Thailand: The Hidden Gems 8 Days / 7 Nights

In the morning, visit the Klang Don fruit market, where you can find a variety of local products, fruits, and vegetables. Next, explore Khao Yai National Park, the first and one of the most beautiful national parks in Thailand. It is a World Heritage Site because of its diverse wildlife and plants. 

In the afternoon, walk along the Haew Su Wat waterfall trail in the heart of the park. 

Overnight in Khao Yai

In the morning, head north to the capital of Isan: Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat by the locals despite its official name change. On the way to Korat, stop at the Dan Kwian pottery village. In Korat, see the memorial of Thao Suranari (Lady Mo), a woman who defended the city from the Laotian invasion in the 19th century. 

In the afternoon, visit the ancient city of Ban Prasat, an archaeological site that dates back to one of the oldest civilizations in Thailand. Proceed to the Phimai historical site and admire the Prasat Hin temple and Sai Ngam with its giant ficus tree. 

Drive back to Korat and have some free time.

Overnight in Korat

In the moring, drive to Buriram and visit Prasat Phanom Rung, a well-preserved Khmer temple in Thailand. Climb a large staircase to reach the site, and then visit Muang Tham, another Khmer structure near a big lake that was built as a water reservoir for the community. Admire the fine decoration of the lintels, columns, and door frames, which reflect the Baphuon and Khleang styles. The inner courtyard has five brick towers and two libraries, while the central prang (temple) has elements that represent Mount Kailas, the abode of the god Shiva. In the afternoon, continue to Surin and explore its fascinating National Museum, which is not well-known (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays). It displays many artifacts that show the history of the region since prehistoric times, and gives information on the different ethnic groups that live there today: The Khmer (a minority group that inherited the culture of a powerful civilization that ruled Southeast Asia and India 1000 years ago), the Suays and Laos, each with their own language, clothes, and customs.

Overnight in Surin

In the morning, visit the Ban Khwao Sinarin silver village and then see the Khmer temple of Sikhoraphum. Stop at Ban Sam Kho village, a very traditional and untouched place, where you can see the silk weaving under the stilt houses. You can buy some Thai silk fabric Pha Mai directly from the producers at a low price. Next, visit the five towers and the central chedi of the Sikhoraphum temple, where the locals worship. Then, head to Kamphaeng Yai and explore a hidden Khmer site from the 11th century, with six buildings. Discover sculptures of the Hindu gods Shiva and Vishnu on the lintels, as well as Khmer inscriptions. Every March, there is a big festival of the Khmer community there. 

In the afternoon, continue to Khong Jiam, a city on the majestic Mekong river, the eighth largest river in the world and the third largest in Asia. It starts in Tibet and flows through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

Overnight in Khong Jiam

In the morning, leave for Mukdahan, a town on the border with Savannakhet in Laos. On arrival, stroll in its vibrant and colorful local market, where products from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam, and China are sold and traded. Mukdahan has become a stopover for Thais who love gambling and go to Savannakhet in Laos, where casinos, which are illegal in Thailand, have been set up for them. Try some new dishes, such as rice rat curry (a high-quality and expensive meat, contrary to what you might think), red ant eggs, cobra or monitor lizard curry, and of course, a variety of fried insects and peppers! 

In the afternoon, proceed to Nakhon Phanom and visit one of the most important temples in the Isan region for its people, the Wat Phra That Phanom, which has a pure Laotian architecture. Before reaching Nakhon Phanom, stop at the small village of Ban Na Chok, where Ho Chi Minh lived from 1923 to 1929. 

Arrive in Nakhon Phanom and check in at your hotel by the Mekong River.

Overnight in Nakhon Phanom

In the morning, drive to Sakhon Nakhon and join the ceremony of the sacred thread, where a monk ties a thread around your wrist as a sign of merit and luck, and you can make a wish. This is also an animist practice that believes that the body has 32 souls that can fly away. The threads are a way to keep the souls in the body and prevent illnesses. Visit the traditional pottery and weaving village of Ban Chiang, which is famous all over the country. In 1966, a Harvard student discovered one of the most important archaeological sites in Southeast Asia here. The digs that followed found pottery and bronze tools that were more than 3,500 years old on a site that had been lived on for at least 2000 years. His discovery changed the understanding of this period of history by showing evidence of animal husbandry (pigs, chickens, and cattle) and rice farming and the use of metal tools. The site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. Continue to Dong Yen village where you can see the bamboo weaving work and Baan Pulu village with its pottery painting. 

In the afternoon, drive to Udon Thani. Go to the south of the city and see the lake Talay Bua Daeng or the “Red Lotus Sea”. From December to February, the lake is covered with red lotus flowers. Take a nice boat ride in the middle of the “Red Sea”.

Overnight in Udon Thani

In the morning, visit the Orchids farm, where the owner created a new kind of orchid with a gentle scent in 1977: the Udon Sunshine. Continue to Nong Khai, a small town on the border with Laos. Explore Sala Kaew Ku, a park with statues inspired by Buddhist and Hindu gods, some of them as tall as 25 meters. Visit the charming Tha Sadet market, where you can find products and crafts from Indochina and border trade with Laos. 

In the afternoon, drive back to Udon Thani and fly to Bangkok.