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Some details of my house in Sangkhom:
- peaceful and relaxing, surrounded by
beautiful nature
- house for rent for a year or some months,
willing to sell (with 1,600 m2 of land)
- you may plant vegetables in the garden,
even if only renting
- good fish from the river (about 15
minutes walk)
- only one or two neighbours, who are
farmers, so lots of private space
- one bedroom, 1 living room, 1 balcony, 1
kitchen, sound structure
- 15 minutes walk to markets (Sang Kom –
restaurants: some Thai, mostly
Laos; also massage and markets
sell hand-made goods)
- 70km to big city of
Nong Kai, where there is immigration and
you can renew your visa
- Kom River (can swim in) bordering between Lao and Thailand 15
minutes walk away
- nice walks in forest
- many temples in the area
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More Details Regarding Sangkhom and its Surroundings
Seductively sleepy, the little town of
Sangkhom, facing the Lao
island
of Don Klang Khong,
is a convenient staging post for those taking the high (river)
road (Rte 211) between Nong Khai and Loei. The
Mekong
dominates life here, but there are also some lovely waterfalls
in the area.
Thantong Waterfalls,
about 8km from my house. |
The largest local waterfall is three-tiered
Nam Tok Than Thip (admission free; daylight hours), 13km west of
Sangkhom (2km off Rte 211). The lower level drops 30m and the
second, easily reached via stairs, falls 100m. The 70m-top drop
is only barely visible through the lush forest. Nam Tok Than
Thong (admission free; daylight hours), 11.5km east of Sangkhom
off the northern (river) side of Rte 211, is a wider but shorter
drop with a swimmable pool at the bottom. The short nature trail
takes you down by the Mekong. Than Thong is more accessible than Than Thip, but
can be rather crowded on weekends and holidays.
The forest wat peering down on the town
from the eastern hills, Wat Pa Tak Sua (daylight hours), lies
about 4km as the crow flies (ask someone to point you to the
footpath to the top), but it’s 18km to drive (take the turn-off
across from Nam Tok Than Thong). It has a very good
sunset-over-the-Mekong view.
There are local caves connected to temples
and the locals are extremely friendly.
About 10 min walk from
my house. |
Half a day at an impressive waterfall? If
you should see only one, go for Na Yung Waterfall : a powerful
17m high drop with water all year round, good view from the top,
smaller waterfalls up the river, nature foot walks to come down
via a different way and not too many tourists yet (should
however change soon as they were busy building infrastructures).
Na Yung Nam Som Forest Park is accessible via Na Yung Village on
road 2376. Biking or motor biking are the best options as there
is no public transport & vehicles to hitch are rather rare.
Waterfalls Around Sangkhom
- Than Thip Water Fall : with its 10m drop
it should be impressive enough, at least when there is water !
This phenomenon is most likely to happen at the end of the rainy
season only (Sept & Oct). Take the road toward Pak Chom
(therefore possible to reach by bus) for about 16km then a path
for 3km.
- Tan Thong Waterfall : this small 3 steps
waterfall is scenic between May and November. As it is a
favorite with local people. If you go, avoid WE. It is 11 km
toward Si Chiang Mai and is difficult to miss...
This beautiful rice and
green tea farm
is about 10km from my house. |
A beer in
Laos? The opposite island
belongs to
Laos
so it is of course illegal for foreigners to put a foot on it.
In practice however, nobody seems to care and you can easily
charter a boat, visit the island for around B40 (Lao Beer extra)
A great panorama? Then head toward the
temple you can spot on the 900m or so high hill at the eastern
part of town ! Heading toward Si Chiang Mai, there will be a
small path on the right 10 meters before the km sign "37/52"
(about 3km out of town). Turn left after the water ponds, deep
inside babana trees. There will be a house where you can leave
your bike. The climb up should take between 20 to 50 minutes. As
it is in the wild and you need to get down, bring your good
shoes ! The temple at the top is not the most splended but you
really should not care ! Sunset on clear days should be
magnificent but you may wish to be safely down before the
night... This incredible view point is apparently also
accessible on a flat road from Tan Thong Waterfall area but
distances won't be the same.
