueng Bueng Kan District
Kut Thing, Mueng Bueng Kan District
Keng Sadok, Khok Kong,
Mueng Bueng Kan District
Huai Bang Bahd, Mueng Bueng Kan District
Mekong River, Bung Khla District
Haad Sida, Nong Doen, Bung Khla District
Wat Chantharam, Khok Kwang,
Bung Khla District
Nakhon Phanom Province
Phu Langka National Park, Phai Lom,
Ban Phaeng District
Bueng Kan Province
Naka Cave, Pho Mak Khaeng,
Bueng Khong Long District
Wat Seka Chetiyaram, Seka, Seka District