Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Festivals
Rocket Festival
(Bun Bâng Fai)
Rocket Festivals are held across Isan in May and June to tell Phaya Thaen, a
pre-Buddhist rain god, that it's time for him to send rain; but no place celebrates as fer-
vently as Yasothon, where the largest rockets are 3m long and, according to the rocket-
makers we talked to, packed with 500kg of gunpowder. The three-day event, held on the
second weekend of May, features traditional local dances, parades, rocket contests and a
lot of bawdy, drunken revelry.
CULTURAL
Sleeping
BM Grand
( 0 4571 4262; Th Rattanakhet; s/d 400/450; )
This city-centre place near the night mar-
ket has nicely decorated and well-appointed rooms that provide the best value in town.
HOTEL
$
JP Emerald Hotel
( 0 4572 4848;
www.jpemeraldhotel.com
;
Th Prapa; r 550B, incl breakfast 700-2300B; )
Yaso-
thon's only full-service three-star hotel. The rooms won't excite you, but unlike many
older hotels, they do keep up on maintenance pretty well here making them a good value.
Night-time diversions include snooker and coyote dancers in the disco. It's at the Roi Et
end of town.
HOTEL
$
In Town Hotel
( 0 4571 3007; 614 Th Jangsanit; r 220-380B; )
This place, on the main road, is so far
south that it almost loses the rights to its name, but for Yasothon it's better than the budget
average. The Warotohn Hotel next door is even cheaper.
HOTEL
$
Green Park Grand
( 0 4571 4700;
www.thegreenparkgrand.com
; Th Wariratchadet; r 800-1200B, f 1500-2500B;
)
Though the hotel lacks panache, Green Park's big, bright and sparking clean rooms are
the best in Yasothon. You can use the adjacent health club for free. It's 1km east of the
centre on the way to Mukdahan.
HOTEL
$$
Eating
