Loei province, the gateway between the north and northeast, has so much to offer a traveler. One of our family’s favorite provinces in Thailand (we’ve been to over 50!), it has multiple points of interest to visit. 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 province.
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.
Thais enjoy getting away into the cooler areas 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 just may need to book ahead for accommodations.
First let’s talk about the two national parks found in Loei province – Phu Ruea and Phu Kradeung. Phu means mountain in Thai and indeed both of these national parks have a spot with higher elevation. But people flock to both for different reasons.
Phu Ruea
Phu Ruea is 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.
Phu Ruea National Park is beyond the main road of flower shops, continuing 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! Check this post for more specifics on camping at Phu Ruea National Park.
Phu Kradeung
The second national park 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. It is not for the faint of heart and it can take people so many hours to climb, that the national park has a set cut off time of 1 pm for when you must start your hike to arrive before dark at the top. The air at the top is completely changed, with a pleasant cool breeze and beautiful scenic overlooks. There are also many rest stops on the way up where you can get food and drink and take a break!
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. The top has campsites and a few bungalows to sleep in, which continues the fun adventure feeling that the hike began.
Check this post to learn more specifics of how to hike and camp at Phu Kradeung National Park.
Chiang Khan
Now we work our way up to the north of the 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! You can easily rent a bike in one of many shops throughout the town and then bike around as a family to take in all the sights!
Chiang Khan 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 – 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.
Chiang Khan – 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 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. 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!
This post is an overview of our favorite places in Loei to visit. If you want more details about Phu Ruea and Phu Kradeung, please check out our more detailed posts.
