Top Khon Kaen Hotels

Khon Kaen is not a resort town like those on the beaches in southern Thailand. Nor has it the character of Bangkok. But if you want to visit the province of Isaan, I would highly recommend using Khon Kaen as a base for your travels. It has numerous hotels to suit all taste and pockets, is located on the main highway north to Nongkai and Laos and has all the western comforts usually sought after travelling in rural areas of this amazing province. There are many restaurants and bars in the city, most are of very high quality. Shopping is unbelievably cheap, especially for electronic goods.<br> <br> There are many day trips out of Khon Kaen that are well worth a visit. If you play golf there is a good 18 hole course about 35 minutes drive from the city on the shores of Ubolratana lake, which in itself is worth a day tip to see the many beautifull things in the national park that surrounds it. Khon Kaen would not suit everybody but those who are travelling in the province would not find a better base.

Phanom Rung is a long drive (3 1/2 hours) and not a huge place, but it and its nearby temples are as nice as some that you see in Angkor Wat.

Kohn Kaen is not the large city that Bangkok is. You get much better value for your purchases here and the people are not as anxious to take advantage of the tourist shopper as they are in Bangkok. I rented a car at the airport and found that the prices were much higher than they are in the U.S.A.This is due to the higher cost of imported cars in Thailand. The airport has just been expanded and a new terminal building opened. It is modern but has very few shops in it.

The Vietnamese restaurant within the hotel serves delicious and authentic dishes. As the hotel offers almost anything you need (including the "No. 1 in Thailand" lady man coiffeur), one may be tempted to spend all the time there. That would be a shame though, because around sunset by the Bung Kaen Nakhon lake you will find an enchanting slice of Thai life with runners and restaurants, skaters and scooters, taxis and temples.

Restaurant staff underground should speak better english.