Ubon Ratchathani

Ubon Ratchathani — Ubon for short — anchors the far eastern corner of Isan where Thailand meets Laos and Cambodia. The annual Candle Festival (Ubon Ratchathani Candle Festival) during Khao Phansa in July is one of Thailand's most spectacular celebrations: massive beeswax sculptures, some weighing tons, are paraded through the city on floats. The detail and artistry rival any festival in the country.

The countryside around Ubon holds some of Isan's most dramatic landscapes. Pha Taem National Park, along the Mekong, has ancient rock paintings dating back 3,000 years and cliff-top viewpoints where you can watch the sunrise over Laos — it's the first place in Thailand to see the morning sun. Sam Phan Bok, a section of the Mekong that exposes thousands of eroded rock pools during the dry season, is dubbed the "Grand Canyon of Thailand" (it's smaller but genuinely impressive). Khong Chiam, where the Mun and Mekong rivers merge in a visible two-toned confluence, is a peaceful riverside town worth an overnight stay.