Weekend Break: 4 Reasons To Visit Thailand’s Lovely Loei

1. Wander around the pretty Poinsettia Garden

The Poinsettia Garden is located just a short way from the entrance to Phu Ruea National Park. A cute windmill is the centrepiece of the garden, with the distinctive flowers all around like a blanket of red and green. Whimsical ornaments, like grinning rabbits and psychedelic snails, can be seen popping up from between the flowers.

The lovingly-landscaped garden has flower beds in diverse shapes and sizes, including a delightful heart-shaped bed filled with the vibrant poinsettia plants. Other flowers are used in some areas, providing a colourful contrast. Often associated with Christmas in the Western world, local Thais have also started to refer to poinsettias as Christmas trees!

The best time to see the flowers in full bloom is in the cool season. The flower’s popularity, and the beauty of the Poinsettia Garden, has also led to the yearly Phu Ruea Poinsettia Festival. Held each year during the cool season, it aims to promote local tourism and encourage more people to visit the area. There is no charge to visit the Poinsettia Garden.

2. Explore Phu Ruea National Park

Phu Ruea National Park is usually considered to be one of the coolest (temperature-wise) national parks in Thailand. Large digital thermometers outside the visitors’ centre and at the peak show you the big temperature variation as you climb higher. Vehicles are not allowed to travel to the top of the mountain, but you can hop in a pickup truck for just 20 THB (approximately 0.60 USD) per person if the steep paths don’t look to appealing.

There are several gorgeous viewpoints, such as Decho Viewpoint and Lon Noi Cliff, from where you can enjoy the splendid views of patchwork-like fields and craggy mountains. The top of the mountain offers even more excellent views, and you will also find a small white shrine with a golden Buddha statue that looks out over the scenic surroundings. Take a walk along the concrete-imprinted pathway and learn more about Thailand’s native creatures; the path displays each creature’s name along with a picture and an impression of its paw / foot. The scent of pine trees fills the air, and you can see plants and flowers that are unable to grow in warmer parts of the country.

Admission to the national park is 200 THB (approximately 5.70 USD) for non-Thai visitors.

3. Admire the beautiful Phra That Satja

Phra That Satja is located in Loei’s Tha Li District, near to Wat Lat Pu. A beautiful pagoda, it is more like those that you would expect to see in nearby Laos than in Thailand. A set of steps leads up to the pagoda, a bright green naga (multi-headed serpent) slithering down the rail each side of the steps. Standing at 33 metres (108.3 feet) tall, on an elevated patch of land, you can see the gleaming white pagoda from some distance away. A seven-tiered umbrella of sovereignty crowns the pagoda, and as you get closer you will see that the pagoda is covered in brilliant golden and multi-coloured designs. There is a brightly-coloured shrine inside, with scenes from the Lord Buddha’s life covering the walls and ceiling.

The nearby temple is also worth taking some time to explore. There’s an enormous gong and a large bell in addition to shrines, flowers, religious and mythical statues, and an assortment of halls and other buildings. There is no charge to enjoy the temple and pagoda, although donations are appreciated.

4. Learn about local beliefs at the Phi Ta Khon Museum

Located in the district of Dan Sai, the Phi Ta Khon Museum (also known as Dan Sai Folk Museum) showcases the unusual masks and costumes that are used during the area’s annual Boon Phi Ta Khon Festival. Held every year between March and July, the precise dates vary each year. Also known as the Ghost Festival, people dress in otherworldly outfits and take to the streets for fun and merriment. There are competitions, dancing, and religious rituals. Whilst the exact origins of the festival aren’t clear, it is a lively local event today.

A visit to the Phi Ta Khon Museum teaches visitors more about the festival, and lets you admire a large collection of traditional masks. There are even some that you can try on! It is definitely one of Thailand’s more unique attractions.

You can also visit the adjacent temple and see a replica of the Phrathat Si Song Rak pagoda, the original located nearby and also within Dan Sai District. There are no admission fees for the Phi a Khon Museum, although there are donation boxes located in the grounds.