Things to Do in Ubon Ratchathani in August
August weather, activities, events & insider tips
August Weather in Ubon Ratchathani
Is August Right for You?
Advantages
- August is when the monsoon softens and the Mun River runs wide and muddy after the heaviest rains, perfect for the two-day Mun River rafting trips that locals have been running since the 1990s. You'll see Ubon at its greenest - the rice terraces south of town look like they've been painted in 50 shades of emerald.
- The crowds from Candle Festival (which ends mid-July) have vanished, so the night markets along Thanon Sappasit are back to local prices and you can get a table at the 40-year-old Pad Thai Pa Noi without a 30-minute wait.
- Afternoon thunderstorms clear the air for an hour or two each day - the temperature drops from 32°C (90°F) to 26°C (79°F) and the humidity briefly drops below 60%, making this the only time of year when cycling the 15 km (9.3 miles) to Wat Tham Khuha Sawan isn't pure misery.
- The silk weaving villages around Ban Tha Sae are in full production mode, and you can watch the old wooden looms clacking away under fluorescent lights in houses that have been weaving for three generations. The August silk comes out thicker and more durable because the humidity keeps the threads from snapping.
Considerations
- You'll hit at least one week where it rains every afternoon between 2-4pm, and when it rains here, it rains - 50 mm (2 inches) in 45 minutes is normal. The streets flood ankle-deep along Thanon Chayangkun and motorbike traffic becomes a slow-motion ballet of splashing wheels.
- August is when the Mekong giant catfish start their upstream migration, which means the fishermen close off parts of the Mun River. You might find some of the best riverside restaurants suddenly serving frozen fish instead of fresh, and the locals will apologize like it's their fault.
- The UV index sits at 8 most days - high enough that you'll burn in 20 minutes if you're the type who thinks 'cloudy means safe.' The clouds are thin and the sun is still brutal between 11am and 3pm, if you're cycling the 12 km (7.5 miles) out to the sand dunes.
Best Activities in August
Mun River Bamboo Rafting
August's higher water levels turn the usually placid Mun River into a proper adventure - the 15 km (9.3 mile) stretch downstream from Wat Tham Khuha Sawan runs through limestone cliffs and past fishing villages where they'll wave you over for grilled tilapia. The water is warm as bathwater from monsoon runoff, and you'll float past salt-making operations where families have been boiling river water for salt since the 1800s.
Isan Temple Cycling Tours
The morning light in August filters through monsoon clouds in a way that makes the gold stupas at Wat Nong Bua and Wat Thung Si Mueang absolutely glow. You can cycle the 25 km (15.5 mile) temple circuit starting at 6:30am when it's 25°C (77°F) instead of 32°C (90°F), stopping at roadside stalls for sticky rice grilled in bamboo that tastes like smoke and coconut milk.
Isan Silk Village Workshops
August is when the silk worms are spinning and the weaving houses in Ban Tha Sae village are running non-stop. You can watch the entire process from boiling cocoons to threading gold patterns into deep indigo silk, and the weavers will let you try the foot-powered looms. The humidity makes the silk threads more pliable, so the patterns come out cleaner than any other month.
Had Hong Sand Dune Sunset Hiking
The 20-minute climb up 150 m (492 ft) of shifting white sand is brutal in August heat, but the reward is watching the sun drop behind the Mekong River with Laos visible across the water. The sand stays warm from the day's heat even after the sun sets, and the occasional thunderstorm in the distance makes the scene look like something from a movie.
Ubon Night Market Food Tours
August evenings at the night market are perfect for grazing your way through Isan cuisine without melting. The grilled chicken stalls set up at 6pm when the temperature finally drops below 30°C (86°F), and you can work your way through som tam that's spicy, sai krok Isan that's been fermented for three days, and sticky rice steamed in woven bamboo baskets that smell like camping.
August Events & Festivals
Ubon Wax Castle Festival
The Buddhist Lent festival where teams spend months building elaborate wax castles for temple offerings. You'll see 3-meter tall structures carved with tiny Buddhas and decorated with fresh flowers, carried in procession to Wat Thung Si Mueang while monks chant and drums beat.