Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [376]
The riverside trading village of Mae Sam Laep is nearly at the end of a 50km winding mountain road from Mae Sariang, within the park boundaries. Populated by Burmese refugees, many of whom are Muslims, the town has a raw, border-town feel and is a launching point for boat trips along the Mae Nam Salawin. The trips pass through untouched jungle, unusual rock formations along the river and, occasionally, mount illegal forays into Myanmar.
From the pier at Mae Sam Laep it’s possible to charter boats south to Huay Mae Ti (700B), the Karen village of Ban Pu Tha (1200B) and Sop Moei (1300B, two hours), 25km from Mae Sam Laep; and north to the Salawin National Park station at Tha Ta Fang (1200B, 1½ hours), 18km north of Mae Sam Laep, as well as Ban Mae Sakeup (2000B) and the Sop Ngae Wildlife Sanctuary (2500B). There are passenger boats as well, but departures are infrequent and, unless you speak Thai, difficult to negotiate.
There are frequent srng·ta·ou from Mae Sariang to Mae Sam Laep (70B, 10 departures from 6.30am to 5pm), departing from Th Laeng Phanit near the morning market.
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Northeastern Thailand
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NAKHON RATCHASIMA PROVINCE
NAKHON RATCHASIMA (KHORAT)
AROUND NAKHON RATCHASIMA
KHAO YAI NATIONAL PARK
BURIRAM PROVINCE
NANG RONG
PHANOM RUNG HISTORICAL PARK
AROUND PHANOM RUNG
SURIN & SI SAKET PROVINCES
SURIN
AROUND SURIN
SI SAKET
AROUND SI SAKET
UBON RATCHATHANI PROVINCE
UBON RATCHATHANI
AROUND UBON RATCHATHANI PROVINCE
CHAIYAPHUM PROVINCE
CHAIYAPHUM
AROUND CHAIYAPHUM
KHON KAEN PROVINCE
KHON KAEN
AROUND KHON KAEN
UDON THANI PROVINCE
UDON THANI
AROUND UDON THANI
NONG KHAI PROVINCE
NONG KHAI
EAST OF NONG KHAI
WEST OF NONG KHAI
LOEI PROVINCE
LOEI
CHIANG KHAN
PHU REUA NATIONAL PARK
DAN SAI
SIRINDHORN ART CENTRE
PHU KRADUNG NATIONAL PARK
THAM ERAWAN
NAKHON PHANOM PROVINCE
NAKHON PHANOM
RENU NAKHON
THAT PHANOM
SAKON NAKHON PROVINCE
SAKON NAKHON
AROUND SAKON NAKHON
MUKDAHAN PROVINCE
MUKDAHAN
AROUND MUKDAHAN
YASOTHON & ROI ET PROVINCES
YASOTHON
AROUND YASOTHON
ROI ET
AROUND ROI ET
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For most travellers, and many Thais, the northeast is Thailand’s forgotten backyard. Isan (ee·shn), the collective name for the 19 provinces that make up the northeast, offers a glimpse of the Thailand of old: rice fields run to the horizon, water buffaloes wade in muddy ponds, silk weaving remains a cottage industry, pedal-rickshaw drivers pull passengers down city streets, and, even for those people who’ve had to seek work in the city, the village lifestyle prevails. This colossal corner of the country continues to live life on its own terms: slowly, steadily, and with a profound respect for heritage and history.
If you spend even just a little time here you’ll start to find as many differences as similarities to the rest of the country. The language, food and culture are more Lao than Thai, with hearty helpings of Khmer and Vietnamese thrown into the melting pot.
And spend time here you should. If you have a penchant for authentic experiences, it will surely be satisfied: Angkor temple ruins pepper the region, superb national parks protect some of the wildest corners of the country, sleepy villages host some of Thailand’s wildest celebrations and the scenery along parts of the Mekong is often nothing short of stunning. Thailand’s tourist trail is at its bumpiest here (English is rarely spoken), but the fantastic attractions and daily interactions could just end up being highlights of your trip.
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HIGHLIGHTS
Looking for elephants, tigers, pythons, monkeys and more in the mountainous forests of Khao Yai National Park (Click here)
Soaking up Isan’s Angkor-era stone age while wandering through the restored temple complexes of Phanom Rung (Click here) and Phimai (Click here)