Khorat doesn't wear its heart on its sleeve. Only those sporting a hefty set of rose-tinted specs will be reaching for their camera as they step off the bus in the brash gateway to the northeast. A bumper dose of urban hubbub reflects the city's affluence, and Khorat's one-time historic charm has been largely smothered under a duvet of homogenous development.
1 night(s) in Nakhon Ratchasima
1 night(s) in Surin
1 night(s) in Ubon Ratchathani
1 night(s) in Nakhon Phanom
Day 1: Arrival At Bangkok And Transfer To Korat
Day 2: Korat To Surin
Day 3: Surin To Ubon Ratchathani
Day 4: Ubon Ratchathani To Nakhon Phanom
After breakfast, depart to Pha Taem National Park to see the pre-historic cliff paintings, which date back some 2000 to 3000 years. After familiarizing yourself at the Visitor Center located on top of this massive rock formation, walk down the trail from where you will not only see the cliff paintings, but can also enjoy superb views of the Mekong river and neighboring Laos. Proceed to Mukdahan for lunch at local restaurant. After lunch visit the famous Indochina market where products from the Mekong countries (Vietnam, China, Laos and Cambodia) are sold to local people. Continue to Nakhorn Phanom. En route visit the famous Thai temple Wat Phra That Phanom. Arrive in Nakorn Phanom, a small and charming town on the Mekong River and check in at Nakorn Phanom River View Hotel. Dinner and overnight at Nakhonphanom River View Hotel.
Day 5: Departure
After breakfast, visit the former house of Ho Chi Minh, the famous Vietnamese hero, who lived here for 7 years in the 1920s. We then continue the journey to visit Wat Phra Thad Choeng Chum, which is an ancient Sakon Nakhon historical site. This plaster-covered brick pagoda has a square base and is 24 meters high. The chapel houses the holy Luang Pho Ong Saen Buddha image. Afterwards you will visit Phra Thad Narai Cheng Weng sanctuary, built by and named for the wife of a 10th-11th century Khmer ruler. Local people now call it "Phra That Na Weng". Originally part of a Khmer Hindu complex, the prang has exquisitely carved lintels portraying Shiva and a reclining Vishnu. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant, after which you will visit Ban Chiang National Museum near Udon Thani: Ancient artifacts, including tools, utensils, pottery and jewelry, between 4000 and 7000 years old, were unearthed in the immediate vicinity. The distinctive pottery, with its fingerprint whorl decorations, is believed to be the world's oldest decorative earthenware. Nearby burial pits, left as they were after excavation, in the compound of Wat Po Si Nai, show how valuables, including earthenware pots, were buried with the dead. Evidence of primitive bronze casting technology was discovered in the area, and in 1992 UNESCO declared Ban Chiang a World Heritage Site. Continue the drive to Udon Thani town for an early dinner prior to your transfer to Udon Thani airport for an evening flight back to Bangkok. Upon arrival in Bangkok, transfer to your hotel.