Udon Thani is a city in the north of Thailand. Udon Thani offers the following points of interest for tourists and photographers;
- Udon Thani Park
- Thung Si Muang
- Thai-Chinese Cultural Centre
- Muang Udon Thani Museum
- Fountain Roundabout
- Usotel Waterland
- Wat Pa Ban Tat
Hotels in Udon Thani are super cheap, it could be the place where you stay in a luxury hotel for a ridiculously low price.
Udon Thani Park, Udon Thani
Udon Thani is not a beautiful city, more of a stop off point whilst traveling or returning from Laos. When I saw how cheap the hotels in Udon were I had to stay the night! The reason I have listed the fountain on the roundabout as a point of interest is because there are not so many points of interest in the city. Udon Thani Park is probably the best thing to see in the city. Udon Thani is hot so I recommend visiting the park either early morning or in the evening, I made it for sunrise which gave some colorful reflections over the lake.
Pied Fantail, Birdwatching, Udon Thani
In the park, especially early morning or evening, you should be able to see a few birds. They have many herons and large beaked birds as well as smaller birds such as the Pied Fantail (above). You’ll see lots of colorful flora and fauna in the park. If you go early morning it’s likely that you’ll see lots of local Thais exercising in the park , it worth getting up early for the experience.
Adjacent to Udon Thani Park is a beautiful temple, Thung Si Muang. It’s free to take pictures and go inside the temple but you must respect the locals who are praying.
Tuk Tuk, Udon Thani
If you are visiting sites in Udon Thani during the day when it’s incredibly hot then I’d recommend taking a Tuk Tuk. Don’t forget to agree a price with the driver before getting in and heading to your destination.
If you are visiting with kids, you may consider taking a Tuk Tuk to Usotel Waterland, which is an aquatic park in the city. The Thai-Chinese Cultural Centre is a beautiful place to take a few photos. A popular destination outside the city is Wat Pa Ban Tat, in fact many foreigners stay for weeks / months at this monastery and become monks.
Night Market, Udon Thani
In the center of Udon Thani you’ll find a night market, lots of bars and restaurants. As I mentioned earlier, in Udon Thani the hotels are super cheap, the same goes for restaurants and bars. You’ll be able to eat in most restaurants for only a few dollars, the restaurants around the night market are a great introduction to Thai food. If you order something you don’t like, for another couple of dollars you can try another plate!
Bus from Udon Thani to Bangkok
I decided to take an early bus to Bangkok, which took 11 hours. The cost of this 11 hour bus service was about $9, great value. There is a more expensive VIP night bus which you should also consider as the views on the way down are not so spectacular. Once you have seen one rice field, you have seen many hours worth of rice fields!
OMG! This is so gorgeous!!! The lotus pond is just so beautiful!
Thanks for the tip about pre-deciding the fare with the tuk tuk driver! Sometimes we end up assuming fixed fares for fixed distances only to feel cheated later!
Haha! Yes, once you’ve seen one rice field, there’s no point seeing more and more for 11 hrs!!! Lolz.
Udon Thani park looks beautiful. The colors on the pond are simply sublime. I am always torn with night buses. It’s great to wake up in a new city without too many rice fields but a good bed is hard to beat.
Maybe the hotels are so cheap because Udon Thani is not a pretty town! Although the bird and park do look lovely. I think my kids would love the waterpark — me, too!
I did a VIP nightbus from Bangok to Samui. I agree,you see the same things over and over. If you can sleep it is okay though!
While there may not have been a lot to see or get excited about in Udon Thani, sometimes quiet places to just relax can be a nice experience. Particularly a bonus when they are cheap as well and you can take a bot of time to connect with nature there. Just loved your photos of the area. You certainly have a good eye with a camera!
Udon Thani is indeed a revelation. The Udon Thani park looks really ethereal. We missed this place when we were in Thailand. last. Hope to get there next time around. The pictures are stunning and capture this beautiful place in full, vibrant colours.
While Bangkok etc have become too crowded and popular, I have always heard good things about northern Thailand. This seems to be one such place in that area. Would like to see more of this region.
I feel like i’ve heard of Unon Thani so many times whilst in SE Asia – yet I knew very little about it until your post. The park looks like a great place to spend a morning – and with cheap hotels, it would be the perfect place to splurge on a bit of luxury! (Which might be needed/deserved after the night bus!)
Thats Udon in a nutshell! Short, crisp and to the point. Lovely pointers there James 🙂 The birds just tempted me: D Tuk Tuk rides are so much fun! Love their vibrance 🙂
I would have stayed a night too if I learned how cheap the luxury hotels could be. An quick overnight stay here might actually be a good idea. At least to experience one of their luxury hotels and to try a lot of Thai food!
Udon Thani really looks like a place where I can find nature. Those lotus pond and tiny bird are so eye catching. I love those colorful tuktuks and i always like to have ride on them. Tuktuks are my favourite, the engine sound and the cool breeze when we ride on them is really worth experiencing.
I would love to try Tuk Tuk! I will visit Thailand this summer, and now I’m considering to put Udon Thani Park to my list haha! I really want to try luxury hotel with cheap price 😉
Thailand is one of my favorites! I was simply bowled over by the photos of Giant Lily Leaves and the single flower. Hope to make it to Udon Thani sometime.
I would love to go bird watching in Udon Park. I never heard of this place when I visited Thailand which is a shame maybe I will have to go sometime to explore.
The lotus pond looks so pretty. I like the detail shots. Unfortunately I only know the busy parts of Thailand like Bangkok and Krabi. Would have enjoyed a quieter time in Udon Thani.
I would like to visit Udon Thani because it is affordable unlike the other regions of Thailand. The park looks simple but beautiful.
I would probably consider the VIP night bus. I want to be able to sleep better and it would be interesting to see the amenities of the VIP bus.