Go Ubon Jan 2015 Issue 1

8/10/2019 Go Ubon Jan 2015 Issue 1

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A WALK

THROUGHTHE PARKFlowers at Phae Taem

UBON

ROCKSThailands Grand Canyon

Papaya salad at Pattaya Noi

SOM TUM ATSIRINDHORN THE SOUL

OF ISAANA hilltop Buddhist temple

overlooking Sirindhorn Dam

INSIGHTFULINTERESTINGINTERACTIVE

Enjoy this Click-n-Read issuepacked with reasons to visitnortheastern-most Thailand

UBON VIDEOBangkok to Ubon in four minutes

Ubon. The soul of Isaan

JANUARY 2015 Issue 1, Vol. 1
http://youtu.be/E_l2KkiMcL8http://youtu.be/E_l2KkiMcL8http://youtu.be/E_l2KkiMcL8http://youtu.be/E_l2KkiMcL8http://youtu.be/E_l2KkiMcL8http://youtu.be/E_l2KkiMcL8http://youtu.be/jKuC7tuzhychttp://youtu.be/E_l2KkiMcL8http://youtu.be/E_l2KkiMcL8


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Field of owers at Phae Taem. Best me to visit is October- November.


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Go Ubon is a publicaon of The Essenal Group produced for

Go Ubon - the travel experts in Ubon Ratchathani province,

northeast Thailand, and is published quarterly.

Go Ubon is an interacve digital magazine for the adventurous

traveller, inspired by the team behind Go Ubon, an organizaon

tasked with scouring Ubon Ratchathani in search of unusual,

interesng and inspiraonal travel experiences.

Weve combined our unrivalled rst-hand knowledge of Ubon

with leading-edge interacve technology to create a ground-

breaking guide to Ubon, the soul of Isaan.

Whether youre looking for a weekend with the crowds at lively

local markets or a life-changing adventure, our aim is provide

you with the inspiraon to make it happen. Lets go Ubon!

NEXT ISSUE:Stylish stays in Ubon

Top 10 tasteful treats from Ubon streets

Khong Chiam Market

Real Thai Coffee: Isaan-style

Email us at [email protected]

PUBLISHER

EDITOR

RESEARCH

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS

The Essential Group

Athikom AJ Jeerapairotekun

Nichari Jeerapairotekun

Go Ubon team

Chat with us on Line at goubon

Be our friend and Like Us
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A WALK THROUGH THE PARK

With the ourism Authority o Tailand (A) recently launching Dream Destinations 2015 tourism

marketing campaign, it inspired us to visit Ubon. A recommends a visit to Phae aem in October.aking a weekend in early December we were excited to see i we would still be able to see the magical

field o wild flowers or whether we had missed the season. So my sister and I packed our bags and

flew to Ubon. We had Phae aem top o our list o Must visits. Not or the prehistoric rock paintings

dating to at least 1000 BC, or the popular climb to the top o the cliff to get a birds-eye view across the

Mekong into Laos. Our own dream destination was the field o flowers.

Te biggest draw or most to Phae aem is the 500-metre walk rom the park entrance and main car

park to the base o a cliff where 300 prehistoric rock paintings can be viewed. But we have visited the

park a couple o times and we knew exactly where we were heading, to the field o wild flora.

Te trail starts with an easy walk down a well paved path, through lush green orest. Afer a 300 metre

walk, the path branches to Soi Sawan (Heavens Necklace) waterall or the field o flowers. We veered

right and headed to the enchanting meadow. Te trail is broken by a small stream where we careully

had to step on several stones to cross without getting our eet wet.

Passing through lush orest, the trail opens up to an enchanting meadow and other-worldly sandstone

terrain. Crossing another, and slightly larger stream, made easy thanks to a small elevated concrete

walkway, we arrived at our dream destination.

We dropped down on our knees to take close-up photos o the gorgeous wild flowers,

as i to worship at natures altar.

