Loei province, the gateway between north and northeast Thailand, has so much to offer a traveler. It is one of our family’s favorite provinces in Thailand (and we’ve been to over 50!). There are many things to do in Loei, Thailand that are unique to that region. In this post, I’ll share 4 different places that we have been to around Loei that we highly recommend visiting when you have a chance to explore this beautiful area.
Loei is where the rice fields meet the mountains. The plains of northeast Thailand gradually rise up into windy mountain passes as you get closer to the northern part of Thailand. Suddenly your view of rice fields becomes mountainsides of dragon fruit orchards. The temperature drops significantly in the mountains, making it one of the coldest spots in Thailand in the winter months.
Loei borders Laos along it’s northern border. There are no border crossings for foreigners. The Mekong River is the border and there are no bridges in this area. However, one of our favorite things to do in Loei, Thailand is to look across the river at Laos. More on how to do that later.
Time of Year to Visit
As much of the province is at a higher elevation, the hot season of March through June averages in the low 80’s fahrenheit, which is cooler than most provinces around Thailand. The cool season from November to February is significantly cooler than much of Thailand with averages in the 70’s fahrenheit.
Temperatures during rainy season from July to October meet somewhere in the middle. However, the rain each day dampens a visit, so we suggest staying away during these months, unless it is your only time to go.
Thais enjoy getting away into the colder areas of the country during the months of November to February, so you will find the local tourist spots overflowing with people during these months. They are still worth visiting, you may just need to book ahead for accommodations.
The Four Best Things to Do in Loei, Thailand
So, onto the best places to go in Loei! First let’s talk about the two national parks found in Loei province – Phu Ruea National Park and Phu Kradeung National Park. Phu means mountain in Thai and indeed both of these national parks are found at a much higher elevation. However, we suggest you visit both, because they are extremely different attractions.
Phu Ruea District, Loei Province
Phu Ruea is actually a whole district area in Loei that is known for its relaxing outdoor vibes. The roads through the district are filled with flower stalls, where you can pick up all sorts of cool weather plants to take back home with you.
In the winter months, there are also many strawberry picking places to stop at. You can pick your own or buy from the stands on the side of the road next to the U-Pick bushes. Strawberry picking is seen as a luxury as much of the country is too hot to grow strawberries. Even though the berries are small, they are quite juicy and sweet.
Phu Ruea National Park
Phu Ruea National Park means Ruea Mountain and can be found on the top of the mountain! You must turn off the main highway (route 21) and continue up the mountain until you get to a beautiful scenic mountaintop.
A common belief around Thailand is that here in Phu Ruea, you can get to the coldest temperatures in the whole country in the winter! You might even see a frost some years if you get lucky! You can definitely see your breath in the morning hours, which my kids loved!
Phu Ruea National Park, like all national parks around Thailand, have dual pricing. This means that foreigners pay a different price than Thais. For Phu Ruea, the price for a foreign adult is 200 baht and a foreign child is 100 baht.
Besides the fun of the cooler weather, the attraction of Phu Ruea is the view from the top of the mountain. You can choose to hike up to the peak on a path from the visitor’s center or you can take a national park vehicle for 10 baht a person up to the peak.
We loved camping at Phu Ruea National Park in the cool season months. The weather mixed with the beautiful views from the mountainside made it a fun attraction for the whole family.
Phu Kradeung National Park, Loei Province
The second national park we loved exploring on our list of things to do in Loei, Thailand is Phu Kradeung National Park. Known throughout Thailand as one of the country’s most arduous hikes, Phu Kradeung is actually a plateau and not a mountain. But to get to the top of the plateau, one must climb a 5.5 kilometer hike straight up.
This hike is not for the faint of heart and it can take people many hours to climb. The national park has a set cut off time of 1 pm for when you must start your hike to ensure that you arrive before dark at the top. That being said, my children LOVE this hike. The whole national park visit revolves around hiking up to the top of this plateau, so the hike becomes the adventure!
Once you arrive at the top, the air is completely changed, with a pleasant cool breeze and beautiful scenic overlooks.
