| Amphoe Muang |
| |
| Ban Kan
Lueang Archaeological Site |
| This is situated in Wat Ban
Kan Lueang, 3 kilometers from the town along
Highway No. 212. Turn right onto Highway No.
2050 and proceed for 2 kilometers. In 1992,
the Fine Arts Department excavated the site.
Discoveries include artifacts, implements,
ornaments, beads, pottery and iron axes. It
is believed that this settlement dates back
at least 2,000 years. |
| |
| Ban Pa
Ao |
| This village is situated at
Tambon Nong Khon, 18 kilometers from the city
on Highway No. 23. At the 273-km. marker,
turn right and travel along the track for
another 3 kilometers. This village is one
of the oldest villages in Ubon Ratchathani.
According to history, the villagers migrated
from Vientiane, Laos during the reign of King
Siri Bun San. The village is over 200 years
old and has a special identity of its own
which has been handed down from generation
to generation by its ancestors, such as the
craft of making bronzeware and weaving beautiful
silk. |
| |
| Ban Tha
Khong Lek |
| This village is on Highway
No. 226 (Ubon Ratchathani-Si Sa Ket Route)
about 3 kilometers from the district center.
This whole village produces clay pots where
the clay, taken from the Mun River, is thoroughly
mixed with chaff and other kinds of material.
The whole process is done by hand. |
| |
| Hat Khu Duea |
| This is a sandy river shore on the Mun River
bank about 12 kilometers from town. There are
varieties of local food sold along the shore. |
| |
| Hat Khu Duea |
| This is a sandy island in the middle of the
Mun River. The island becomes larger than usual
in summer. It is also used as a recreation place
by townspeople. |
| |
| The Stone Inscription
at Phu Manat Cave |
| This is believed to date back to the 12th
or 13th Buddhist Century. This sandstone inscription
records the spreading of King Srimahanetaravoraman’s
(Jitrasane) power to the Mun River area. A rectangular
shape 82 centimeters in length and 24 centimeters
in height, it narrates the victory of the King
in the Sanskrit language. Blurred but still
readable, it is now kept at the National Museum
of Ubon Ratchathani. |
| |
| Thung Si Muang |
| This is a wide-open area in the middle of
the city used as a recreation and festival celebration
area for the townspeople. A monument of the
founder of Ubon Ratchathani is also located
here. |
| |
| Ubon Ratchathani
Cultural Centre |
Located in Ubon Ratchathani Rajabhat University,
the centre features several halls that display
Isan’s history, local wisdom, religion,
geography and culture. The centre’s 7-story
building is constructed in an Isan-contemporary
style of architecture. Inside the centre are
seminar rooms, theatre, banquet rooms, restaurants
and hotel rooms.
The centre opens daily except Sunday and public
holidays from 9.00a.m. – 4.00p.m. For
more information, call 0 4525 0115-20 for more
information. Tourists are welcome to stay, please
contact 0 4526 2901-2 to reserve your room. |
| |
| Ubon Ratchathani
National Museum |
| This is on Khuean Thani Road. Built in 1918,
the building was once used as the City Hall.
It is regarded as the museum with the best arrangements
and displays artifacts from all districts in
the province. Within the museum are displays
of prehistoric events, history, and culture
of Ubon Ratchathani natives. The Museum is open
Wednesdays through Sundays from 9:00 a.m. to
4.00 p.m. |
| |
| Wat Ban Na Mueang |
| Wat Ban Na Mueang is 5 kilometers from town.
The temple has a very beautiful ordination hall
built of ceramics in the shape of the Suphannahong
Royal Barge. |
| |
| Wat Buraparam |
| This temple was once the residence of many
famous monks who practiced meditation. Their
statues, carved from stones from various rivers,
are kept here for the people to visit and pay
their respect. |
| |
| Wat Chaeng |
| Wat Chaeng, on Sapphasit Road in the municipal
area, has one of the oldest ordination halls
in the province that is well preserved and illustrates
the perfect northeastern style. |
| |
| Wat Maha Wanaram |
| Wat Maha Wanaram, located on Sappasit Road,
is an ancient temple in the city that enshrines
the holy Buddha image, “Phra Chao Yai
Indra Plaeng” that is greatly revered
by the people of Ubon Ratchathani and nearby
provinces. An additional attraction is an engraved
stone tablet interred behind the pedestal of
the Buddha image. |
| |
| Wat Nong Bua |
| This is the only temple in this province that
has a rectangular Chedi, which is an imitation
of Chedi Buddhakhaya of India. The temple is
located on the outskirts of Ubon Ratchathani
on Highway No. 212 (Ubon-Amnat Charoen). At
the 3-km. marker on the highway, turn into a
side road and proceed for 800 meters to the
temple. |
| |
| Wat Pa Nanachat |
| This temple is approximately 15 kilometers
from the province on the Ubon-Si Sa Ket route
and is renowned for its meditation activities
and the large number of foreign monks practicing
there. |
| |
| Wat Si Ubon Rattanaram |
| This is a royal temple on Upparat Road beside
the City Hall. The ordination hall is in the
same style as the Marble Temple in Bangkok.
