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Prasat Pueai Noi
 Prasat Pueai Noi is the largest Khmer sanctuary in the upper Northeast. The compound comprises 3 brick buildings built on the same laterite base. All face to the east. Each pagoda has a sandstone lintel with designs. Each pagoda has a smaller chapel and a lintel with clear, lovely designs. A laterite wall surrounds the compound and there is a pool just beyond it. From Khon Kaen, take Highway No. 2 for 44 kilometres to Ban Phai, then take Highway No. 23 for 11 kilometres to Borabu district, then take a right-hand road for 24 kilometres to Ku Pueai Noi.
Phu Wiang National Park
 This national park always reminds tourists about dinosaurs. Indeed, nobody had formerly ever though the Isan plateau was once home of dinosaurs. Until 1976 when a uranium survey team discovered a piece of fossil, which was examined by French specialists and declared that it was a left knee bone of a dinosaur. After that, serious execration has never ended until now.
On the hill Pratu Ti Ma, which was the first site, geologists have found fossils of a dinosaur, 15 metres high with a long neck and tail. This is a kind of plant-eating dinosaur never found else where before, so it was named Phuwiangosaurus Sirindhornae to honour H.R.H Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. In this site, over ten teeth of a meat-eating dinosaur have also been found. So geologists and scientists presumed that the long-necked dinosaur was prey for these teeths owner. Among these teeths, one is different. After a study, scientist found that it belonged to a new species of dinosaur never found before. So it was named Siamosaurus Suteethorni after the discoverer, Mr. Warawuth Suteethorn.
All the three sites are not far from the headquarters, and tourists can also visit the second and third sites nearby.
Fossils of Siamotyrannus Isanensis found here are the oldest ones, dating back 120-130 million years. This indicates that tyrannosaurus originated in Asia. These fossils are now displayed in the museum of the Department of Mineral Resources.
At the 8th site, there are 68 footprints of dinosaurs, dating back 140 million years ago. Most of them belong to the world's smallest species of meat-eating dinosaur, which walked on two legs. Among such footprints, there is one bigger footprint, assumed to belong to Carnosaurus.
These sites are 19 kilometres from the headquarters. It takes an hour to get there by car and four-wheel drive vehicle is recommended. In many sites, geologists found fossils of dinosaur babies, small crocodiles and mussels dating back to 150 million years ago.
Besides fossils of dinosaurs, there are also traces of ancient civilizations in this area including a high relief of the reclining Buddha on the cliff, at the crest of Phu Wiang Mountain. The Buddha image was carved in the 9th century, mirroring an influence from Indian art. Nearby is Tham Famue Daeng, Dang, or Red Palm Cave, at Ban Hin Rong. The cave wall houses prehistoric paintings of cavemen's hands from sprays of red ochre.
Natural attractions in the park include waterfalls and field of wild flowers. Namtok Thap phaya Suea is a small waterfall near to Tham Famue Daeang. Namtok Tat Fa is a 15-metre high waterfall that can be accessed by car. The waterfall is 18 kilometres from Amphoe Phu Wiang. Some 5 kilometres from Namtok Tat Fa is Namtok Tat Klang which is a 8-metre high waterfall. Savanna and rock plateaus are always blanketed with wild flowers in full bloom by the end of the rainy season.
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Phrathat Kham Kaen
 Located in Wat Chetiyaphum, the Phrathat is believed to be the origin of Khon Kaen city since ancient times. Phrathat Kham Kaen can be date the 20th century A.D. According to the legend, a back to king who ruled Mori town in the Khmer kingdom assigned 9 senior monks to bring relics of the Lord Buddha to be placed in Phrathat Phanom. On the way, the caravan spent a night here, setting a camp by the heartwood of a dead tamarind tree. The caravan reached Nakhon Phanom on the next day just to learn that Phrathat Phanom had already been completed, so they returned on the same route with a wish to place the relics at their hometown instead. On the way back, they were surprised to find the dead tamarind tree buddingly lush. Therefore, they decided to build a Phrathat here and placed the relics and Buddha images inside, naming Phrathat Kham Kaen which means the stupa of tamarind heartwood.
The Phrathat is now well renovated and landscaped. A celebration is held annually on the full moon day of the 6th lunar month. Phrathat Kham Kaen is 12 kilometres from downtown Khon Kaen. Visitors can get there via Highway 209 (Khon Kaen-Kalasin route). After crossing the Nam Phong River, turn left and keep going for another 14 kilometres.
