Talay Bua Daeng
To Udon Thani Province, about 550 km northeast of Bangkok
February 2016. I traveled from Bangkok to Udon Thani Province for a two-day, one-night trip to see Talay Bua Daeng (the Sea of Red Lotuses), which has become far too famous now.
At the time, it wasn't as famous a tourist destination as it is today, there were few tourists from overseas, and it was comfortable without the crowds.
There are various ways to get to Udon Thani, such as by plane, train, or express bus, but this time I chose the express bus. Since there are more departures than the train, I often used buses for trips to rural Thailand.
I took the metro (MRT) from Sukhumvit to Mo Chit Station. From there, past Chatuchak Park, is the Bangkok Northern Bus Terminal (Mo Chit Mai). For someone like me who uses buses frequently, this is often the starting point of my travels. I picked up the ticket I had reserved at the Chan Tour desk on the second floor and headed to the boarding area on the first floor. I remember the one-way fare was around 400 baht. I boarded the 8:00 AM bus. The single seats on the second floor are wide enough to stretch your legs and are comfortable. For the same price as a second-class train seat, this level of comfort makes the bus very attractive. I suddenly noticed a crack in the windshield, but... with the spirit of "mai pen rai," I fastened my seatbelt tightly and we departed.
Arrived in Udon Thani in 10 hours
I headed straight to Udon Thani on an air-conditioned express bus with single seats. Along the way, we took about 10 hours to reach the Udon Thani bus terminal, including two breaks of about 20 minutes each in Korat (Nakhon Ratchasima) and Khon Kaen. Normally, it should have arrived sooner, but we got caught in Bangkok's famous traffic, and it took 4 hours just to get out to Saraburi in the suburbs. The congestion near the Rangsit intersection was particularly intense, and the cars weren't moving at all. However, once we entered National Highway 2 (Friendship Highway) from Saraburi, the situation changed completely. The bus started speeding, pushing forward as if tailgating the car in front. This is a typical sight for long-distance buses in Thailand, but it made me a little nervous regarding safety. Perhaps this is the true spirit of "mai pen rai."
Arrived in Udon Thani
Around 6:00 PM, I arrived at the Udon Thani bus terminal. The terminal is located in the center of the city, and it was a short distance from the hotel I had booked. Although Udon Thani is a prefectural capital, the city itself has a surprisingly compact impression. In the city center, there is a large commercial facility called Central (Central Udon), and KFC and McDonald's are lined up in front of the station. It is calm during the day, but at night, night markets open here and there, and it suddenly becomes lively. I hardly saw any Japanese people, but I was surprised by the number of farang (white people). It seems this is due to the influence of the US military base that was there during the Vietnam War. Also, I was impressed by how busy the flower shops in front of the station were. That day happened to be Valentine's Day. It seems there is a custom in Thailand for men to give flowers to women, and I saw many men enthusiastically choosing flowers.
To Talay Bua Daeng
The next morning, I left the hotel at 6:00 AM for Nong Han Kumphawapi Lake in Kumphawapi District, where Talay Bua Daeng is located.
The lake is more than 20 km away from the town of Udon Thani, and since lotuses only bloom in the morning, we had to start early. For transportation, I chartered a van from my hotel. It was 499 baht, including the boat fee at the lake.
I spent about an hour touring the lake in a small boat with an engine operated by a boatman.
Since it was the dry season in mid-February, the weather was nice and the temperature was around 25°C.
My impression of Talay Bua Daeng is that it can only be described as a scene like Sawan (heaven). It was a place I would like to visit again.