The main attraction enshrined within this temple
is the town’s sacred Topaz Buddha image. |
| |
| Wat Supattanaram |
| This is a royal temple of the Dhammayut Sect
in the northeast. The temple,built in 1853 on
the bank of the Mun River surrounded by beautiful
and tranquil scenery. There is a Thai-Chinese-European
style ordination hall, which houses the principal
serene Buddha image of the temple. |
| |
| Wat Thung Si Muang |
| This temple is located on Luang Road in the
municipal area. The temple was built during
the reign of King Rama III and has a beautiful
ordination hall in the northeastern architectural
style. A scripture hall is located in the middle
of a pond, featuring a roof that shows the Burmese
architectural style while the lintel was carved
in the Laotian architectural style. Mural paintings
in this temple feature the civilizations and
cultures of the people of Ubon Ratchathani over
200 years ago. |
| Amphoe Khong Chiam |
| |
| Kaeng Tana National
Park |
| This park can be reached on two routes. The
first route is by taking Highway No. 2222 where
visitors will be presented with a beautiful
view of Kaeng Tana. On the other hand, visitors
can take the route to the National Park Office
along Highway No. 217 (Phibun Mangsahan-Chong
Mek route) and turning left onto Highway No.
2173 and proceeding for another 13 kilometers. |
| |
| Khong Chiam District |
| The Khong Chiam district overlooks the Mekhong
River and is located 80 kilometers from Ubon
Ratchathani. Boat rental services are available
here to go to Kaeng Tana cataract and to go
sightseeing at Mae Nam Song Si or the bicolor
river where the Mekhong and Mun Rivers meet. |
| |
| Maenam Song Si |
| “Maenam Song Si” or the Bi-colored
River or the Mun River’s alluvium, is
the place where two rivers join: the brown Mekong
River and the blue Mun River. It is located
in Khong Chiam District, about 84 kilometers
from Ubon Ratchathai City centre. Visitors can
hire a boat from Khong Chiam district to see
the alluvium. |
| |
| Namtok Saeng Chan |
| This waterfall is only 1 kilometer from Thung
Na Mueang Waterfall. This is a very beautiful
waterfall with a special characteristic of its
own – the small stream of water cascades
down the face of the cliff through an opening
in the rock resembling a hole. Visitors viewing
the waterfall at noon when the sunlight shines
through the hole will be presented with a view
of the cascading water similar to that of the
full moon shining onto the world. Travelling
can be made from Highway No. 2134, followed
by Highway No. 2112, and then turning right
to the waterfall. |
| |
| Namtok Soi Sawan |
| This is a big waterfall cascading from two
sides of steep cliffs about 20 metres high and
is located 30 kilometers from Khong Chiam District. |
| |
| Namtok Tat Ton |
| This waterfall is on Highway No. 2173, which
is about 6 kilometers off Highway No. 217. This
beautiful waterfall is created from Tat Ton
Brook flowing past a stone platform and plunging
onto the plain forming a basin large enough
to swim in that is surrounded by flowering shrubs
and forests in the shady area. |
| |
| Pak Mun Dam |
| Constructed from stone and reinforced with
clay soil, this dam has a width of 17 metres
and a length of 300 metres. The dam, which facilitates
agriculture and generates electricity, is located
approximately 75 kilometers from town, or about
6 kilometers from the area where the Mekong
River meets the Mun River. It is possible to
travel along the top of the dam wall as a short
cut from Khong Chiam District to Amphoe Sirinthon
without driving back to Phibun Mangsahan District.
Cruising along the beautiful Mun River is possible
from the end of the dam to the Bicolored River,
where the Mun River joins with the Mekong River. |
| |
| Pha Taem National
Park |
This park covers an area of 140 square kilometers,
where plateaus and hills dominate the park’s
landscape. There are sheer cliffs, which resulted
from earthquakes. Most trees are of the deciduous
dipterocarp forest. Irregular shaped sandstone
is found scattered throughout the area. Beautiful
flowering plants grow among the rocky ground.
