Ubon, located 629 km from Bangkok, is one of the country's largest provincial capitals. The area was settled by people of mainly Lao extraction in the late 18th century, and as such the local population have a strong affinity with their cousins on the other side of the Mekong. Links with Laos are being strengthened again, and the increasingly busy border crossing at Chong Mek is developing into a centre for Lao and Vietnamese goods and handicrafts.

Ubon lies on the banks of the Mun river and, considering its size, is a very laid-back town. The province's main attractions can be found by following the Mun river down to its confluence with the Mekong river, known as "the Two-Coloured River". Here, boats can be hired for trips along the river and sometimes over to Lao village. Nearby, the Pha Taem National Park has some beautiful scenery and a cliff with paintings believed to be around 3,000 years old.