Life and Times in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand — Articles and information about travel, living, accommodation, tourism and more in and around Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

Ubon Ratchathani Neighbors

April 16th, 2010 · ubon travel

Ubon Ratchathani is the largest province in Thailand and yet it is only bordered by three other provinces. From Ubon you can visit Amnat Charoen to the north, Yasothon to the northwest and Sisaket to the east. The rest of Ubon’s surroundings are made up by the Mekhong River, Laos and Cambodia.

Amnat Charoen is an hours drive to the north. It is a small province that was a district of Ubon until December 1993.

The town of Amnat is a small quiet village. If you continue north through the town you will come to Wat Dan Phra Bat. Take some time to park and look around.

You can also visit Mekhong River in Amnat Charoen. At Chanuman you will be rewarded with some beautiful scenes in certain times of the year.

Yasothon is at the northwest corner of Ubon. It too was a part of Ubon until December 1993. It is best know for the Rocket Festival held every year in May. Large rockets are launched to bring the rain to feed the rice crops.

If you are not into the lively and noisy festival you are welcome to visit Yaso anytime of the year. There are many temples in both Khmer and Lao style that you can visit and explore.

Sisaket lies to the west of Ubon. It is known for its Khmer style sanctuaries scattered around the province. If you want to learn more about the place, my friend over at Thai Pulse just published an informative article about Sisaket on his blog.

You can also travel to Laos from Ubon. Head on down to Chong Mek and you can cross over for a bit of shopping and a meal, getting a visa exemption or onward travel. There is a bus from Ubon city that goes all the way to Pakse in Laos.

This has been an overview of Ubon Ratchathani’s neighbors. If you travel to Ubon you can plan a nice day trip to any of these locations. If you are traveling to any of these destinations and want to fly you must fly into Ubon and complete your journey overland. You can travel to Sisaket by train or bus from Bangkok without actually coming all the way to Ubon. There are also buses to Yaso and Amnat but by train you would have to get off in Ubon and finish by other means.

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Ubon Darwin and the Temple of Bloom: The Quest

March 6th, 2010 · ubon attractions

The clearing offered a view of the destination. There atop a white foundation was the golden antenna. One hundred more paces and we would be inside the walls. It was time to find out why I had to visit this place atop a hill on the outskirts of Khong Jiam.

The Gateway

I passed through the gate and at first felt a bit of disappointment. It looked to be a typical small village Thai Buddhist temple. At first glance I could find nothing remarkable. I was compelled to come here so there must be a reason.

The Symbols

My first glimpse of something special was when I noticed to the left, a large eagle statue. Between its mighty wings stood a Thai Buddha image. It was appropriate for us seeing these icons of our countries connected. The eagle representing America and the Buddha image representing Thailand.

Purple Blooms

That was great but there must be more. We made our way to an area in front of a building. It was shielded from view by trees. Upon entry what we discovered was the treasure that was the reason for our journey. Though a treasure it was not gold, silver, diamonds and rubies. So what was it that brought a smile to our faces and made us forget about the heat of the day?

White Bloom

There before our eyes lay a garden of colorful flowers. There were red ones, blue ones, purple ones and white ones. A totally unexpected and incongruent oasis of orchids. This garden of orchids melted away the fatique in our muscles and brought a joy to the heart. All we could do was stand in awe of the splendor of nature.

Pink and Red Blooms

We walked through the kaleidascope of color but instead of collecting the gems we enjoyed them in their place. The treasure of this temple was indeed the beautiful blooms of hundreds of orchids.

Taking time to smell the ... Orchids

Once again I have been rewarded by chance and by nature after taking a risk to answer the call of an adventure into the unknown. You might not find this obscure temple in any guide book but what I have discovered during my time in Ubon Ratchathani is some of the most enjoyable places are found by simply exploring new frontiers.

P.S. This Thai Buddhist temple I am referring to as The Temple of Bloom is actually, Wat Tam Ku Ha Sawan, located on Highway 2222 just before the junction with Highway 2134 on the outskirts of Khong Jiam. It is worth a visit, especially when the flowers are in bloom. When you travel to Ubon Ratchathani this a nice attraction to visit.

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Ubon Darwin and the Temple of Bloom: The Journey

March 5th, 2010 · ubon attractions

It is a long, but not winding road that leads to who knows where. All I know is I had an urge to walk up it. I also knew it was hot and humid.

path to temple khong jiam ubon ratchathani

The bottom of the path

The trail was wide, covered in red dirt and boulders and walled in by water starved trees and shrubs. Mother nature felt no need to offer shade for a travelers respite from the heat. All we could do was sweat and continue moving upwards.

looking back along the path

Halfway up the ascent there appeared a small clearing on the right hand side. Planted in this clearing were several large boulders. It looked as though the rocks had rolled down the hill and decided to stop. Or maybe a giant mythical bird had laid its eggs here and they petrified before they hatched.

Whatever the reason they were there or how they came to be in that spot all I could see is precious shade. Without a word I veered 90 degrees to my right and made my way to the place where there was no sun. Ah, cool relief.

As my body was slowly cooling I dug out a bottle of water to hydrate. I took a sip and focused on the refreshing liquid flowing down my throat. It was then I heard the creaking and a rumble. An earthquake? No, the boulder that was providing me shade was moving to cover that shade with me still in it. What to do? I wasn’t in a position to make an escape.

a feat of super human strength

I summoned all my strength, which out of fear, must have escalated to super-human. I managed to stifle the intent of the potentially body crushing large stone. I quickly exited the shade and realized the sun was far less dangerous then vindictive boulders.

A thought came to me that this must be a booby-trap to test travelers as to their worthiness for the quest. It seemed I passed and was allowed to continue.

