Mention Thailand to anyone and most will think of popular holiday destinations like Bangkok, Phuket or Chiang Mai. Many have visited these exciting places, but if you’re looking for peace and relaxation – away from civilization – then we have just the place for you. If you’ve never heard of Ubon Ratchathani, then don’t worry, neither had we, until very recently.
Thanks to AirAsia, we had the opportunity to enjoy a 4-day 3-night stay in this province located on the northeast side of Thailand, which is right across the border from Laos. Rather than this article being a guide on what you should do there, we decided to share some of the highlights of our diary at this wonderful, breathtaking paradise.
Day 1: Arriving At Ubon Ratchathani
The first leg of our journey was mostly spent travelling from Malaysia to Ubon Ratchathani. We gathered at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 and embarked on a flight with AirAsia to Don Mueang International Airport, Bangkok, before switching to Ubon Ratchathani. Joining us on this journey, apart from the AirAsia crew, were singers Atilia Haron and Mimi Fly, content creators Shelen Wong and Adeline Lee, fashion designer Afiq Mohamed and photographer Bibo Aswan.
Upon arriving at the Ubon airport, we were greeted by the amazing staff of Tohsang Heritage Khogjiam Resort, who festooned us with beautiful and fragrant jasmine flower garlands. The resort was about 1 hour away from the airport, so if you’re considering a trip there, we’d recommend renting a vehicle for the duration of your stay, unless you want to rely solely on Grab rides.
According to its website, Tohsang Heritage Khongjiam is a place of tranquil paradise where time stands still – and we can definitely concur with this statement. The resort is absolutely beautiful and peaceful; a place where one gets to enjoy relaxing activities like yoga, swimming or even learning cotton weaving.
Speaking of which, our first activity that evening was the Isan-style wrist-binding Welcoming Ceremony at the resort’s Tohsang Cotton Village, where we were introduced to the culture and traditions of the province’s Isan people. After a delicious dinner accompanied by traditional dance and music performances, it was time to call it a day.
Day 2: A Walk On Sam Phan Bok, The Grand Canyon Of Thailand
We started the day with an early morning outdoor yoga session led by Atilia Haron. For most of us, it was our first attempt at yoga, but Atilia was delightful in guiding us throughout the entire process and helped us with our posture and poses. After the session, we headed out to buy some ingredients at the local morning market to make Som Tam (shredded green papaya salad) for our cooking class before lunchtime. Needless to say, the dish was delicious.
Fun fact: Ubon Ratchathani is famous for its cotton weaving, so of course, we had to learn where all the clothes and decorations seen around the resort came from. We were introduced to the art of cotton making at the Tohsang Cotton Village, where the staff demonstrated the process of cotton-picking. After our fun tie-dye session, we left for our final activity of the day and checked out of Sam Phan Bok.
Sam Phan Bok is also known as the Grand Canyon of Thailand and from the photos shown, you can definitely see why. You can get to this beautiful location via boat ride through the Mekong River. It’s recommended that tourists visit this popular spot by 4pm, as that’s when the “golden hour” starts. It is also worth noting that you should visit this place before November, as it will submerged completely in water by that time. Although it was scorching hot during our visit, the photos and videos were worth the sunburn. So be sure to pack sunscreen and aloe vera lotion, as you’ll definitely need them for this trip.
Day 3: Pre-historic Paintings, Raft Ride & Glow In The Dark Temple
After an eventful second day, the excitement continued for day 3. While there was not much walking or climbing as the previous day, it was still very productive. We got up super early to watch the sunrise at Pha Taem National Park, which is also the first sunrise in all of Thailand. The view was simply breathtaking and worth getting up in the wee hours of the morning for.
It was then Mimi’s turn to conduct the yoga session and although it was a bit windy that day, we got to really connect with nature during the session. If you’re a history buff, then you’d probably enjoy checking out the cliff paintings at the park. Just like the ones you’d see in documentaries, these hand paintings were drawn on cliffs during ancient times, but sadly, we only had enough time to check out two paintings.
Lunchtime was probably the highlight of Day 3 for us. Our dear guides took us for a ride on a VIP Raft, where we got to enjoy some yummy food and a magnificent view of the lake. A good meal on a raft is not complete without some music, and thank goodness the venue had a karaoke set, so some of us got to sing our hearts out during the entire ride. We ended the day by visiting the Wat Sirindhorn Wararam (a.k.a the Glow in the Dark Temple) and it was magical.
Day 4: Silk Weaving, History Lessons & Goodbyes
All good things must come to an end and we were reluctant to return to Malaysia. Before checking out, everyone was treated to a relaxing massage at Tohsang Heritage Khongjiam’s Tian Spa. After all that walking, climbing and even singing, the massage was definitely much needed. Then it was time to head out to do our final activities together for the day.
The first stop was to learn more about silk weaving at Chan Rom. The process is actually similar to cotton weaving, with the only difference being how the silk and cotton get extracted. As you may know, silk comes from silkworms, so they showed us how they extract the materials from the little critters – which are also edible! After lunch, we did the most touristy thing to do in a foreign country – visit the Ubon National Museum.
Before checking in at the airport, we stopped by a local cafe in town called Kole. The desserts and drinks there were so good that it was almost addicting. As you can see from our reel below, it was then time to say goodbye to everyone.
We at Hype are truly grateful to AirAsia for giving us this amazing opportunity to explore Ubon Ratchathani and make so many beautiful memories and new friends along the way. If there’s ever a chance to go on this trip again, we’d say yes in a heartbeat!
