Chiang Khan : A Charming Escape (Part-2)

On the second day of our Chiang Khan trip, we woke up at five in the morning to get ready because we had planned to go up to “Phu Thok” to see the sea of mist at sunrise. Phu Thok is not far from Chiang Khan, it takes less than 10 minutes to drive from our accommodation on the walking street. Phu Thok is a small mountain in Chiang Khan district, but its beauty is unmatched anywhere in Thailand. It is a place where you can see the most beautiful sea of mist and sunrise. If you come during the middle of the day, you can also enjoy the view of the Mekong River that flows through the border between Thailand and Laos.

We left our accommodation at around 5:30am to head towards the path to climb Phu Thok. To climb Phu Thok, we couldn’t drive up on our own. We had to use a local minibus service from the bottom to go up because the road up is very steep and requires special expertise. The fare for the two-row vehicle was only 20 baht per person (0.60 USD).

The minibus took less than 5 minutes to take us to the top of Phu Thok. At that time, the sun was just about to rise. We were very lucky, as the minibus driver told us that today was a special day because there was a lot of mist, which we saw as soon as we parked the car. This made the sea of mist even more beautiful today. Also, as it was a Saturday, there were quite a few people, but we still managed to take some great pictures.

We spent about an hour watching the sea of fog and the sunrise. When the sun was fully up, we took the minibus down from Phu Thok together (and it was a free ride, by the way). When we arrived at the bottom, we immediately felt hungry and went to look for food in the area. There were about ten food vendors selling local dishes such as stir-fried egg, Lao style noodle with soup (Khao Piak), or fried chicken with sticky rice. We had plenty of options to choose from.

After filling our stomachs, it was almost 8 am and we thought it was time to head back to our accommodation to take a shower and freshen up (because some of us hadn’t showered yet…we had an early wake-up call 😉 ). As for those who had already showered, they had time to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee in the morning by the Mekong River, admiring the view of Laos in another very relaxing atmosphere.

After filling our stomachs, it was almost 8 a.m., so we headed back to our accommodations to freshen up (some of us hadn’t showered yet… early birds 😉 ). Those who had showered had time to sit and enjoy a morning coffee by the Mekong River, admiring the view of Laos from another perspective.

Later in the morning, when we were all ready, we set off to another important landmark of Chiang Khan, the “Chiangkhan Skywalk,” which is located about 20 km away from Chiang Khan Walking Street. It took less than 30 minutes to drive there. This skywalk is a new and trendy tourist attraction in Chiang Khan because it’s a glass walkway set on a cliff with a panoramic view of the Mekong River, the first major river that flows through northeastern Thailand. Furthermore, it’s a beautiful place as it’s also home to a grand statue of Buddha. The skywalk is open every day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. with an admission fee of 60 baht per person (2 USD). We arrived at the skywalk at around 10 a.m. and there were already many people there since it was a Saturday. After queuing for about 20 minutes to purchase tickets and undergo a COVID screening, we got on the skywalk bus. I must say that the view from the top was more beautiful than we expected, especially since the weather was nice with clear skies. It might have been a bit hot, but seeing such stunning views like this is definitely worth it.

พWe spent almost an hour walking and taking pictures on the Chiangkhan Skywalk. By the time we realized, it was already noon. The breakfast we had earlier seemed to have lost its effect, so we waved goodbye to the Skywalk and went in search of traditional Isan lunch with a beautiful view by the Mekong River at “Kaeng Kud Ku“

“Kaeng Kud Ku” is a rocky gorge that blocks the flow of the Mekong River, making it look like a waterfall. There are many shops and restaurants along the banks of the Mekong River, offering a variety of options. The main dish here is undoubtedly som tam (spicy papaya salad), which is a signature dish of northeastern Thailand. After enjoying a meal by the Mekong River and admiring the view of Laos and enjoyed the cool weather during the late rainy season and early winter, it provides a relaxing atmosphere.

After enjoying a sumptuous lunch, we returned to our accommodation to relax and escape from the afternoon sun. In the evening, we planned to take a walk along the Mekong River to enjoy the sunset . Therefore, while waiting for the sun to set below the horizon, we decided to conserve our energy.

Around half past five in the evening, the atmosphere started to get a little dusky. The sun was setting, and its rays were gradually becoming weaker. We went out for a walk along the Mekong River according to our plan. Along the Mekong River, there was a pedestrian walkway that allowed us to walk along the riverbank for kilometers and enjoy the beautiful view. We took pictures at almost every corner and enjoyed ourselves until we realized that it was almost 8pm.

After the sky turned dark, we followed our usual routine of finding food on the walking street for another day. Even after two days, we weren’t bored because there were so many interesting things to buy and see.”

After our stomachs were full, we returned to our accommodation to rest and chat with our long-time-no-see friends. Each person had an interesting and different life with their own goals. Exchanging stories with each other brought us happiness and allowed us to share each other’s joys and sorrows.

Before heading back to Bangkok, there was one thing that people who visit Chiang Khan must not miss out on, and that is The tradition of almsgiving. In the morning, we could pre-order food and offerings for almsgiving at our hotel or local shops along the walking street. When the time came, we went to the designated spot along the walking street to give alms. The almsgiving of sticky rice usually starts around 5:30am in the morning and lasts until around 6:30am. This is a way to perform a good deed before heading back home with happiness in our hearts.