NAKHON PHANOM

Nakhon Phanom is worth a visit just to see the sun rise from behind the mountains in Laos. The best place for this is the bank of the Mekong river, in one of the wooden hotels or restaurants or in the well-kept riverside park. Nakhon Phanom's geographical position is reflected by its interesting ethnic mix. The town is made up of people of Thai, Lao, Vietnamese, and Chinese descent. There is little to do except explore the many silver shops and perhaps take a dinner cruise on the river. This makes it an excellent place to laze around. For the more active, a scenic trip through rural communities north along the Mekong river to Nong Khai is a good choice.

53 km south of Nakhom Phanom is one of Thailand's most holy temples, Wat That Phanom. The temple contains a Lao-style chedi which many archeologists believe to be over 1,500 years old. The chedi is greatly revered by Isan people as a symbol of their Lao identity and for its talismanic properties.