Located about 25 kilometres up the Mekong rom Khong Chiam, the

northeastern-most town in Tailand, is a long cliff named Pha aem,

the centrepiece o awesome but unheralded Pha aem National Park.


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It was amazing to see the flowers survive on a rocky

plateau, some o which were bog plants which require

year-round moisture. As we continued our walk we

saw the field was weeping with water, probably seeping

rom underground springs. o be atop o a rocky

plateau in ull bloom in December, in Isaan, during the

dry season was something quite extraordinary. Ourvisit to Ubon, the soul o Isaan, had only just started by

was complete as we had been rewarded by something

so simple, nature giving us a magical memory o a

meadow in ull bloom at our dream destination.

- Nichari 7.12.2014

How to get here

From Khong Chiam town drive on the highwayKhong Chiam - Khemarat (on the routes 2134

and then turn right to 2112) for about 15 km.

There right turn road (to the east) and a 5 km

drive to the park headquarters at

Nong Phue Noi village (Huay Pai sub-district).

Contact address

Pha Taem National Park

P.O. Box 5, Tambol Huay Pai, Khong Chiam district,

Ubon Ratchathani Province 34220

UBON ROCKSSam Phan Bok, Tailands Grand Canyon is located at Songkon Village in Pho Sai district o Ubon

Ratchathani. Tis amazing natural wonder can only be visited during the dry season o December toMay, as the canyon itsel is under the Mekong River. When the rains come, the Mekong

rises and covers this entire area. Te canyon resembles a mountain sprouting out into

the Mekong. Spectacular views can be seen here o both the canyon and the Mekong River.


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Known as the grand canyon of Thailand, Sam Phan Bok is one of the

most mystical of wonders in northeastern Thailand. The Three Thousand

Holes are situated alongside the Mekong River, its strong currents

running their course over the areas mountainous terrain for

thousands of years, creating intriguing rock formations.

At Sam Phan Bok you will find over 3000 holes, big and small scattered all over the place.


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The extensive rock covers a 10-square kilometre area. It is believed that

the severe erosions were created from the strong whirlpools. This resulted

in countless holes over the surface of this massive rock. Thats why the

villagers call it Samphanbok. Sam phan means three thousand

and Bok means holes. From August to October, during the

wet monsoon food season this rock is under the water,

but in the dry season, it will appear above the water.

The eroded strange-shaped rocks create a stunning

natural sculpture and another must-visit place when

visiting Ubon, the soul of Isaan.

Best time to visit is December to May, during the dry months when the rock erosions are exposed.


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Best time to visit Samphan Bok - Thailands Grand Canyon - is during

late-November to early May.


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AirAsia, Nok Air and THAI Airways y daily from Bangkok to Ubon.

Image courtesy of de.best-wallpaper.net. Download wallpaper photo here
http://de.best-wallpaper.net/Thailand-Ubon-Ratchathani-sunset_1920x1200.html


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A riend and regular visitor to Ubon, David Barrett,

Executive Director Events at Amari Watergate Bangkok

and Amari Pattaya, recently visited his small arm at Sirindhorn Dam. During his return flight rom

Ubon to Bangkok he was equipped with his compact SONY camera and, as luck would have it, sitting

at a window seat, he captured the one hour 10-minute flight aboard AirAsia. With the magic o editing,

the UBP-BKK flight has been condensed into our minutes. I you didnt click the interactive button on

the cover o this microzine, click the circular icon above and view the flight, broadcast on Youube.

Go Ubon would like to thank David or sharing the video link with us. Teres an awul lot to love

about Ubon. I you have a video o your visit to this amazing province, that lasts less than our minutes

and is published on Youube, share the link with us and i we include your video in our next issue,

well send you a round-trip ticket between Bangkok and Ubon aboard AirAsia on a choice o specific

dates and flights.

