00006 Buddhist temple in Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand

The 3-headed elephant is the main entrance to the temple.

Taken on: 26th December, 2007. Copyright: All Rights Reserved - See fbormanator's page of Flickr

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While Khon Kaen may be the heart of Isaan, we reckon the province of Ubon Ratchathani is the very underrated soul of Isaan. Isaan's second largest province (after Nakhon Ratchasima), Ubon Ratchathani is bordered to the south by Cambodia and to the east by Laos, making it part of the so-called Emerald Triangle -- the forested and well-mined meeting point of Thailand, Cambodia and Laos. Ubon, as it is commonly known, is home to an eclectic mix of ethnicities, including Khmer, Laotians, Vietnamese, Japanese, Chinese and Thais, who above all else have created an excellent food scene.

The capital, Ubon Ratchathani (Royal City of the Lotus), sits towards the western side of the same-named province. Once a centre for Dvaravati and Khmer cultures, today this lively city is the trading and communications hub of eastern Isaan. To the casual visitor, it may appear to be nothing more than a scaled down version of Bangkok -- rush hour traffic included -- but get ... Read our complete Ubon Ratchathani travel guide

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