Our foray into the sleepy riverside village of Chiang Khan was motivated by the desire to see a more authentic part of Thailand, less influenced by western tourists - which should be an achievable goal in the Isan region, usually off the beaten track for foreign visitors. However, Chiang Khan itself is still somewhat of a touristic hotspot - but a domestic one.
As we get more time to explore during our stay, it quickly becomes apparent why. The historic centre of the village, a narrow strip between the river bank and the walking market street, is a picturesque jumble of pretty wooden buildings. The waterside promenade offers striking views both of the Mekong and of the manicured facades of the many hotels and guesthouses whose teak terraces give guests private spaces from which to enjoy the sights. The walking street is lined with hipster coffee shops and restaurants, and cute shops offering fashionable twists on traditional clothing, as well as an incredible number of “Chiang Khan” branded t-shirts - one of the first time we’ve seen that kind of merchandise! During the day, everything is quiet as people shelter from the leaden sun. But at night, activity spills onto the street, with food stalls selling picturesque crab and prawn skewers thrown into the mix. It’s a fun activity to be the tourist-watchers for once, as we giggle at the dolled-up Thai influencers posing with their latest purchases or taking fashionable shots of themselves walking along a pretty shopfront.
It takes us a day to get used to the gentle rhythm of life here - but luckily we’re staying in a lovely place, the stunning Saythong Boutique hotel, designed (with a very good eye!) by its friendly owner. We take full advantage of the airy rooms and scenic balconies as we take a rest from our travels.
Our first day is spent searching for more information about the elusive bus 507 that we hope to take back to Nong Khai. Despite visiting two different terminals, no luck at all this time - and without confirmation of the existence of the line or its schedule, we give up and schedule another taxi back, direct this time and for much cheaper. We take the rest of the morning to walk through the historic centre and enjoy the beautiful buildings and pretty river views, before lunching on river-caught fish - an experience we won’t repeat after reading up on how polluted the Mekong unfortunately is. In the evening, the night market comes alive with the remaining weekenders - it’s still a bank holiday here and the town is busy for a Monday! We’re not quite ready to try the raw prawn salad and settle for a (very average) noodle soup instead.
The next morning, we want to roam a bit further afield. Chiang Khan is reputed for its kilometres-long riverside cycle lane (with bikes a recurring motif on the souvenir t-shirts sold at the market), and after a bit of searching along the high street, we find a trio of bikes big enough to take us. Following a friendly traveller’s directions, it’s a very pleasant ride along a modern and well-maintained path that takes us to the neighbouring hamlet of Khaeng Khut Khu, seven kilometres down the Mekong. Stunning river views all the way as we are right by the water, and a few temples and sights dotted along as well, making for a varied journey. Unfortunately the lane peters out after the hamlet - and after a little additional loop on quiet local roads we make our way back as there’s not much going on here: we’re too early for the market to have properly started. It’s made for a nice morning activity though, and to top it off we find a gem of a restaurant tucked away next to the walking street. Japanese inspiration is evident in the low tables and tiny wooden stools - not super comfortable but the setting in one of those traditional wooden houses is beautiful enough to make up for it, and the noodle soup is also delicious.
Tuesday’s night market is unexpectedly quiet - it seems true that activity dies down here during the week - but we manage to find a cart that sells us special no-spice Pad Thai, the proper way wrapped up in an omelet. We eat it at another low table - decidedly not a good day for fragile knees - after having taken another series of pictures of the spectacular sunset views from the promenade. And wrap up our stay in Chiang Khan on a nice sweet note as we score some very nice cakes on one of those cute private riverside terraces I’ve been eyeing for the past two days - mmmmh!
Tomorrow we’ll head back to Nong Khai and on to Vientiane - this has not been a particularly eventful interlude but those lazy afternoons by the river were a perfect way to catch up and I believe a nice restful introduction to South-East Asia for mum before she gets whisked away on her organised tour next week.
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