The Village
of Sangkhom
Local market opens at
5am to 7:30pm. |
A little town on the banks of the
Mekong, Sangkhom’s proximity to several picturesque
waterfalls makes it a pleasant stop en route to Nong Khai or
Loei. While it has retained some of its jungle-village charm,
wooden and concrete-block houses have replaced most of the
bamboo and straw-thatched huts, now regulated to the domain of
tourist bungalows. The town’s drowsy pace is still welcoming, as
is a stroll through streets filled with the aroma of frying
banana chips, a local specialty.
Sangkhom lies on Rte. 211, between Nong
Khai and Pak Chom. Transportation can be sporadic due to rising
gasoline prices. Flag down buses along the main street near DD
Guest House (see Accommodations). On the southern side of the
road, buses go to Pak Chom (1hr., approx. 3 per day 7am-5pm, 42฿),
where there are connections to many other destinations. On the
northern side of the road, they depart for Nong Khai (2hr.; 7,
9am, 5pm; 56฿) via Si
Chiangmai (1hr., 20฿).
Buses for Bangkok (6:30pm, 571฿)
leave from a small office on the main road at Soi 8. They travel
via Nong Kha i (100฿),
Udon (130฿), and Khon
Kaen (255฿). For Chiang
Khan, transfer to songthaew (1hr., 7am, 25฿)
at Pak Chom. Alternatively, samlor will take you there for 350฿.
ORIENTATION AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Shop open from 11am
until 7pm. |
Sangkhom is essentially a one-street town. Ming Muang Road
forms the spine from which numbered sois branch, increasing in
number as you head west, in the direction of Pak Chom. Entering
Sangkhom from Nong Khai, you’ll pass by the hospital; 1km
farther is the center of town, home to the police station and
the market.
Services include: police (☎042 441 080), opposite DD
Guest House in the center of town.; a pharmacy (☎081 369 2000), 289 M 4 Ming
Muang Rd., diagonally across from Buoy’s Guesthouse (see below),
toward the market (open daily 6-7am and 4:30-8pm); Sangkhom
Hospital (☎042
441 029), 72 Moo 3 Ming Muang Rd., 1km east of town; Internet
access at a shop without an English sign, diagonally opposite DD
Guest House (30฿ per
hr., open daily 7am-8pm); Krung Thai Bank, near soi 8 with a
24hr ATM MC/V/AmEx/Cirrus (open M-F 8:30am-3:30pm); and the post
office, 43 Moo 1, 1.5km from the market, after the second
bridge. (☎042 441 069. Open M-F
8:30am-4:40pm, Sa 9am-noon.) Postal Code: 43160.
FOOD
IN SANGKHOM
15 km drive by car. Nice temple. |
Unfortunately, the town’s market, opposite
the police station near DD Guest House, is rather small.
Fortunately, the accommodations in town have attached
restaurants that serve up some tasty treats.
SIGHTS IN SANGKHOM
The jungle surrounding Sangkhom is dotted
with caves, wats, and waterfalls. The impressive Than Thip Falls
are a 15min. motorbike ride west of town. Take any bus or
songthaew heading toward Pak Chom or Loei for 13km. Get off
between Km 97 and 98, take a left, and go down the road for 3km.
And bring your bathing suit—the second tier has a swimming hole.
Just as relaxing, though not as grand, are
the Than Thong Falls, just off the road between Km 72 and 73,
12km east of town. A Nong Khai-bound bus can also take you
there. Then Thong Rd. leads 4km up to Wat Pha Tak Seu,
a temple with a commanding view of the
Mekong. Wat Pha Tak Seu can also be reached via a
2km series of steps and trails leading up from the river road,
4km east of town. It is not advisable to take this path during
the rainy season (May-December).
Wat Hin Maak Peng, 20km east of Sangkhom,
is halfway between Sangkhom and Si Chiangmai, at Km 64. Any Si
Chiangmai-bound bus or songthaew (10฿) will drop you off. The
exteriors of these grand, modern buildings are set among richly
landscaped grounds and bamboo groves.
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