Another side of Thailand #3: Phu Ruea, Dan Sai & Udon Thani

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It’s time to finally write the last chapter of my trip in Thailand from 1 year ago! After Bangkok and Chiang Khan, let’s go to Phu Ruea, Dan Sai and Udon Thani situated in the province Loei in the north east of the country.

First of all, here is a video to sum up the this amazing trip that was possible thanks to the Tourism Authority of Thailand.

So what is there to do in Phu Ruea, Dan Sai and Udon Thani?

Phu Ruea District :

Phu Ruea Ruean Mai Resort :

Phu Ruea Ruean Mai Resort is the place if you wanna sleep in one of their bungalows, to visit the Noo Dee organic farm or to eat good local products without forgetting to mention the coffee shop.

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butterfly pea flower tea 

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We learnt the basics of rice cultivation and tried the planting technique of broadcasting rice, it was at the same time interesting and quite fun. :)

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A the end of the day each of us was offered a package of the organic rice harvested here. It seems that it is the best rice of the region!

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Phu Ruea Ruean Mai Resort -227 Moo7, Tambon Nong Bua, Amphoe Phu Ruea, Loei, 42160,

Dan Sai District :

PhuNaCome Resort :

We stayed at the PhuNaCome Resort for the night, a haven of peace nestling in a green valley that offers a panoramic view of mountains and rice fields. It’s an eco hotel, a genuine and unspoiled place, the staff is super friendly, the bedrooms are confortable and the restaurant offers Thai cuisine from fresh, organic and seasonal products.  The must is the view from the infinity pool on the the buffalos. magical!

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the picture below was taken by Superchinois

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PhuNaCome Resort – 461 Moo 3, Ban Doen, Dan Sai, 42120, Thailand

Phu Luang National Park:

This park is on a 900m plateau and at an altitude of 1200m d’altitude is worth seeing especially if you like savage orchids because there are more than 150 species! If you’re lucky enough you might even have the chance to see one of the elephants living there.

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Phu Luang – Phu Kradueng, Thailand

Wat Neramit Vipassana :

At Dan Sai you can visit nice temples like the Wat Neramit Vipassana which looks different than the temples we are used to seeing, this one is made of laterite (red rock). It is surrounded by a nice garden that almost looks like an English garden.

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Wat Neramit Vipassana 

Temple Wat Pho Chai et Musée Pi Ta Kon:

Every year in Dan Sai at the end of June takes place one of the most popular celebration in Thailand. «ghost fair ». During this 3 day fair, people parade with ghost masks made of wood by themselves. This celebration is a combination of buddhism and animistic beliefs and is a festival of colors and good mood! Unfortunately we went there in march so we couldn’t attend it but we took some confort in visiting the Pi Ta Kon museum : fascinating!

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Wat Pho Chai Temple

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Pi Ta Kon Museum 

Udon Thani :

Wat Pa Phu Kon :

This temple is located on top of a mountain and is surrounded by a 161 hectares of lush forest. It provides an outstanding venue on the mountains. This temple is a breathtaking architectural and sculptural beauty!

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the view from the temple

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The temple houses a 20 meters long lying Buddha made of Italian white marble. The peculiarity of this temple is that the Buddha was built first and then the temple was built around the Buddha. Isn’t that crazy?!

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Wat Pha Phu Kon – Ban Kong, Na Yung District, Province d’Udon Thani 41380, Thailand

Phu Phra Bat Park:

This park has an historical interest since the earliest human communities of the region lived here. It is also known for these incredible rocky structures which acted as shelters for prehistoric men which is why you can spot some prehistorical frescoes but also which were places of worship. What a surprising place!

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Phu Phra Bat Park – Mueang Phan, Ban Phue District, Udon Thani Province 41160, Thailand

I could never thank the Tourism Authority of Thailand enough (and Article Onze Tourisme) for giving me the opportunity to discover another side of Thailand and to step into the Thai culture. We shared precious moments with the locals and lived very unique experiences like the ceremony of monk offerings or the “pa sad” that we put on the Mekong (I had a huge crush for Chiang Khan). These moments were both fun and very emotional. I would also like to thanks my travel buddies Gérard and Samantha but also Holden and Sekson.

Finally, let me thank you for following my strolls here and on social medias, without you none of this would be possible.

THANK YOU!!!

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