Udon ThaniSights

Sights in Udon Thani

  1. Udorn Sunshine Nursery

    Ever seen a plant dance? Well, you can here. Originally earning notoriety for producing the first perfume made from an orchid, the Udorn Sunshine Nursery, just northwest of town, has since developed a hybrid of Codariocalyx motorius ohashi leguminosae that 'dances' to music. The mature gyrant has long oval leaves, plus smaller ones of a similar shape. If you sing or talk to the plant in a high-pitched voice (saxophone or violin works even better), a few of the smaller leaves will shift back and forth. It's no hype; we've seen it ourselves, although it's much more of a waltz than a jig. The plants are most active from November to February, the cool season, and from 7am to …

    reviewed

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    Udon Thani Provincial Museum

    Filling a 1920s colonial-style building that used to be a girls' school, this museum has an interesting catch-all collection ranging from geology to handicrafts.

    reviewed

  3. Sanjao Pu-Ya

    This large, brash Chinese temple on the southern shore of Nong Bua attests to the wealth of the local Thai-Chinese merchant class. At its heart, the Pu-Ya Shrine houses small images of the Chinese gods Pu (Grandpa) and Ya (Grandma).

    reviewed

  4. Nong Prajak Park

    Udon's most popular park starts to rev up as the afternoon winds down, and there's a lot to do here, from feeding the fish to riding a bike. A bike-hire outlet on the northeast shore has one-, two- and three-seaters for 20/40/50B per hour. Much of the action takes place on the sunset-watching side of the lake, along Th Thesa. Dozens of streetside massage artists start doing rubdowns around 2pm and paint-your-own pottery shops open two hours later. Restaurants serve all day.

    reviewed

  5. Ho Chi Minh Educational & Tourism Historical Site

    During 1928 and 1929, Ho Chi Mihn used the jungle around Hong Hang village as one of his bases to train soldiers and rally Isan's sizeable Vietnamese community for his resistance against the French occupation of Vietnam. The proud local Vietnamese community has recently built a replica of his thatched-roof, mud-wall house and a big museum. Both buildings were largely empty when we visited, though we were told displays would be coming soon. Check with the tourism office to see if they have. Bâhn lung hoh (Uncle Ho's House), as locals call it, is 10km from Udon. Take sŏrng·tăa·ou 14 (13B, 20 minutes) running south along Mukkamontri street to the junction and then follo…

    reviewed