Along the hike, there are rest stops. These rest stops are full of food stalls with meals or snacks; drink stalls with fruit shakes and soda; as well as souvenirs and other items you may need for your hike such as hats.
There is one price to enter Phu Kradeung National Park and additional optional costs for the hike and camping. Phu Kradeung National Park, like all national parks around Thailand, have dual pricing. This means that foreigners pay a different price than Thais. For Phu Kradeung, the price for a foreign adult is 400 baht and a foreign child is 200 baht.
The hike itself is included in the price of the national park, but if you would like a porter to carry your bags up the mountain, it will be an additional fee. Camping at the top is another additional fee, although we highly recommend the experience!
Although it may seem ridiculous to be recommending a several hours hike up a mountain to families, my kids really enjoyed this hike. Even at the age of 6, our youngest could take his time because we started earlier in the day, rested along the way with fresh fruit shakes and coconuts, and enjoyed the views.
Check this post to learn more specifics of how to hike and camp at Phu Kradeung National Park.
Chiang Khan Town, Loei Province
Now we work our way up to the northern border of Loei province to the town of Chiang Khan. A little town on the Mekong River overlooking the country of Laos on the opposite side, Chiang Khan has an “old town” feel about it. It’s known for its wood-shuttered shophouses that line the streets with the bottom floors opening up into cafes, restaurants, and hostels ready for visitors.
This town definitely has the vacation vibes! And it is incredibly popular with Thai tourists. Keep in mind the Thai tourist surge on the weekends and in the cool season months of December and January. Other times you may arrive and find a sleepy town that looks like you stepped back to a time and place 50 years ago!
Chiang Khan Walking Street and Night Market
Along the river, is a river walk where you can see bikers, strollers, kids-playing, and in the evening sit and watch the sunset over the river while munching on street food from the night market walking street. The Chiang Khan night market takes over walking street each evening near sunset when the street stops allowing cars and the bustle and hustle of shopping begins. Our kids have a wonderful time picking out food on a stick (they have all sorts of meats to try – even little crabs on a stick) and then taking it to the river walk to sit and enjoy watching the boats go down the river and the sun set.
Chiang Khan Bunny Temple – Wat Pra Putthabat Phu Kwai Ngoen
The night market is definitely a highlight each day we stay in Chiang Khan, but there are two other places we really like to go visit. One is the bunny temple, just 15 minutes up the road from the town at Wat Pra Putthabat Phu Kwai Ngoen.
The bunny temple is on a hill and as you drive up, you can see bunnies in the woods. Once you reach the top and park, you can get out and go into a large enclosure with bunnies EVERYWHERE! There are also guinea pigs and a few large pigs in the enclosure as well. The kids loved to walk amongst the bunnies. If you want to buy bunny food to feed the bunnies, that is also an available option. The bunny temple such a fun and unique experience for the kids.
Skywalk Chiang Khan
The other place we like to go visit is Skywalk Chiang Khan. This is a 30-minute drive west of Chiang Khan town where the Mekong meets the Hueang River. There is a glass walkway out over the trees where you can look down on both rivers and take in the Lao scenery on the other side.
To access the skywalk, follow the signs to the skywalk and park in the large parking lot. Stand in line to pay for the skywalk and receive your special slippers to wear on the glass. Once you have those, you can get onto a shuttle bus songtaew, that will take you up the hill.
At the top of the hill, they will hand you a little paper with your code on it for when it is your time to get onto the skywalk. You can walk around the little area while you wait, taking pictures, and looking out at your surroundings.
Once your group is called, you can get onto the glass walkway and take your time looking out and over and down. My kids loved to lay on the glass! They were fearless! We have really enjoyed our visits to the skywalk and share more specific instructions on how to visit the Chiang Khan Skywalk.
If you want more details about Phu Ruea and Phu Kradeung, please check out our more detailed posts.
As you see, we have loved exploring things to do in Loei, Thailand as a family. There is much to do and we recommend exploring this area with your own family. Remember our recommendation of visiting during cool season! Once you’ve explored Loei, take a look at some other towns in northeast Thailand that are also off the beaten path!