Udon to Chiang Mai by car

Post by **boes** » September 17, 2014, 7:52 pm

Soon school holiday so thought taking the wife and 2 kids on a road trip. Udon - Loie - Uttaradit - Chiang Mai.
Any interesting places, events, accomodations, sights , restaurants or other stuff on the way that we should not miss ?
Going Sept 29 - Oct 10....
All tips are very welcome

Post by **bluejets** » September 18, 2014, 6:38 am

Went that way 2008.

Just need to remember you're on a break so get yourself settled in some hotel by about 3pm.

Driver we had insisted on "keep going" and we would be out at 6 or 7 pm looking for somewhere to stay, not good.

Post by **pomps** » September 18, 2014, 7:35 am

Maybe some helpful info in the link below,with a further link within that

http://www.udonmap.com/udonthaniforum/post343701.html

Post by **boes** » September 18, 2014, 9:23 am

Thank you for the link...

Post by **stattointhailand** » September 18, 2014, 9:29 am

Certainly worth a stop at Lampang for a ride around town on the horse & carts, and at about 70km South of CM is the Elephant sanctuary which is worth a stop as it's one of the few places that actually seems to care for the animals.
We usually stop in Phu Rua for lunch (don't know the name, but on the duel carriageway section left hand side, on the corner of a small side road. There is a gravel parking area in front and it has those massive wooden tables and chairs that look like they should still be part of the tree. It's about 200 m before the petrol station and 7/11. The " lapb hed hom " ( someone can correct my spelling please) made with tiny local mushrooms is always excellent.

bluejets, what time of day did you leave? If it was 9 or 10 am, I assume you were looking for somewhere to stay in CM by 6 or 7 pm

Post by **BobHelm** » September 18, 2014, 9:46 am

It can be driven in a day, but it is a rather long day.
Sadly I think that anywhere worth the stop are at the two ends of the route, rather than in the middle.
So Loei is well worth exploring for the views etc. & I like Lampang a great deal & would endorse Statto's suggestions there.
If you want to break the journey up then Phitsanulok is probably the place that is roughly half way. I have stayed there but could not exactly recommend it as a 'must see' place...

The Nam Nao national park is along that route, if you like the back to nature kind of stuff.
I have never been but my experience of Thailand national parks is that they are either exceptionally well done, or exceptionally cringe worthy. Not sure into which category it fits, sorry...

Post by **stattointhailand** » September 18, 2014, 10:23 am

Forgot to mention Wat Phra That Lampang Luang which is about 20km north of Lampang (route 1034). Well worth a quick visit. If you have overnighted in Lampang, you can visit the wat and then a little further up the road (route 11) on the opposite side is the Elephant Conservation Centre. From the Centre you are about an hour (or an hour and a half from CM allowing for CM traffic jams

)

Agree with Bob re places to stop. I stayed in Phitsanulok about 10 yrs ago and said never again. It may have improved since then, but as the usual route to CM is via Nakon Thai/ Chat Traken I haven't been within 80km of Phit since then.

If I wanted to limit my driving to 3 or 4 hrs a day, I would break my journey in Phu Rua and Lampang.
Lampang can be reached direct in about 6 1/2 - 7 hrs without going too quickly, but I would allow 8 and have an hours lunch break in PR if it were me

Post by **Twixies** » September 18, 2014, 10:47 am

this is a little bit funny. me and my family has been talking about the same, when the kids got holiday next month.
what about the rain and flood in the area
thanks for the tread.

Post by **stattointhailand** » September 18, 2014, 11:17 am

Twixies wrote:this is a little bit funny. me and my family has been talking about the same, when the kids got holiday next month.
what about the rain and flood in the area
thanks for the tread.

http://www.tmd.go.th/en/province.php?id=2

Post by **trubrit** » September 18, 2014, 11:23 am

I recently went to Lampan as I am interested in ceramics and it is the center of that industry. Every December they have a ceramics fair where all the manufacturers display their products and sell at very cheap prices their surplus and substandard wares. Its amazing what bargains you can pick up .This year they anticipate over 500 exhibitors.There is also a permanent trade exhibition which is a combined museum and factory shop, open to all,and tourists are very welcome, although if your like me you might find it difficult not to buy. You can easily spend the best part of a day in there. It has a restaurant and comfortable lounges providing free coffee .It is only five minutes away from the Centara complex.

Of course the chicken is the local emblem .

Post by **stattointhailand** » September 18, 2014, 11:35 am

Any golfers who are heading over the route might consider a detour from Uttaradit to Sirikit Dam which is about 50km along route 1045. It's has magnificent EGAT course (don't think I have ever played a better EGAT course) and being an EGAT course it is very cheap to play, unlike those in the CM area