Roi Et

Roi Et might be quiet, but it has the tallest standing Buddha in Thailand — Phra Phuttha Rattanamongkhon Mahamuni at Wat Burapha Phiram towers 68 meters over the city, visible from across the flat Isan plain. The base houses a museum, and the surrounding parkland around Bung Phlan Chai lake makes for pleasant evening walks. The city's modest night market serves solid Isan food at rock-bottom prices.

The province's Ku Phra Kona, a restored Khmer temple from the 11th century, is one of the better small Angkorian ruins in Isan. Roi Et is also a center for traditional Isan music — the khaen (bamboo mouth organ) is practically the provincial instrument, and skilled players can sometimes be heard at festivals and temple fairs. Pha Nam Yoi Forest Park offers sandstone cliffs and viewpoints for a taste of nature, and the province's position midway between Khon Kaen and Ubon Ratchathani makes it a natural Isan road-trip stop.