http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/ Welcome to Been there. Your tips on the places you know - that you love, live in or have just visited - are what make this guide. http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22266 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22266 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22074 From Loei drive the 50 kms to Chiang Khan passing mountains and the many flower growers. It is a sleepy traditional town by the Mekhong.
It has wooden shop houses and guesthouses overlooking the misty Mekhong in winter. You could stay in a guesthouse on the banks of the river. Then drive 10kms to Kheng Khut Khu to take a boat trip along the Mekhong to see the two coloured rapids.
From there you can take a winding road all along the Mekhong river. You can get to Nong Khai in about four hours, or stop along the way at Sang Khom which has river islands of sand in the dry season and a few restaurants right next to the river with uninterrupted views of Laos on the other side.
There are also waterfalls, forest temples and other sights if you wish to take a few leisurely days exploring the region.
At Nong Khai you could take the road bridge to Ventienne, or in October go to see the famous fireballs that mysteriously appear every Buddhist lent. They are attributed to the Naga living in the river.
(If you wish to drive back to Bangkok you could travel via Udon Thani – famous for its prehistoric settlement – Ban Chiang- dating back 3,000-5,000 years depending which archaeologists you believe.
Then go to Khon Khaen and stay at the very comfortable and sleek Pullman Raja Orchid hotel which was managed by Sofitel till a couple of years ago. If you wish to stay a couple of days a visit to the dinosaur museum and quarries at Kalasin There you can see the dinosaurs still being excavated.
At Khon Khaen you could drop off the car and fly back to Bangkok, or drive back through Khorat and visit Khao Yai forest and Praast Hin Phi Mai – Khmer ruins as day trips from Khorat.)]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/22074 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21076 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21076 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21075 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/21075 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20521 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/20521 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19091 low-impact tours. We took two teenagers who thoroughly enjoyed our five-day trip around Northern Vietnam. We cycled, walked, sailed and stayed with local people. One day was spent cooking with a family in a small village in the Red delta. The trip to Bai Tu Long bay was heavenly. We met no tourists there and only saw local fishing boats. Ask for Khanh who will tailor a tour to your needs. All the guides are really friendly and soon feel like old friends - our guide was so calm and had a great sense of humour. There are tours across Vietnam including Sapa and the Mekong Delta in the South. They even managed to book our hotel in Hanoi for us which we had previously tried to contact unsuccessfully.]]> http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/19091 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17645 http://www.ivebeenthere.co.uk/tips/17645