Travelling around North Issan

[colmx]

Hi All
I will be visiting BFs home in Buriram (near Nang Rong)around the new year.

After a few nights in his home we intend to visit Buriram City (with the inevitable visit to Speed disco) and then intend to travel to Vientiane in Laos, before travelling back to Bkk

Would be interested in hearing peoples suggested itineraries...
All travel will probably be done overland (with the exception of the last leg where we may fly from Udon Thani or Khon Kaen to Don Muang)

Buriram-Udon Thani-Vientiane
Buriram-Khon Kaen- Nong Khai- Vientiane
Others?

Bare in mind we are both relatively young and will be looking for night life (and gay night life where possible -with the possiblity of finding some "friends" for just drinking or fun)

Would 1 night in Vientiane be enough to drive us(or more likely him) mad?
Would we better off to spend 1st night in Nong Khai and 2nd in Vientiane?

Khon Kaen is most definately on the itinerary as we want to see what the famous Beach sauna is like!

All opinions gratefully received...
Thanks in Advance!

Similar Threads:

• North / North East / then South ...
• Not the only gay in the Issan village! Gay life in Issan.
• Travelling with babies
• Another great photostory of travelling in LOS
• TRAVELLING FROM BANGKOK TO SAMUI

[catawampuscat]

colmx, difficult one to call and one of those up to you situations. I like Vietienne and would extend my Laos
trip to include Luang Prabang if it we up to me.

The Nong Khai warning is to alert you and others to the reputed presence of a notorious con man farang who
is said to working his wiles up that way.. Watch out for the lost passport, forgotten wallet, really any unbelieveable
story which is intended to separate you from your baht. Laugh at his requests for a loan and watch him flee into the nite... :cat:
A word to the wise and all that jazz...........

[TrongpaiExpat]

I am a frequent visitor to Nong Khai. We were there last New Years, not much of a celebration. The big celebrations are Bongfai Phayanak, Songkran and just about anything else. There was a very small fireworks display last New Years.

There are two hotels I generally stay, Pantawee and Tip Hotel

The sign for the Tip is only in Thai but you can't miss it, next to Tesco Lotus and a small shopping plaza on the main road to Udon T. but close to town.

Tuk-tuks park outside both hotels. If you go to a restaurant on the river get the phone number for the driver for a pick up.

There is a popular Disco next to the Tip, around the side, left if your facing the hotel.

Don't miss the strange Sala Kaew Sculpture Park.

Nong Khai is one of the few places in Thailand where you can get good French-Vietnamese food at reasonable prices.

Yes, Luang Prabang is nice but out of the way. The bus from Vientiane is uncomfortable--it's slow and bumpy but fascinating scenery. I am gald I did it one time but that's it.

Personally, I am not fond of Vientiane and would rather stay in Nong Khai.