On the way from Sakhon Nahkhon to Nahkon Phanom, there was this signboard along the road that said, Mekong Underwater world. Curious and having plenty of time to space since this was a short ride for the day of only 2 hours, I decided to take a detour. These days the detours are all that makes the trips worthwhile anyway.
Mekong Underwater world was a big aquarium showcasing the marine ecology in the Mekong River. For a small place it was extremely insightful understanding how important the Mekong River is to biodiversity. I was there during a primary school visit so there was lots of screaming children running around and I guess that was the kind of place it was built for, education.
Onward to Nakhon Phanom and it was a lovely surprise to what I was expecting. My image of Nakhon Phanom from the web was that it is a sleepy town, nothing worth stopping more than one night but to be honest, I was loving the place so much.
Sleepy town it was, however with a lovely boardwalk by the Mekong river filled with old wooden stilts houses which mostly turned into hipster "Mookata" watering hole at night. They also have a quint historic clock-tower that marks the center of Nakhon Phanom and a row of beautifully ornate temples lining up side by side facing the Mekong river which just shines beautifully on a sunset.
To be frank I briefly considered doing nothing for a few weeks here in Nahkhon Phanom. It had that kind of charm for a sleepy old town. I even made a Pokemon Go Friend while I was battling a gym by the Naga Statue. The guy just walked up to me with his phone pointing and spoke to me in Thai so happily (I figured there was not much Pokemon Go players around). My limited Thai was still fun conversing with a local that had nothing to do about travel. To this day he is still my silent friend in Pokemon Go sending each other gift every other time.
There was one thing to do in Nahkon Phanom that is quite interesting for the history buff. Nearby lies the actual house of residence of President Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam). Very humbling and also a stark contrast of how he is portrayed in Vietnam. To get there, its about a short ride 15 minutes from downtown to Ban Nachok with barely much sign markers. Mark on GPS and slowly follow. Direction and guide are hard to come by and one may go to the wrong Ho Chi Minh museum nearby.
Traveled on : Feb 2019
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| Detour by the Signboard - To Mekong Underwater World - Nahkon Phanom |
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| The Mekong Giant Catfish - Underwater World Nahkon Phanom |
Onward to Nakhon Phanom and it was a lovely surprise to what I was expecting. My image of Nakhon Phanom from the web was that it is a sleepy town, nothing worth stopping more than one night but to be honest, I was loving the place so much.
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| Temples along the Mekong River - Nahkon Phanom |
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| Nahkon Phanom - Mekong River Boardwalk |
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| Old Stilts Houses turn Niche Eatery and Drinking Places by the Mekong River - Nahkon Phanom |
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| Mookata by the Mekong River - Nahkon Phanom |
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| Mookata by the Mekong River - Nahkon Phanom |
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| Naga Monument at Nahkon Phanom |
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| Ho Chi Minh Residence in Nahkon Phanom Thailand |
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| Ho Chi Minh Residence in Nahkon Phanom Thailand |
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| Ho Chi Minh Working Table |
Traveled on : Feb 2019
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