On the plateau

Still hot and thirsty but safe and sound we reached the summit that is a stone plateau. We strolled passed the trees that lined the rim and there it was, the treasure that had called us to this quest….

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Ubon Darwin and the Temple of Bloom: The Call

March 4th, 2010 · ubon attractions

When traveling sometimes it is easy to miss gems towards the end of a journey. This is especially true it the route you have taken more than a few times.

I find myself getting anxious to reach my destination. I have the need to stretch my legs. The volume from the call of nature getting louder and clearer. Such is human nature but causes us to allow attractions to go by unnoticed.

On a recent trip to Khong Jiam I saw something interesting out of the corner of my eye. I had been riding for more than an hour so was more focused on the journey’s end. I quickly let it go from my mind and began preparing for exiting the vehicle at Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort.

After checking-in and getting settled into the room, Ting and I walked out to a cliff overlooking the Mekhong. It is the cold season, which is why there was a drop-off to the river. During the height of the monsoon season this same point would, of course, be the river bank.

Again, I noticed something from the corner of my eye. I turned to look and what I saw looked like a golden spear reaching high into the blue heavens and seemingly piercing the cotton-like white clouds. It must be an antenna though for I could hear a message, “Darwin, Darwin, Darwin”. How could I not be drawn to it?

The Call

My attention was taken elsewhere as we tried to decide if the goats grazing on the island in the center of the river are Thai or Laotian. We came to the conclusion they must be Lao as we could see other goats on the far bank and none on our side.

Not much later we decided to head into the village of Khong Jiam. Our goal was to buy a few items from the shops lining the the topside of the river bank. We purchased what we wanted then headed back to the local market and bus terminal with the intent of getting transportation back to Tohsang Khong Jiam Resort.

As we crossed through an intersection the golden antenna came into view again. As I looked it began calling to me once more, “Darwin, Darwin, Darwin.” Was I being seduced into a quest? Did I need to discover why I was being called? The answer evaded me momentarily.

As I turned my eyes from the spear they came to rest on a wide path leading up to a plataeu. I knew now what I had to do. I called out to Ting and nodded in the direction of the path. She didn’t seem to enthusiastic because it was a rather warm day and it appeared to be a sharp ascent. But she finally agreed.

We made the turn and began heading to the pathway up the hill…

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Lovely Little House in Ubon Ratchathani and You Can Rent it

January 30th, 2010 · ubon living

In Ubon Ratchathani, on Soi 9 just off Ubon-Trakan Road there is a lovely little house for rent. If you are in the market for a place to live it would be worth your time and effort to go by and take a look.

Front View of House

This is an Ubon Ratchathani Community Service post.

Are you looking for an affordable, comfortable house to rent in Ubon? If you have been on a quest you will soon discover that finding a rental can be quite a challenge.

I was informed about this house that will soon be available so I went over and took a look. I would personally be interested if I was in the market but am quite happy where I now live.

The current occupants and the ones who are making an effort to find new tenants are not the owners. They have happily lived there for the past two years but made a decision to return to Bangkok. They are two German expats who spent some time enjoying the amenities of country life in Ubon.

The house is in a quiet established neighborhood. The house itself has several rooms that can be utilized deemed appropriate. There is a kitchen, a master bedroom, a storage room, an entryway, a dining room, and other rooms that could serve as bedrooms or office space.

The best thing about it is the garden area just outside the front door. It was created and built by the current residents. You can sit out there and enjoy your morning coffee or evening drink. The plants provide ambiance and shade.

When Ken moved in he and his partner did some painting and installed some new air-conditioning in addition to the garden area they built. The rent is 7000 per month and Ken is asking for 37,000 as compensation for all the improvements that will benefit whoever rents it next.

You must go see the house before you make a decision. A house like this is a rare find. There is space for you to live so the house is not a meter away from your neighbor. One drawback might be that it is near the airport and at times you will have to share your peace and quiet with some jet engines.

If you don’t have your own transportation it is a 5-10 minute walk out to Ubon-Trakan Road to catch the 8 Line into town. You can walk over to Huai Wang Nong, a large reservoir, where you will find a nice selection of restaurants to enjoy a nice lunch or dinner.

Take a look at the photos below and if you are interested you can contact Ken (or Gunnar if you have no problems pronouncing German names) at (081)346-4600. Tell him your heard about it at WeLoveUbon.

Photos of House For Rent Ubon Ratchathani

Side Yard

Above is a photo of the yard on the west side of the house. It is long and wide enough for playing bedminton and other activies that interest you. It also creates a buffer between your house and the neighbors.

Your Front Garden

In the photo above you will see the masterpiece garden that adds beauty and privacy to your living space. A place for you to relax or enjoy meals and drinks.

Your Dining Room

The dining room is small but serviceable.

Your Living Room or Great Room

A nice place for you to relax or entertain.

Your Master Bedroom

Though the bed goes with the owners you can get an idea how it will look when you make it your own. A place for nice dreams.

That is the house you can rent in Ubon Ratchathani. You can contact Ken at (081)346-4600 and set up an appointment to see it today before it is snatched up by someone else.

Attention:
I have been notified by Ken that documents have been signed and this home now has a future resident. So, that means it is no longer available.

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Ubon Ratchathani Neighbors

April 16th, 2010 · ubon travel

Ubon Darwin and the Temple of Bloom: The Quest

March 6th, 2010 · ubon attractions

Ubon Darwin and the Temple of Bloom: The Journey

March 5th, 2010 · ubon attractions

Ubon Darwin and the Temple of Bloom: The Call

March 4th, 2010 · ubon attractions

Lovely Little House in Ubon Ratchathani and You Can Rent it

January 30th, 2010 · ubon living

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