Nakhon Phanom

Three days in Nakhon Phanom and That Phanom

Three days covers Nakhon Phanom and That Phanom. Walk the Mekong waterfront from the brass naga to Wat Okat on day one, cycle the 12 km riverside path north at sunrise on day two and visit the Ho Chi Minh house, then go 53 km south to Wat Phra That Phanom on day three.

The morning flight from Bangkok into Nakhon Phanom Airport puts you on the riverfront before lunch. Start at the brass naga, Phaya Si Satta Nakharat, follow the bank to Wat Okat Si Bua Ban and its twin Buddha images, Phra Tio and Phra Thiam, and end at the Vietnamese clock tower. The old governor's mansion, with photographs of fire boats and royal visits, fills the hot afternoon.

On the second day, be on a bicycle by 6:30. Ride north along the cycle path as the sun comes up over the hills of Laos; the route runs about 12 km past villages and temples. Back in town, visit the old city jail museum, then take a skylab to the Ho Chi Minh house in the village west of the centre, where the Vietnamese leader lived in the late 1920s.

Give the third day to That Phanom, 53 km south by bus or van along the river road. Its great white-and-gold stupa, Wat Phra That Phanom, is the most revered in the region. If you are moving on, continue south to Ubon Ratchathani, or head north-west towards Udon Thani and Nong Khai.

Sticky rice, gai yang and the Fuangnakom Street market

Nakhon Phanom is proud of its sticky rice, and the classic meal is gai yang, som tam and a basket of glutinous rice eaten by hand. The market on Fuangnakom Street, open from about 16:00, is the best place to graze, and The Tree serves meals on a deck over the Mekong.

The classic plate is the Isan trio: gai yang, chicken grilled over charcoal; som tam, green papaya pounded with chilli, lime and fermented fish sauce; and a basket of sticky rice, which locals rate among the best in the country.

From about 16:00 Fuangnakom Street, at right angles to Bamrungmueang Road, closes to traffic for grills, noodle pots and sweets. Sit-down restaurants are scarce after dark, and menus are mostly in Thai: phat phak ruam, fried mixed vegetables with chicken (gai), pork (moo) or prawns (goong), is an easy order.

For a river view with your meal, The Tree has an outdoor deck beneath a big tree overlooking the Mekong. Khun Kaew Steak Corner on Sunthornvijit Road cooks Western dishes when you want a change. On market days at the Thai-Lao open-border market, Lao traders sell wild honey, forest mushrooms and roots, worth a look even if you buy nothing.

Fire boats, the That Phanom fair and when to visit Nakhon Phanom

November to February is the best time to visit Nakhon Phanom, with under 10 mm of rain a month and nights near 17C. The Lai Ruea Fai fire boat procession at Ok Phansa, usually in October, and the February That Phanom fair are the big events. July averages about 564 mm of rain.

Lai Ruea Fai, the illuminated boat procession, takes place at Ok Phansa, the end of Buddhist Lent, usually in October. Communities cover tall bamboo frames on boats with hundreds of small oil lamps shaped into temples, dragons and royal emblems, light them after dark and let them drift down the Mekong. Crowds line the bank for hours, so book rooms well ahead.

In February, That Phanom holds its annual festival honouring Wat Phra That Phanom, commemorating the rebuilding of the stupa. Thousands of Thai and Lao pilgrims arrive, and the normally sleepy town fills with markets and food stalls. Buses and vans run from Nakhon Phanom, an hour or so south.

March and April are the hottest months, peaking near 35C. The monsoon from May is heavy: June averages about 397 mm, July 564 mm and August 537 mm, easing in October in time for the fire boats.