Loei and Nong Bua Lamphu: A First-Timer's Guide
Loei is one of Thailand's least-visited and most rewarding mountain provinces, tucked up against the Mekong River and the border with Laos in the far northeast. Its neighbour, Nong Bua Lamphu, is smaller, quieter and rarely on tourist maps at all — which is exactly why the two work so well together. Come here for cool mornings, sea-of-fog viewpoints, a famous flat-top mountain hike, a ghost festival unlike anything else in Thailand, and the slow Mekong town of Chiang Khan. This is Isan at its greenest and friendliest, without the crowds you will find in Chiang Mai or even Khon Kaen. What This Corner of Isan Is Really Like Think of the trip in two halves. Loei province , to the west and north, is mountain country. Loei city is a small, likeable provincial capital with a night market, good coffee shops and a cool-season chill that can drop below 10°C — Thais call it one of the coldest towns in the country. West of the city, Dan Sai is a quiet temple town famous for the Phi Ta Khon ...