Welcome to Loei province, one of most off the beaten track provinces of Northeast Thailand with mountains, rivers and National Parks. The capital town is of course Loei town and it is about 539 km from Bangkok or a bit more as 1 hour flying from Don Muang Airport. Loei town is a small modern town with a few restaurants and hotels, not really a destination for a holiday but a great base to stay while exploring the mountains of Loei province. My favourite thing to do in Loei town is in the late afternoon to go to the park and enjoy the sunset, walk along the food market and look people in the park.
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Ayutthaya - Bangkok - Chiang Mai - Chiang Rai - Hat Yai - Hua Hin - Koh Samui - Koh Kuud - Krabi - Khorat - Khon Kaen - Kanchanaburi - Lampang - Lopburi - Loei - Nan - Nong Khai - Pattaya - Phrae - Phitsanulok - Phuket - Saraburi - Surat Thani - Sukhothai - Songkhla - Ubon Ratchathani
The highlights of Loei province
The highlights of Loei province are the mountains, rivers, waterfalls in the mountains, National Parks and of course the picturesque Chiang Khan along the mighty Mekong River with Laos on the other side. At Chiang Khan is a Walking Street market in the evening and you can make a sunset cruise over the Mekong River. The riverside street is mostly still lined with old wooden houses, although tourism is starting to take its toll and there are now also many hotels, guesthouses and restaurant. Another destination in Loei province is Phu Ruea, a village near a big mountain what is a tourist attraction to visit in the cool season. Nearby are many waterfalls and flower plantations. And last but not least of course the small village Dan Sai, famous for its yearly Phi Tha Kon Festival (Ghost Festival). Dan Sai is located in a small valley and home to 2 remarkable temples.
Popular destinations in Loei province
The capital town Loei is not really a tourist destination in Loei province, rather the mountains upcountry are. Or along the Mekong River.
What to do in Loei?
In Loei town is not much more to do as staying overnight and enjoy the limited nightlife. In the afternoon you could make a walk along the park in town and enjoy a nice sunset over town. But Loei province is home to mountains, rivers, waterfalls and National Parks.
- Visit Phue Ruea
- Shopping Walking Street in Chiang Khan
- Make a sunrise cruise on the Mekong River at Chiang Khan
- See sunrise from Phu Tok (wake up 5:00am)
- Climb Phu Kradung and watch sunrise
- Go hiking at Phu Luang Wildlife Sanctuary and see wild elephants
- Have lunch at Huai Krating Lake
- Visit Suan Pha Ngam (Rock Garden)
- Swim at Namtok Bla Ba
- Visit the Phitakon Museum in Dan Sai
- Visit the Neramit Wipatsana in Dan Sai
- Visit Kaeng Kud Ku in the Mekong River
- For more tourist attractions see Tourist Attractions in Loei
- Have a look at all my postings about Traveling in Loei province.
Phu Thap Buek is partly in Loei province but personally I regard it as being in Phetchabun province.
When to go to Loei province?
Of course you can travel to Loei the all year around, the weather is as hot as everywhere in Thailand during the hot season of April and May. Then the monsoon season begins that lasts until end October with chance of heavy rains and some local flooding. From November to March the cool season hits the North-East of Thailand. And Loei province with some high mountains is famous for being cold for Thai standards.
Where to sleep in Loei province?
Within Loei province the 3 most visited places are Loei town, Chiang Khan, Phu Ruea and Dan Sai. In Loei town I like to stay at Loei Palace Hotel for a bit more comfort and a good breakfast buffet, but if you just need a place to lay your head I would recommend to go to King Hotel. In Chiang Khan my favourite place is Souk Samboon Guesthouse (the new rooms). And in Dan Sai my favourite place is Mountain View Resort or Loei Pan Mile Resort. For hotels in Loei province have a look at :Where to eat & drink in Loei province?
In Loei town, along the so called lake in town are a few Thai restaurants as wel as near the round-about. For western food you could go to The Saloon Bar & Restaurant. Have a look at all places I did eat at Restaurants in Loei town. When I Chiang Khan I would recommend to go to a restaurant right along the Mekong River. |
| Sunset over the Mekong River at Chiang Khan in North-East Thailand |
How to get there & around?
- ✈️ Loei has an airport (LOE) and is daily served with flights from Don Muang Airport Bangkok (DMK) by Air Asia and Nok Air and is located 5 km south of town.
- 🚌 Loei can be reached from any major city in Thailand. Bus station is at the south end of town.
- 🚘 🛵 All major highways to Loei are in good quality and safe to drive or ride.
- 🚞 Loei has no train station, nearest is in Phitsanulok or Udon Thani.
Where to go next from Loei?
- Nong Khai is 180 km north-east of Loei town and is the border town to Laos along the Mekong River. Taking the long way to Nong Khai along the Mekong River would take about 233km but is worth the long detour. Especially for motorbike riding.
- Petchabun is 200 - 220 km south-west of Loei, depending on what route you take. Both routes are nice routes along mountains, National Parks and waterfalls.
- Nan is about 368 km along the Thai-Lao border, a stunning route passing mountains, old temples and waterfalls but a slow route due to all the small roads. The other route is 430km but goes faster.
- Khon Kaen is about 206 km south-east of Loei and is partly a boring ride over route 12 but you could take a detour via the Erawan Caves and Ubolratana Lake.
- Udon Thani is about 150 km east of Loei.
Geographical location of Loei province
Loei province is geographically located between North-East Thailand and Central Thailand. Clockwise Loei province is surrounded by Phitsanulok province, Laos, Nong Khai province, Khon Kaen province and Phetchabun province. The border between Loei province (Thailand) and Laos is the Mekong River. The main river in Loei province is the Loei River.
Map of Loei town
Disclaimer : All information is created in good faith and is an expression of fair comment.
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