Our first overnight tour!

UBON RATCHATHANI TOUR 18-19 November 2015

For the first time in SILC history a group of 15 ladies embarked on an overnight adventure!

We had a very early start flying out of Bangkok to Ubon Ratchatani in Isaan, North East Thailand, far off the beaten track.

Our tour started with a view of the Mun River where we tasted local delicacies. The deep fried anchovy-type fish and tiny crabs were tasted by only the most adventurous of us. We won’t mention any names here! We then visited a couple of temples before reaching the Pha Taem national park where we first were greeted by giant mushroom shaped rocks of which we soon found out were huge sandstone creations. We kept an eye out for Fred Flinstone, but soon came to realise he must have been on holiday as we never saw any of his family members. We then climbed over black rock plateaus with big gaps of which we still aren’t sure how they got there….. The gaps that is. It almost looked like an earth quake must have caused the gaps. We hiked along a beautiful trail along the bottom of a cliff to see the oldest prehistoric rock paintings in Thailand which are over 3,000 years old. A beautiful but at times challenging hike because of slippery paths, narrow passages and some steep stairs. Not to mention the huge bee hives hanging above the path.

We ended the day with a fabulous meal overlooking the Mekong river in Tohsang Khongjiam hotel which was a great choice with a wonderful pool where we were pleased to cool down after the heat of the day. Being outside and active in the heat all day takes its toll and by 9 pm we all thought it was about 11 pm already.

The second day of the tour started well with breakfast open air in a beautiful setting overseeing the river. We were treated by a huge variety of delicious breakfast dishes, a great combination of western, Thai and Vietnamese delicacies. After check out we headed to see a couple of waterfalls with the amazing three thousand holes stretch of the Mekong (Sam Pan Bok). A truly hidden treasure which surprised even those of us that have been in Thailand for many years. Makes you wonder why they are never talked about when mentioning Isaan and all it has to offer. An absolute Must See we all agreed upon.

By one o’çlock we were hungry again so another feast at one of the great local restaurant Jimmy always finds for us. In the middle of nowhere the 2 Thai “chefs” managed to yet again surprise us with a delicious lunch. The best bit however, was the surprise of the amazing rock formations known locally as the Grand Canyon of Thailand created by erosion of rocks by the circular current of the Mekong river. 3000 holes it’s called but I think we lost count at about 2898. An amazing climb of which every step brought a new surprise. We would have just loved to dive into some of the pools but resisted temptation.

All-in-all a truly fabulous tour enjoyed by every one of us so massive thanks to Jimmy & Carla for putting together a great trip. As a group we would highly recommend this destination for its amazing unspoilt scenery and tranquil setting. Jeannette wants to go for three nights next year!!!

By all the ladies who enjoyed every minute of this well organized tour. Jeannette, Sunita, Dianne, Clare, Geraldine, Sudeshna, Willeke, Marianne, Angelique, Caroline, Franziska, Margit, Mie, Jimmy, Carla