Korat (Thailand)

From Ayutthaya I took the train to the less touristy region of Isan, where I would be spending several days. My first port of call was Korat, or Nakhon Ratchasima, as the city is also known

There isn't much to say about the city itself, with there not being much to see there. Nevertheless, I did go to see the Wat Pra Narai temple, standing on its own little island, before leaving the city to explore the surrounding countryside. There are large numbers of Thai people living in Korat, which makes it an important city for the region, but that's about all. 

Various Thais stopped me in the street to comment on my very white skin. Tourists are very rare here, and I rapidly found myself attracting attention!

From Korat I headed for Surin a few kilometers away to visit a silk weaving ecovillage. This was an enjoyable place to visit and gives you the chance to see local craftspeople at work spinning and dyeing silk. 

I also visited an elephant training center, where they demonstrate how they go about taming and taking care of the elephants. I still have mixed feelings about the experience, even though it seemed like a decent place and the elephants looked well treated. I even got the chance to bathe with them in the river when they took their daily bath! There really is lots to do in the region, and that's without including the numerous temples built in the Khmer architectural style to be seen there.