Things to Do in Ubon Ratchathani in June

Pha Taem comes alive in June in ways the dry season cannot replicate. The park's waterfalls, Saeng Chan and Kaeng Lamduan, run at full power after weeks of monsoon rain, the red laterite trails flanked by dripping ferns and wildflowers that only bloom in the wet months. The main cliff walk overlooking the Mekong toward Laos is best attempted early morning, before 8 AM, when the air is still cool enough to make the 1.5 km (0.9 mile) trail comfortable and the cloud formations over the river valley tend toward the spectacular. The prehistoric rock paintings along the cliff face, some dating back 3,000 years, are easier to photograph in the diffused light of an overcast June morning than under the harsh dry-season sun. Trails can be muddy and slippery after heavy rain, so proper footwear matters more than it would in February. The park sits about 100 km (62 miles) east of the city center, roughly a 90-minute drive.

June turns Ubon Ratchathani's temples into working art studios. At Wat Thung Si Mueang, the small ordination hall appears to float on its surrounding pond, the water now high enough in the monsoon to fully reflect the structure, and across the city, temple compounds smell of warm beeswax as artisans carve the elaborate candle sculptures destined for the July Candle Festival. Wat Nong Bua, modeled after the Mahabodhi Temple in Bodh Gaya, India, is worth a slow visit for its interior murals depicting Jataka tales in a distinctly Isan visual style. In the evenings, Wat Sirindhorn Wararam about 20 km (12.4 miles) south of the city reveals its phosphorescent Tree of Life mural on the chapel wall, the green glow emerging against the dark after sunset. June's overcast skies make the glow more dramatic, and you'll likely have the viewing terrace to yourself. A full temple circuit covering three to four major sites takes a comfortable half day with time to watch the candle carvers work.

Where the Mun River narrows through volcanic rock formations at Kaeng Tana, June's swollen current transforms what was a lazy dry-season trickle into impressive rapids. The park sits about 80 km (50 miles) east of the city and has a rawer, less manicured experience than Pha Taem. The rock shelves along the Mun are partially submerged but the remaining exposed formations, smoothed and pocked by millennia of water, are slick with spray and worth careful exploration. The surrounding forest canopy traps moisture and keeps temperatures a few degrees below the city, and the sound of rushing water through the gorge is the sort of ambient roar that makes you forget you're in Thailand's flattest region. Birding is notably good in the wet-season canopy. The park's trails are manageable in about two to three hours, though the riverside paths require sturdy waterproof footwear with real grip.

Ubon Ratchathani's food scene runs on ingredients that the rest of Thailand has to import and Isan has growing in the yard. June is the month when this matters most. The Indochina Market, a large covered complex near the city center that has operated for decades, fills with seasonal produce in the early morning. Look for bundles of fresh bamboo shoots still damp from the forest. Baskets of wild mushrooms that the vendors can name by species. Piles of fresh herbs including the peppery phak chi farang that defines Isan salads. The smell before 7 AM hits hard. Fermented fish paste. Charcoal smoke from grilling stations. The sharp green scent of freshly pounded som tam. Ubon's version of som tam leans heavier on pla ra, the fermented fish sauce that divides even Thai eaters. The larb here is served with a rawness and heat that the tourist-friendly Bangkok versions smooth away. The night market along the Mun River, smaller and less showy than the morning markets, fires up around 5 PM. Grilled sticky rice wrapped in banana leaves. The smoke drifts over the water.

The district of Khong Chiam, about 80 km (50 miles) east of Ubon Ratchathani where the Mun River empties into the Mekong, is the easternmost point of Thailand and feels like it. The Mekong here is wide, muddy-brown in June with monsoon runoff from upstream. The Laotian bank sits close enough to see farmers working their fields. The Two-Color River confluence point, where the clearer Mun traditionally contrasts against the Mekong's sediment, is less visually striking in June than in the dry months. The sheer volume of water converging is impressive in its own right. The surrounding countryside is at its most photogenic. The rice paddies flooded and reflecting clouds. The laterite roads lined with flowering trees. The drive out from Ubon through small Isan villages is arguably the real attraction. Past wooden houses on stilts. Water buffalo standing chest-deep in flooded fields. Allow a full day for the round trip with stops.