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● OK season Isan (Northeast)560 km from Bangkok
Udon Thani
Red Lotus Sea + Nong Khai Sala Kaew Ku
See the Red Lotus Sea by boat in the morning (Dec–Feb), Ban Chiang (UNESCO), and the Mekong riverside in Nong Khai with the giant statues of Sala Kaew Ku and views of Laos.
NaturePhoto spotsHistoryMarkets Ideal: 3 days560 km · 1 hr flight / 9 hrs train
How to go
Fly DMK → UTH ≈ 900–1,700 ฿ · Sleeper train to Nong Khai ≈ 900–1,300 ฿ · Udon ⇄ Nong Khai by bus 1 hr, 50 ฿
Entry
Red Lotus boat 300–500 ฿ per boat (shared) · Ban Chiang 150 ฿ · Sala Kaew Ku 40 ฿
Stay
Udon, or by the river in Nong Khai, 600–1,500 ฿
Season in Nov ● OK season
The Red Lotus Sea blooms Dec–Feb (flowers open only 06:00–11:00). The Naga fireball festival is at the October full moon (Nong Khai).
Day-by-day plan
3 days
1Day 1
- Sunrise boat on the Red Lotus Sea (Nong Han Kumphawapi) — 1 hr from Udon
- Ban Chiang UNESCO Bronze Age site (1 hr)
- Lunch in Udon (naem nueang)
- Nong Prajak Park, then UD Town night market
2Day 2
- Bus to Nong Khai (1 hr)
- Sala Kaew Ku sculpture park
- Lunch at Tha Sadet Indochina market
- Wat Pho Chai, then cycle along the Mekong riverside
- Sunset boat on the Mekong (≈100 ฿) — Laos is on the other side
3Day 3
- Phu Phra Bat Historical Park (Ban Phue, 1.5 hrs) — old rock shelters
- Lunch, then back to Udon
- Flight or train back
Food to try
- •Udon: Vietnamese-Isan food (VT Naem Nueang)
- •Nong Khai: Mekong fish, snacks at Tha Sadet market
- •UD Town night market
Good to know
Get to the Red Lotus Sea at 06:00–08:00 to see the flowers open. A shared boat for 4–6 people costs 500 ฿ per boat.
Book directly
Partner sites show live prices.
฿5,550 / per person
3 days · 2 people · ฿11,100