Red Lotus Lake Kumphawapi — Attraction in Udon Thani Province

My wife and I traveled on a Saturday morning to see the lake in February over Tet Holiday weekend. The sky was overcast but we did get to see a lot of opened lotuses.

Things our boatman told us: overcast days don't produce as many open lotuses as sunny days; an avid fisherman, when I asked if the lake was okay to fish and what type of fish might be contained in the lake, he said that, sure, there's all kinds of fish. Big ones. But he said, there are those biting things in the lake also. "What biting things?" my wife asked. "Alligator," he struggled to get out in his Thai-accented English. Alligator? I thought. You mean crocodiles? But I surely wasn't going to argue semantics. I understood enough there were things that bite in the waters and regretted not taking the bigger boat.

I don't think it matters which boat launch you decide to use since, it seemed to me, the drivers all travel a certain route, depending on which area of the lake has the best blooms. Furthermore, as we were taken along the lake, we could make out the other locations and other boats returning to and coming from them.

Our driver was awesome and gave my wife and I plenty of opportunities for photos. He even suggested we pose certain ways for the best photos. From when we entered the boat to when we stepped foot out of the boat was approximately 75 minutes.

Overall, a very enjoyable experience. The next time, I'll be taking the big boat and, if they allow, my...

The lake is one of the most beautiful places in northeastern of Thailand. I visited the place in December (winter) in which is the blooming season . The weather was around 18c and it was very windy. It is around 1 and a half hour drive from Udon Thaini town centre. To see the lotus, you need to get the boat tour. The tour take around 30 min. Try to come early in the morning to avoid the heat. The Red Lotus Sea ("lake", as it says here, is the correct word, but "sea" is the official term used) is one of the great sites of the Isan, and well beyond that. So if you're in the area, do check out whether the Lotus is still in bloom, and then go at all cost if flowers, nature and landscape appeals to you (not a party zone). There are all kinds of wise guys, especially local, who tell you that it is not worth anymore in March or whatever, but that means nothing - what with weather conditions being what they are, verify the blossom situation and go if it's still good. I would actually go even if not, because the wetland with all its swallows, cranes, storks, rainbow chickens, grazing water buffalo with their ibises etc is just great anyway. The boats are slow, uncomfy, and badly protected against the sun, so take your own parasol, lotion up, and dress skimpily for that one; no...

Located 45 minutes by car from Udon Thani, this is the place to go between late November and February to witness the beauty of the Red Lotus Lake. You can book tickets for 2 different boats: smaller, faster long tail boats (usually for 2-4 persons, THB 300 per boat or THB 100 per person) and the more comfortable regular boats (for up to 10 persons, THB 500 per boat or THB 150 per person).

My favourite time to go is as early as possible, at sunrise: usually around 6:30 am. So early in the morning the light is fantastic, the queues are short and the birdlife adds to the experience (later at the day the birds will seek shelter from the sun).

Boat trips from this pier take about 25-30 minutes to reach the centre of the area covered with lotusses, where the boat will stop at various locations to let you experience the natural beauty and shoot your photos, videos and selfies. All in all a relaxing experience, now well organised after years of wild west.

After you arrive back at the pier, you can visit the market, where the sell drinks and food made out of lotus. Ma Der Bua is a large coffee shop, serving a good...