Sakon Nakhon

Phra That Choeng Chum to the Phu Phan waterfalls in two days

Two days in Sakon Nakhon cover its temples, Nong Han lake and Phu Phan National Park. Day one runs from Phra That Choeng Chum to Phra That Narai Cheng Weng and the evening farmers' market; day two from Wat Pa Sutthawat, Ajahn Mun's forest monastery, to a boat on Nong Han and the Kham Hom waterfall.

The Sakon Nakhon Airport guide covers taxis and terminal hours, and the flights from Bangkok page lists the two airlines. Go straight to Phra That Choeng Chum while the white chedi is cool, before nine, then on to the lakeshore park built around the old Sra Pangthong pond.

After lunch, ride a scooter or take a driver to Phra That Narai Cheng Weng, the sandstone Khmer sanctuary on the edge of town, and add the lone laterite stupa of Phra That Dum on the way back. In the late afternoon the farmers' market at the bypass junction of Routes 213 and 223 is the best place in town to see what people here actually eat.

Day two starts at Wat Pa Sutthawat, where Ajahn Mun Bhuridatto spent his last years; its museum holds his statue and relics. Hire a boat to Ko Don Sawan in Nong Han, then drive 25 km down Route 213 to Phu Phan National Park for the Kham Hom waterfall. With a third day, carry on to Nakhon Phanom, or fly home on the Sakon Nakhon to Bangkok flights.

Pon Yang Kham beef and Nong Han fish at the farmers' market

Sakon Nakhon's two local food products are Pon Yang Kham beef, raised by a cooperative 15 km south-east of town and marketed as Thai Kobe, and freshwater fish from Nong Han and the region's rivers. The farmers' market at the bypass, open roughly 16:00 to 19:00, shows the full range.

The Pon Yang Kham cooperative, founded in 1980 about 15 km south-east of town on Route 223, sells its Kho Khun beef as Thai Kobe, and its butchery serves an inexpensive lunch. In town, Baijak steakhouse behind the PTT station on the Udon Thani road has an English menu.

Freshwater fish is the backbone of everyday cooking, in laap and grilled over charcoal. The farmers' market lays out fish, forest vegetables and insects on tarpaulins, and Tedsaban Market, at Pracha Rat and Khu Mueang roads, is the central stop for som tam, grilled chicken and sticky rice.

For a break from chillies, Ban Fa Prong Coffee and Bakery on Rop Mueang Road does Isan dishes alongside French pastries, with air conditioning and an English menu. The Rajaphat University restaurant on Route 22 is one of the cheapest sit-down meals in town.

Wax castles, rocket festivals and the Star Procession in Sakon Nakhon

Sakon Nakhon's biggest event is the wax castle procession at the end of Buddhist Lent, usually in October, when the rains also ease. Songkran falls in April's peak heat, Phang Khon holds a rocket festival in early May, and Ban Tha Rae stages its Christmas Eve Star Procession. December is the driest month.

Over the 12th to 15th days of the waxing moon at the end of Lent, temple communities build castles of beeswax, decorate them on the 13th and parade them to Wat Phra That Choeng Chum on the 14th; Isan tradition holds that the wax welcomes the Buddha back from heaven. Longboats race on the pond at Ban Tha Wat, and rain falls from about 233 mm in September to 66 mm in October.

Songkran, on 13 to 15 April, comes at the hottest point of the year, with average highs of 35C, and the water fights centre on the blocks around the main temple. In early May, Phang Khon district holds its Boon Bangfai rocket festival with a parade and a food fair, just as the monsoon starts and May rain jumps to about 232 mm.

Two smaller events show how mixed the province is. The So Ram Luk festival in Kusuman district, held in March, celebrates the Thai So people. On Christmas Eve, Ban Tha Rae on the north shore of Nong Han, home to Thailand's largest Roman Catholic community, has held its Star Procession every year since 1982. December is dry, with only about 7 mm of rain, and nights cool to 17C.