Do you want to experience the true nature in Thailand? If you are, Loei is the destination that you do not want to miss. Loei is a province of Thailand which is located 520 kilometers from Bangkok, the capital city of Thailand. Most of the 11,424 square kilometers of Loei province is covered with abundant nature and mountains, even its border is on the Phetchabun mountain range.
General Information about Loei, Thailand
Loei is known for its nature and described by many Thais as a province for eco-tourism. There are many mountains like Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang, and Phu Ruea. Apart from its nature, you can also find exotic cultures and traditions that passes from generation to generation. If you come here at the right time, you might get to experience the cold weather which is very rare if you are visiting Thailand. Sometimes, the weather here can get down to zero degrees Celsius and it is one of the few places here in Thailand where the weather can get down that low.
To get to Loei
There are various ways for you to choose on how you want to come here. The first method is traveling by plane which is the fastest and the most convenient way to travel here. The airlines that operates the trip from Bangkok to Loei is Nok Air and it is the only airlines that operates this trip. You can also check other airlines for an updated data. Next method is to travel by bus in which you can take the bus from the Bangkok Northern Bus Terminal or Mo Chit 2. It takes approximately 10 hours to get here. Alternatively, you can take the train as well, but you can only get as far as Udon Thani or Phitsanulok as there is no railway station here in Loei. You can also drive yourself here if you would like to.
The famous attractions in Loei, Thailand
Loei has many famous attractions that attract a lot of tourists every year. These famous attractions will let you explore the key features here in this province which will make you have lasting memories of Loei for the rest of your lives. If you are visiting Thailand just for the nature, you are missing out quite a lot. There are many exotic traditions you can immerse yourself with.
Phee Ta Khon Festival
For Loei, Phee Ta Khon Festival, also known as Ghost Festival, is the most famous tradition or festival here. The festival is held only in the month July of every year. If you ever gone to Day of the Dead Festival in Mexico, this is kind of the same thing. It is a festival where people come out on a march wearing ghost and devil masks on the road. There are also two museums here with stories about Phee Ta Khon, including its history, mask making, and evolution. In these museums, you can observe showcases of Phee Ta Khon masks as well.
Chiang Khan
The second place is Chiang Khan which is a small city beside Kong River. It is a city with a vintage vibe to it. You can see many old wooden structures which the unique feature of this place is. There are also many activities for you to fully enjoy being here such as bicycle riding, pay respect to the monks, and more. If you want to see some mists at the top of the mountain, you can do that at Phu Tok.
While you are the top of the mountain, you can see the beautiful sunrise or sunset and the mist, depending on the time you get here. After you have enjoyed the sunrise or sunset, there are traditional foods that are waiting for you to taste. Some of the foods here are only available here such as Khao Poon Nam Jaew which is a rice noodle dish. This menu is limited to this place and you cannot this kind of menu elsewhere in Thailand. Want to see more mountains?
Phu Kradueng
This is another mountain recommended mountain that you do not want to miss. Its peak is very cold, and you can see the sea of mists everywhere around you. This mountain is uniquely different than the other as you can travel to as many as three cliffs. It is filled with plain of grass, pine trees, flowers, waterfalls, and beautiful nature environment. To fully maximize your experience, it is recommended to come here around December to January as it is the coldest and the best period to see the mists.
Local Tells
If you want to experience what the locals do and go, here are some of the attractions that are famous for the locals.
The giant flower tower festival at Sri Pho Chai Temple
The first attraction is the giant flower tower festival at Sri Pho Chai Temple. The festival can be traced back to more than 400 years ago which is the same date that the temple was built. It is the biggest flower in Thailand with a height of 15 meters and three meters wide. This festival happens on 13 to 15 of April annually in which the locals will come together to assemble the giant flower tower and tourists can also join them too. At night, you can participate the festival at the parade. In this festival, the giant flower will be march around the temple in which it takes around 18 people to carry it and tourists could also help carrying it. There will be a dance, twist, and shake of the flower in accordance to the music which is pretty fun! If you want to go to Mount Fuji of Japan, you can do that here in Thailand.
Phu Pa Poh at Nong Hin district
This is the sightseeing spot that overlook a mountain that looks a lot like Mount Fuji. You can even see many places of nearby provinces at its sightseeing spot in which you can see the entire view with 360 degrees point of view and you can see attractions of up to four provinces.
Phu Ruea National Park
Another interesting attraction is Phu Ruea National Park is the place that plants the most Christmas tree in Thailand. Between November to December, there will be a Christmas tree festival where more than 10,000 of red Christmas trees are decorated beautifully. After that, you can enjoy other activities like going to a sightseeing spot, see some waterfalls and caves, and magnificent nature.
Phu Suan Sai National Park
As usual, you can see the sea of mists at its peak. It is also the highest place that you can set up a tent in the entire northeastern region of Thailand. The highest point here is named as 1408 hill point. You can see the sunrise in the morning here as well if you decided to have a sleepover with your tent.
Other Interesting Information of Loei, Thailand
The motto for Loei is ?The City of Sea, The Coldest in Siam, and Beautiful Three Seasons Flowers?.
To get around the province,
you can rent a car which is also the most convenient. There are also motorbikes and vans for rent. However, you can use public transports like the minibus or tour bus.
For accommodation,
you can fully enjoy the nature by setting up a tent to sleep in the designated areas or you can stay in a resort or a hotel which costs around 400 baht to 10,000 baht a night. This is entirely depending on how luxurious you want your stay to be. Enjoy staying with the nature!
Suggested Cities
Buriram ? The City of Two Castles in Thailand
Nakorn Ratchasima ? The Gigantic Hub of the Esan Region of Thailand
Nakhon Phanom ? A Beautiful City on the Border of Thailand
Udonthani ? Explore the Northeastern Region?s Primary Commercial Centre of Thailand
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