Please email Youube video links to [email protected]

Opposite: Pattaya Noi at

Sirindhorn Dam on Highway

217. The white road on

this Google Earth image is

where waterfront restaurants,

perched on stilts above

Sirindhorn Reservoir, servethe tastiest som tam salad

and BBQ fish, freshly caught

from the reservoir. This is

Ubon dining at its best.

The dark area on this image is

part of the 288 square kilometres

of water surface at Sirindhorn
http://youtu.be/jKuC7tuzhycmailto:info%40goubon.com?subject=Shared%20video%20of%20Ubonhttp://youtu.be/jKuC7tuzhyc


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SOM TUMAT SIRINDHORN

Mention Pattaya Noi to most people and they think o the sprawling beach-city resort on the Gul o

Tailand with streets o neon lit go-go bars. Few know o Pattaya Noi in the ar north east o Tailands

Isaan country. On the road to Chong Mek border town on highway 217, around 65 kilometres rom

Ubon Ratchathani, or 5 kilometres rom Sirindhorn Dam, is a waterront playground, known locally

as Pattaya Noi. No sea in sight, but there are waterside restaurants on stilts perched over the edge o

Sirindhorn reservoir.

Sirindhorn Dam is a great place to try Tai green papaya salad, known as Som am in Tai. One o the

most commonly available and consumed dishes in Tailand. Som tam originates in the northeastern

part o the country (Isaan) and Pattaya Noi was the perect setting to enjoy this dish while enjoying the

spectacular views across the reservoir and distant mountains o Laos on the horizon.

Som tam is a staple dish in Ubon dining. Its resh, easy to prepare and just tastes so wonderul. Tere

are many different variations o this amous Tai salad, some including ermented fish sauce, crab or

salted preserved egg, but or the classic sweet, sour and spicy version, we ordered our Som tam Tai

while at Pattaya Noi. Te dish can be made as spicy or mild to your taste. Be careul to mention how

spicy or mild you want yours. We asked ours to be authentically local. It was so spicy that we joked

saying the papaya was added as a condiment to crushed chillies. Ubon olk love their som tam spicy.


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HILLTOP TEMPLEWat Phu Prao temple sits on a hilltop overlooking

Sirindhorn Dam in Ubon. Recently receiving

rave reviews on social media or its panoramicviews and the interesting glow-in-the-dark mural

on the back wall, Wat Pru Phrao is becoming

a must visit on itineraries o those staying at

Sirindhorn, Khong Chiang and Chong Mek

districts. Inormation on the temple is scarce,

but Go Ubon researchers ound that the temple

(wat) was ounded by a monk rom Champansak

in Laos; the venerable Luangpoo Boonmak

Titipanyo, a orest monk who came to stay onthat hill to practice meditation around 1954-1973

Te temple has been

visited by and

housed many highly revered senior Buddhist

monks, along with many other monks, novices,

and devout Buddhists.About fify years ago, Luangpoo Boonmak

requested ownership o this piece o land on

Phu Prao (Prao Mountain) and the government

authority in Piboonmangsaharn District granted

him his wish during a land survey conducted

by the district officers and the Royal Tai Army

officials, beore the construction o Sirindhorn

Dam in 1971. Te temple was built and named

Wat Sirindhorn Wararam (or Wat Phu Prao, aferthe name o the mountain). In the beginning,

there was only a wooden sala, simply built, just

big enough to cater or people who came to visit

to make merit, pray and practice meditation.

Afer the master monk passed away in 1982,

the temple became neglected. Later on, another

well-respected monk took charge o rebuilding

the temple until he passed away on 21 July 2006.

Renovation continued until 2013. oday, theonce orgotten and remotely located temple is

attracting acclaim rom visitors who seek the

serenity and spectacular views rom the hilltop.View from the hilltop temple


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THAI fies daily to Ubon, smooth as silk.For more information and offers please contact your travel agentsand THAI sales ofces or visit www.thaiairways.com


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Amazing ThailandSurprisingly IsaanNaturally Ubon

goubon.com
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Go Ubon Jan 2015 Issue 1