General Information of Uttaradit
Most provinces in Thailand have a long history before it become the province like we see today. After they have been established as a province, they continued to make history one after another for Thailand which results in various historical marks. Uttaradit is one of those countries which has an amazing history before the reign of King Rama V and a lot more after that.
The original name of this province before it became a province is Bang Pho Tha It which considered to be more like a district than a city. It is currently situated near the right bank of the Nan River and it has also been used as a port for trading goods. In fact, Uttaradit literally means the port of the north which comes from the fact that it is the city that flourished from trading in the northern region in the past.
How to travel to Uttaradit
The province is 491 kilometers away from Bangkok and has more than 7800 square kilometers of area. Before you will be able to enjoy the essence of this province, you must first know how to get here first. Luckily, there are various options for you to choose from. The first and most convenient way of traveling you can choose is flying. It will not take long at all for you to reach here as well. Some airlines even provide a bus for you to get into town. However, if you do not like flying, you can take the bus from Bangkok or drive here if you would like to.
Things to do in Uttaradit
There are many places you can enjoy in the province of Uttaradit, including famous tourist attractions. Let us first start with the famous places or attractions.
Phu Soi Dao
Phu Soi Dao is a great start for an adventurer like you. This is a very famous mountain that people usually go up in the winter. However, the best time that you should visit is in the rainy season as you will see the fields that consists of Murdannia giganteum flower in which the mountain contains the largest field of this flower in Thailand.
Literally, all you will see is the pink color across the horizon. Most flower enthusiasts praise this place as one of the most beautiful flower fields in all of Thailand. If you do not know which is the best period, or you do not know when is the rainy season, August to September is the most recommended period for your visit. You will be able to see more flowers here as well, including trees such as maple trees. You can even set up a tent for a night here and enjoy the natural environment on the mountain with fresh air. The spot where you can set up a tent is about 1,633 meters from the ground. Other than the flowers and beautiful nature, there is a five levels waterfall called Phu Soi Dao Waterfall for you to enjoy.
Google Map for Phu Soi Dao
Sirikit Dam
Next up is a dam called Sirikit Dam which is the biggest earthen dam in Thailand. There are a bunch of activities that you can do here. You can start by taking a boat tour around the dam itself. While you are on the boat tour, you can observe the abundant nature along the way. If you want to get on some actions, why not try the 18 holes golf course available here? Other than that, you could take a bicycle ride near the dam and you can rest half way for some delicious foods. You can also set up a tent to sleep here.
Moo Ban Pak Nai
If you want to get some feelings of being a local, there is one village that you can choose to go and visit. This village is called Moo Ban Pak Nai which is not that far from Sirikit Dam at all. This is a fisherman village with a huge lake for fishing. You will be able to eat fresh seafood supplied by the lake. To end your day, you can take another boat tour for some nature indulgent and finish off by watching the sunset which is quite beautiful and mesmerizing. However, if you happen to come here early, you can watch the sunrise instead.
?Local Tells?
Now that you know some of the famous attractions, below are local recommendations of places and other details that you should know for more enjoyment of your trip.
Lek Nam Phi
Uttaradit contains one of the rarest substances here in Thailand called Lek Nam Phi which is essentially a rare steel. Uttaradit is the only place you can discover this kind of steel in Thailand. This material is used to forge personal sword for Thailand?s Kings in the past. If you want to know more details about this, you can check out Lek Nam Phi Museum in which you will see many swords in different types forged by using Lek Nam Phi. You can even mine the material yourself at Bor Lek Nam Phi near the museum and there are still people come here to mine the material to forge their own tools, swords, and other religious items.
It is also the only place in Thailand where you can mine this mineral. The highlight of this place is the display of the biggest Lek Nam Phi Sword which is 9.54 meters long and weighs more than 450 kilograms. The sword is beautifully decorated, and it sits beside the wooden sheath which is decorated with pearls and crafted silver. There are also many shops that sell Lek Nam Phi swords and knives with different decoration and detailings.
Lub Lae district
This district contains a famous city called Lub Lae City in which people believed that you cannot speak a lie in this city at all or else bad things will come to you as punishment. Some of the most interesting temples are Wat Don Sak which is an ancient temple that has the most amazing crafted gates with breathtaking details.
Mae Plu Waterfall
Another place in Lub Lae City is Mae Plu Waterfall which is made by artificial river with cement that looks like a multi-level waterfall. The river itself comes from a high mountain and you can go into the water if you want to.
Kao Pun Pak Saweoi
Also, you would not want to miss a chance to taste great local food like Kao Pun Pak Saweoi which is basically rice wrapped in vegetables and some other fillings inside of it. It is sweet and pretty exotic as you cannot see this menu elsewhere in Thailand.
Souvenirs
Durian is a must to try and bring back to your friends, especially Lub Lae durians. The durian may smell bad at first, but once you bite on it, the smell will be a lot better. It is also considered as a king of fruit that you should definitely try.
Living in Uttaradit
The motto for Uttaradit is ?The Famous Lek Nam Phi, The City of Sweet Langsat Fruit, The Home of Phraya Pichai Dab Hak, and The Land of Giant Teakwood?.
To get around the province,
you can choose to travel by any means which is comfortable for you. Songtaew or a minibus is available for rent as well. You can rent it for a whole day at 1000 to 2000 baht per day which depends on the distance and your bargaining skills. Alternatively, you could use the tricycle taxi and motorcycle taxi at many areas in the province. Make sure you bargain for an appropriate price before you commit!
Contact our local partner, @TonyCooperatePage , if you would like to visit Uttaradit
Suggested Cities Around?Uttaradit
Nan ? A Hidden City on a River Valley of Thailand
Sukhothai ? A Historical City of Thailand
Phrae ? A Destination for Unique Cultural Exploration in Thailand
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