Thailand - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 768

is famous for the Bang Fai Phaya Nak
(naga fireballs) : pink balls of light that rise
noiselessly from the river after dusk on the
last day of Buddhist Lent on October's
full-moon night. Despite eager attempts
to disprove it as a hoax, no evidence of
misdoing has been found and thousands
of people amass every year to gawp at this
mysterious phenomenon. One of the best
ways to see Nong Khai's famous sunset is
on a cruise run by Mut Mee Guest House
(daily 5pm; about 1hr 30min; B100) on
their floating restaurant, Nagarina , which
docks at the pier beneath (food is available
at extra cost).
Just off the main highway, 5km east of
Nong Khai, Sala Kaeo Kou (daily
7am-5pm; B20) is best known for its
bizarre sculpture garden, which looks like
the work of a giant artist on acid. he
temple was founded by the unconventional
and charismatic holy man, Luang Phu
Boonlua Surirat, who believed, somewhat
controversially, in a fusion of the teachings
from all religions. he garden bristles with
Buddhist, Hindu, Christian and secular
figures, all executed in concrete with
imaginative abandon by unskilled followers
under Luang Phu's direction, and
continued after his death in 1996. He also
established a similarly weird “Buddha Park”
(Xieng Khouan) across the Mekong near
Vientiane in Laos (see p.363). he best way
to get here is to rent a bike (from B30/day)
or motorbike (around B200) from your
guesthouse, but return trips in a tuk-tuk
(around B150) are also possible.

Tourist information The TAT o ce is 1.5km south of the
centre on the west side of Highway 2 (daily 8.30am-
4.30pm; T 042 421326). Mut Mee Guest House is also a
good source of information.

ACCOMMODATION
Janhom Apartment 479 Soi Srichumchuen, between
Th Meechai and Th Prajak T 042 460293. A modern, lime-
green block on a quiet, central soi with a pleasant sitting
area at the front. Not really apartments, but l arge, clean
rooms with TVs and hot showers. Double B250
★

10

Mut Mee 1111 Th Kaeworawut, on the west side of
town T 042 460717, W mutmee.com. A magnet for
travellers with its huge range of well-kept rooms in an
attractive riverside garden, friendly, informative staff,
yoga, meditation and massage sessions, and mo untain
bikes. It's always busy, so aim to arrive early. Double B230
Sawasdee Guest House 402 Th Meechai T 042 420259,
W sawasdeeguesthouse.com. A grand old wooden
shophouse set around a pleasant courtyard east of the
centre, with cheap fan rooms that share bathrooms (try to
avoid those overlooking the noisy main road). A/c rooms

INTO LAOS: NONG KHAI
The border crossing at Nong Khai is the
First Friendship Bridge (daily
6am-10pm, although the shuttle buses
across the bridge stop around 9pm,
sometimes earlier), where you can get a
thirty-day Lao visa on arrival (see p.345;
expect to pay $1 extra if you arrive after
6pm or at the weekend). It's possible to
pay in baht for your visa, rather than
dollars, though their exchange rate is very
poor, at B50/dollar. From Nong Khai's bus
station, you can take one of the six daily
buses that run all the way through to
Vientiane (B55), but only if you have
arranged your Lao visa in advance. If you
need a visa on arrival, take a tuk-tuk to the
foot of the bridge (about B30-40 from the
railway station), then a shuttle bus (B20)
across the span itself; on the other side
you can catch a shared a/c minibus
(B100-150/person), tuk-tuk (about B300/
vehicle) or infrequent bus (B20) to
Vientiane, 24km away.
At Nong Khai railway station it is
possible to switch to the international
train for the quick hop across to Tha
Naleng (2 daily), but as the tracks stop
here (around 20km from downtown
Vientiane) you'll need to charter a tuk-tuk,
car or minibus for the rest of the journey.

ARRIVAL AND INFORMATION
By bus The bus terminal is on the east side of the centre
off Th Prajak; tuk-tuks abound, and guideline rates for
common trips are posted within the terminal. You could
easily walk from here to Sawasdee but not the other
guesthouses listed here.
Destinations Bangkok (20 daily; 11hr); Khon Kaen (20
daily; 3hr 30min); Khorat (20 daily; 6hr 30min); Nakhon
Phanom (6 daily; 6hr); Rayong (19 daily; 12hr); Vientiane
(Laos; 6 daily; 1hr-1hr 30min).
By train The train station is 3km west of the town centre
towards the Friendship Bridge; tuk-tuks wait around to
ferry passengers into town.
Destinations Ayutthaya (3 daily; 9hr 30min-11hr); Bangkok

(3 daily; 11-13hr); Khon Kaen (4 daily; 2hr 45min); Khorat
(4 daily; 6hr); Tha Naleng, Laos (2 daily; 15min).