Khon Kaen Journals

Dinosaurs in the Mall

Best of IgoUgo

A travel journal to Khon Kaen by SeenThat

Quote: At the very heart of Isaan, Thailand’s northeastern lobe, Khon Kaen is the perfect base from where to explore it. That is not the only reason to stop here; the city combines the relaxed ambience of small, rural Thai towns with all the commodities of the bigger ones.

17 Photos

Dinosaurs in the Mall

Overview

Quote:

From the town it is easy to reach several attractions in Isaan in a few hours’ travel. Khon Kaen is famous in Thailand for its dinosaurs and the Phuwiang National Park is 90km to the northwest and invites a whole day trip to the far past. Chiang Khan is a wonderful riverside town drowning in foliage; it has several guesthouses and you can comfortably stay there for a couple of days. Lom Sak and Loei are good bases while visiting several national parks around them, like Phu Kradong, Nam Nao, Phu Hin Rongkla, and Phu Reua. The attractions include a moon-valley, wild large mammals, rare birds that are somewhat hard to spot, and relics from the Thai communist guerrillas who were active here in the far past. Mahasarakam, Roi Et, and Kalsin, to the east, are rural towns that offer wonderful samples of the Isaan cuisine, especially in the mango season. Yasothon is famous for its rocket festival in May. Khon Kaen itself offers high-quality silk, a lively night bazaar, a museum, and the famous Wat Nongwang in the southern part of the town.

Quick Tips:

Klang Muang Road, the second street east of the bus terminal, hosts several guesthouses. Due to the large number of people crossing this transport hub, usually it is difficult to find a place if you arrive in the late afternoon. That is the usual case with the popular Saen Samran Hotel at Klang Muang 55-9, which offers fan single rooms from 150 to 200B. The renovated Roma hotel asks for 230 to 400B, the Khon Kaen Hotel 500B, and the Pongin Mantion 200 to 350B, and all of them are along Klang Muang. The Rossukond Hotel is at the junction of Glang Muang with Prachasamosorn (the main avenue) and asks for 550B.

Eastern Isaan, terrain east of Highway 2, offers several big towns that may be considered as overnight stops: Nakhon Phanom, Sakhon Nakhon, Ubon Ratchathani, Mukdahan, and others, while Western Isaan is more rural in nature and even towns like Chiang Khan, Loei and Lom Sak offer just minimal accommodations. To explore this last area, you may consider day trips from Khon Kaen.

There are consulates from Laos and Vietnam in the town, but it is more convenient to issue your visas while in Bangkok.

Best Way To Get Around:

As Khorat is to its south and Udon Thani to its north, Khon Kaen sits on Highway 2 that connects Bangkok with Vientiane in Laos. That and its central location in Isaan transform Khon Kaen into an exceptionally well-connected place. Beside the obvious buses along Isaan’s main axis, there are buses to all the main towns in Isaan. Khon Kaen offers an excellent opportunity to shorten your connection with northern Thailand through highway 12, using the direct buses from the terminal to Chiang Mai. You can break your journey with stops at Lom Sak or Phitanulok. Lom Sak is at the limit between Isaan and Northern Thailand, and Phitanulok is an important city in northern Thailand and hosts one of the most sacred (and impressive) Buddha statues in the kingdom. If you wish to travel along Highway 2, there are buses in both directions at all times: all the night buses from Bangkok and Nong Khai stop here, and if they have space, they do collect passengers. Despite the many options of public transport within the city, if you are not in a hurry, then the best way to move around is by foot, since most of the attractions are close to the center and the town is surprisingly not congested and pleasant.

Read Less

Cheer!
Flag

Udon Thani

Attraction

Quote:

Udon Thani is the last city along the Thai Highway 2, which crosses all the northeastern of Thailand up to the town of Nong Khai and the Friendship Bridge over the Mekong River to ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 12, 2007

Cheer!
Flag

Sakon Nakhon

Attraction

Quote:

LocationIn eastern Isaan’s heart and on the Khorat Plateau is the town of Sakon Nakhon, which is usually overlooked due to its more famous and accessible neighbors along the Mekong River and Highway 2.However, Sakon Nakhon is a perfect place from where to reach Nakhon Phanom, That Phanom and Mukdahan as well as relatively near to Udon Thani (155km) on Highway 2. RationaleThe reason why Sakon Nakhon should be considered as a base for ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 12, 2007

Cheer!
Flag

Loei

Attraction

Quote:

Northwest of Khon Kaen is Loei, which is perfectly placed to begin from it a tour around the Thai Mekong River. Reaching LoeiReaching Loei is possible from Khon Kaen with several buses per day (207B), from Udon Thani just during the morning (143B) or from Phitsanulok, through Dan Sai. The last is the most scenic, due to the steep climbing until Dan Sai. Leaving Loei through Chiang Khan, assures the wildest ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 12, 2007

Cheer!
Flag

Khon Kaen

Attraction

Quote:

At Isaan’s heart, Khon Kaen combines the relaxed ambience of small, rural Thai towns with all the commodities of the bigger ones.The city is famous in Thailand for its dinosaurs; the Phuwiang National Park is ninety kilometres to the northwest and invites to a whole day trip to the far past. Khon Kaen itself offers high-quality silk, a lively night bazaar, a museum and the famous Wat Nongwang at the southern part of the town. There are consulates from Laos and ...Read More

Member Rating 5 out of 5 on December 12, 2007

Cheer!
Flag

About the Writer

SeenThat
Tel Aviv, Israel

"See http://www.igougo.com/travel_blog/post-p164-5_Questions_for_SeenThat.html We are all pilgrims....."
218 journals
14822 photos
789 reviews

More Journals by SeenThat

More Khon Kaen Journals

The Land of Orphan Toasters

More North Thailand; Khon Kaen

Khon Kaen Tips & Stories

Lao & Vietnamese Consulates

Popular Khon Kaen Hotels

Pullman Khon Kaen Raja Orchid: User Rating: 4 out of 5
Madela's Guesthouse: User Rating: 4 out of 5
Saen Samran Hotel: User Rating: 4 out of 5
Charoen Thani Princess: User Rating: 3 out of 5
Khon Kaen Orchid: User Rating: 3 out of 5

Khon Kaen's day & night markets: User Rating: 4 out of 5
Khon Kaen National Museum: User Rating: 3 out of 5
King Cobra Village: User Rating: 3 out of 5