Hong Mun Mang or Khon Kaen City Museum
This museum is situated by the Kaen Nakhon Lake in the town.
Hong: means a tower for keeping treasures. Hong Mun Mang is a tower where accumulated historical articles of Khon Kaen are preserved. It is a museum which reflects the way of life of Khon Kaen people from the past to the present.
This museum was established in order to link each community in Khon Kaen province and to make people feel pride in their  community. It is also a center of study and research on the history of Khon Kaen. There are 5 zones:
Zone 1 : Introduction to Khon Kaen province
Zone 2 : History and Culture of Khon Kaen
Zone 3 : The founding of the city
Zone 4 : Towns and lifestyles of Khon Kaen people
Zone 5 : Khon Kaen Today.
The museum is open daily, except Mondays, from 12 noon - 8.00 p.m. Entrance fee is 90 baht. For more information please contact The Town Council Office of Khon Kaen, Prachasamran Road, Mueang District, Khon Kaen Province, Tel.0 4327 1173, 04322 4032 during office hours. |
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Chang Kra
 Having grown wild over a century ago in Wat Pa Mancha Khiri, over 4,000 Chang Kra orchid-Rhyncostylis gigantean (Lindl.) are in full bloom on the branches of some 280 trees every year during January and February. These wild orchids always fill the whole area with their mild fragrance.
How to get there: the temple is only a kilometre from downtown Amphoe Mancha Khiri, 57 kilometres from downtown Khon Kaen. From Bangkok, motorists can drive via Highway 2 (Mitraphap Road) then turn left to Amphoe Chonnabot, via Highway 229 (Chonnabot-Mancha Khiri). The entrance to the temple is on the left before reaching Amphoe Mancha Khiri or some 35 kilometres from Mitraphap Road. From Khon Kaen, motorists can go via Highway 2731 and 2062 through Amphoe Phra Yuen.
Non Mueang Ancient Town
The ancient town is located at Ban Na Pho, 80 kilometres from downtown Khon Kaen. Legends say the hill known as Non Mueange  was the location of an ancient town. Acquiring a 216 rai area, the oval hill has double moats. Archaeologists have found sandstone Sema boundary markers in Dvaravati style in the town and nearby. Potsherds were scattered around. Some were painted in red, and some decorated with incising and cord-marked patterns.
In the soil layer of the Dvaravati period (7-11th century), none of the funeral-related artifacts was found. So, archaeologists presumed that the funeral of this town changed after the arrival of Buddhism. In deeper soil, more interesting historical evidence was found. Archaeologists found that there used to be a human settlement here since the late pre historic period. They discovered human skeletons dating back 2,500 years ago. Funeral tools and utensils were buried together with the bodies. The utensils found included pottery decorated with painted , incising and cord-marked pattern, bronze and animal-bone bangles, shells, colorful beads, as well as iron tools such as hoe, sickle, and animals bones; namely deer, barking deer, and different fishes. These artifacts prove that people in this community lived on agriculture until the Lop Buri period (11-12th century).
How to get there: Motorists can get there via Highway 12, Khon Kaen-Chum Phae Road, then make a left turn at Chum Phae Post Office, continuing for another 5 kilometres.
Sala Mai Thai
 Located in Khon Kaen Vocational College, Sala Mai Thai is part of the project to celebrate the 60th birthday anniversary of Her Majesty the Queen (August 12, 1992). The silk centre was established to support Her Majesty the Queens mission to promote silk and silk products from Isan as well as conserve the traditions. The centre feature the silk production process from dyeing to weaving, tools for silk production and rare equipment, and different ancient silk textiles various pattern. The centre also exhibits the world's most expensive Mudmee silk textile woven by the people of Chonnabot people. The silk textile has won Asian award in silk contest.
Sala Mai Thai is open daily during official hours, Monday to Friday during 8.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. For more information, contact the Khon Kaen Vocational College, Amphoe Chonnabot, Khon Kaen 40180 at Tel. 0 4328 6160.
How to get there: From downtown Khon Kaen, visitors can go via Highway 2 (Khon Kaen-Korat) for 44 kilometres. Turn right at Ban Phai Intersection to Highway 229 and go for another 11 kilometres. Sala Mai Thai is on the left, opposite to Kong Kaeo Lake. |
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Travel Ayutthaya
