When driving, the usual way to go from northern Isan back to Bangkok is to use the expressway from Udon Thani via Khon Kaen and Khorat. But there is always a lot of traffic on this road. It is full of trucks and remains hazardous at all times.
So, if, like me, you prefer a quieter and more pleasant alternative with less traffic, here is a safer alternative. As I had time, I chose to do it in three days in order to cover the distance more leisurely and to visit some less known areas.
DAY 1- 05 January 2016. Sakon Nakhon to Buriram: 400km, via Phu Phan National Park. Kalasin & Roi Et.
- From Bang Khon to Sakon Nakhon, it is now a divided road with little traffic that allows to
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| Route to Roi Et |
cover the 50km-distance in no time. Sakon Nakhon is the province capital. It has an airport with flights to Bangkok. It is actually possible to bypass the city and head directly southwards across the nearby mountain range.
- The main attraction is Phu Phan National Park. It is a vast area of densely forested jungle. During WW II, this area used to be a hideout and, later on, it became also a refuge for the communist insurgency [Wikipedia/Phu Phan]. There are actually two routes to go south. I chose the slightly longer one to Kalasin. At about 25km south of Sakon Nakhon, the area is known as the 'snake-like curves'. This is because the road slithers through the forested slope of the mountain. Here, the Royal Family owns their Isan Palace. It is called Rajaniwet Palace. [Lonely Planet/ Rajaniwet]. It can be visited when no one is staying there. But it is mostly a well-tended park with an abundant amount of flowers. The rest of the country road crosses the park in a rather straight way without much traffic and almost no trucks. Now, it is also quite interesting to know that the region was inhabited in prehistoric times. One can actually visit caves featuring the testimony of prehistoric paintings & carvings [Google/book]. Farther on, towards the end of this high hill area, there is a viewpoint, where they have built life-size dinosaur statues as footprints and bones of more Asian dinosaur species were found in this region [Blogspot.com/dinosaurs].
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| Life-size sculpture of a giant dinosaur |
- Then the road starts winding down the hills to the vast southern plain of eastern Isan until you get to Kalasin, which, by the way, has a small museum featuring the dinosaur discoveries of the area.
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| The lake of Roi Et |
- The main road from Kalasin to Roi Et is good and also deprived of heavy traffic. I decided to stop in Roi Et for a late lunch. The city name in Thai means 101 [roi: 100 + et: 1 after a decimal]. In the late Ayutthaya period, it was a major city defended by a moat and a wall with
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| Route to Buriram |
11 gates. It is thought that its name derives from number 11 as the city had also 11 vassal cities in the area. Today, Roi Et has lost all of its past glory. But in the middle of town, there is a large lake with a big island in the middle, nicely arranged as a park. I chose to stop by an Italian restaurant called Ristorante Dal Perugino. By judging the customers, it seemed that Roi Et hosts a rather important farang community.
- Buriram is only at about 60km away to the south. Again, the road is good and does not have
much traffic. Buriram is far more important than I expected. It has large avenues, imposing administrative buildings, a great number of major shops and business installations. It has a major stadium as it is the home of Buriram United, a premium football team in the country. Lately, it has also become the site of the car-racing circuit for the Grand Prix of Thailand. Its airport is on the road to Kalasin at about 35km north of the city. I chose to stay in a fine hotel called Best Western Royal Buriram.
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| Pool view from the room |
DAY 2- 06/01. Buriram to the 'Switzerland of Isan': 275km
In the morning, it was pleasant to have breakfast by the pool. There was a group of Malaysians obviously here for the Grand Prix. By 9.00am, I was on the road again. The Buriram infrastructures left the same impression of a fast developing city with bustling industrial activities and an impressive network of roads.
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| Resort cottage |
It is an easy drive from Buriram to Interstate 24. But once on the major road, the traffic is as bad as on the expressway from Udon to Bangkok. Nevertheless, it gets a little bit better on the way to the west. At Chok Chai, I leave Interstate 24 to be on a great country road. My intention is to go back to the area known as the 'Switzerland of Isan'. But I will go in the wrong direction at first heading to
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| Lam Phra Phloeng I |
Lam Phra Phloeng Dam. There, a man tells us this is not the right lake and tells us to follow him with his car till we get on Interstate 304 towards Chachoengsao. It was a fair distance away to reach Chao Por where we can finally turn right on the country road to Khao Yai. This is the right road leading to Lam Phra Phloeng I lake.
This is an absolutely gorgeous drive among hills and dales, where they grow monkey-apples and strawberries. We choose to stay overnight at a nice roadside resort a few kilometers away from the lake. It is called Baan Ton Mai Resort. It is set in a vast garden with ponds and great-looking wooden bungalows. It is hard to believe this is Thailand. The resort does not have a restaurant but they can deliver pre-ordered food to the room. This is what we did as we did not feel like going anywhere at this point.
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| Resort pond at sunset |
DAY 3- 07/01. Lake Lam Phra Phroeng 1 to Bangkok: 225km, via Khao Yai.
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| Strawberry farm |
In the morning, the lake mirrors the light. Walking by the lakeshore to take photos, water birds fly off. The air is cool and feels like spring temperature. This lake is so peaceful and picturesque. The nearby strawberry farm is closed at this time. Workmen are already busy completing a concrete path along the lakeshore...hopefully, it will serve as a bike track but it may deface the pretty landscape. The Doi Café is open. Before driving on, it is time for a coffee break with a view on the nearby countryside.
No much traffic either on the nice, little country road from the lake to the valley town of Khao Yai. There, we turn left on another scenic country road that goes to the main expressway to Bangkok. Fortunately, it is not far away to reach Bangkok (about 120km) but the traffic is heavy as usual with many careless drivers zooming past.
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| Morning panorama of the lake |
Christian Sorand
Total: 900km from Isan.
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