Travelling can be made from Khong Chiam District
along Highway No. 2134, followed by Highway
No. 2112, and then turning right for another
5 kilometers. Places of interest within the
park are:
Pha Taem and Pha Kham are located near the national
park headquarters. On the cliff’s surface
are numerous prehistoric cave paintings dating
back 3,000-4,000 years ago that offer insight
into the way of life that existed during the
pre-historic days and reflect the ancient lifestyle
of the people who once lived in the area. These
painting depict scenes of fishing, rice farming,
figures of people, animals, hands and geometric
designs. It should be noted that the most extensive
site for cave paintings in the country is that
of Pha Taem. Home to one of the world's oldest
agrarian communities, Ubon Ratchathani is
also the 'cradle of northeastern civilisation'.
Recently discovered archaeological evidence
suggests that humans settled in the region
between 14,000 to 6,000 years ago. |
| |
| Sao Chaling |
| Sao Chaliang, which is 11 kilometers from
Khong Chaim District on Highway 2112 is a place
that is scattered with natural mushroom-like
piles of stone slabs with a large amount of
shells embedded in their surface. The area is
believed by geologists to be a long dried up
seabed (over a million years ago). |
| |
| Tham Heo Sin Chai |
| This cave is on Highway No. 2222, about 7
kilometers before reaching Amphoe (district)
Khong Chiam, turn left and proceed for about
2 kilometers. This cave, which is on the same
route as Kaeng Tana, is a Buddhist center with
a beautiful reclining Buddha image. In addition,
there is a waterfall cascading down the cliff
to the area in front of the reclining Buddha
image making the place very cool and beautiful. |
| |
| Tham Muet |
| “Tham Muet” means “dark
cave”. It is at Ban Sa Som, is a cave
approximately 4 meters wide and 6 meters high.
Within the cave are many carved Buddha images,
indicting that it used to be a place for religious
ceremonies. |
| |
| Wat Tham Khuha Sawan |
| This temple is on Highway No. 222 about 6
kilometers before reaching Khong Chiam District.
The temple was built in 1978 by ‘Luang
Pu Kam Khaning Chula Mani” and was his
residence and place of meditation during his
lifetime. Despite the fact that he passed away
many years ago, his body remains in perfect
condition. Along the route to the temple are
numerous scenic spots for visitors to admire
the beauty of the Mekong River and the Laotian
border. |
| Amphoe Warin Chamrap |
| |
| Ban Tha Khong Lek |
| The village is located on Highway No. 226
(Ubon Ratchathani – Sri Saket), approximately
3 kilometres from the district’s town.
The specialty of the villagers lies in the wisdom
in making pottery. All earthenware are made
by using special clay taken from Mun River.
They are all hand made. |
| |
| Wat Nong Pa Phong |
Wat Nong Pa Phong is a mediation center with
a quiet and peaceful atmosphere where a number
of foreigners practice Buddhism. The center
is located on Highway No. 2178 about 6 kilometers
from the city.
Wat Nong Pa Phong and Wat Pa Nanachat, provide
a special opportunity for non-Thai speakers
to find out more about Buddhism and to experience
the insight meditation (Vipassana-style of meditation).
For those interested, it is recommended that
you can pay a visit to the temple of your choice
and discuss with foreign monks beforehand. The
participation in the meditation course may require
some commitments. Call Wat Nong Pa Phong at
tel. 045 322729 for more information. Staff
speaks English.
Necessities to take with you when staying in
Buddhist temple/monastery/retreat Centre:
The following items are suggested as useful
to take:
- Clothes: Loose fitting, easily cared for.
Simple sandals and some loss fitting tops, especially
T-shirts are highly recommended. An umbrella
can be useful in the rainy season. In the cold
season a sweater or two would be practical.
Also a blanket or sleeping bag.
- Medicine: Pills for diarrhea and constipation,
mosquito repellent and coils, tiger balm or
other ointment for bites. Some kind of antibiotic
or disinfectant for cuts, band-aids, minor first-aid
stuff. Eye wash can be very useful. Anti-malaria
preventives.
- Food items: Most of the temples/monasteries
provide both food and accommodation. However,
there are some useful items you might bring
along but not necessary: thermos, coffee, tea,
sugar, milk, ovaltine, hot plate, cup and kettle.
- Toilet articles: Toilet paper, soap, mirror,
all toilet articles. Helpful to have a small
scrub brush for laundry.
- Tips: Behave with full awareness, dress conservatively,
have much patience to yourself and others.
|
| |
| Wat Pa Nanachat |
Located at Ban Bung Wai is perhaps the second
most famous temple amongst tourists. The temple
is the 19th branch of Wat Nong Pa Phong. What
attracts foreigners most is the monastery’s
peaceful ambience and its practice of Buddhist’s
insight meditation – a unique meditation
style that also known as Vipassana in Pali.
Travelling to the monastery can be made from
Highway No. 226 (to Sri Saket Province). Approximately
14 kilometres from the district’s town,
turn right and proceed to the temple’s
entrance which is the same to the entrance of
Wat Pa Mongkol. |
