Lao Orchid Vientiane

lao orchid vientiane="lao orchid vientiane"

Udon Thani - The Gateway City Full of Fire

Udon Thani, also known as simply Udon, is a province in the northeast of Thailand, close to the Laotian border and is the gateway to Laos via the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai. It's capital city is also named Udon Thani. Most Thais refer to it as Udon.

It was relative unknown to foreigners until the Vietnam war, at which time the USA set up a military base. That base has since been turned over to Thailand, which was part of the deal when the USA was granted permission to set up the base.

Udon Thani itself is better known as a gateway city rather than a major tourist destination. Many tourists pass through on their way to somewhere else, such as Laos and Nong Khai during the time of the Naga Fireballs.

The Naga Fireballs is a phenomenon that has to be seen to be believed. No one seems to know how this phenomenon occurs, but it is predictable. Along the banks of the Mekong River, when the moon rises, the phenomenon begins, with these fireballs rising out of the river. Sometimes there are only a few. Sometimes there are thousands. This year, 2009, the phenomenon is expected to occur the evening of Sunday, October 4. If you wish to experience the phenomenon you won't be alone. As many as 500,000 spectators are expected. If you wish to go, if you don't already have hotel reservations, try to make them immediately. Don't be too surprised if you cannot find any vacancies. Reservations are usually made months in advance.

Getting to this area is easy. Udon Thani has a good passenger airport. There is also an abundance of bus services to Udon and is a 14 hour railroad train ride from Bangkok. Within the area there is plenty of public transportation. There are motorcycle taxis, tuk-tuks, baht buses, and even bicycle rickshaws for short-distance rides. You can also rent bicycles and pedal around the city yourself.

There are many mid-range priced hotels in the area and surrounding areas.

In Udon Thani you will find an abundance of Korean barbeque restaurants. These are quite popular in Udon. If that is not to your taste, then along with all the Thai food, you can find the typical fast food restaurants in the shopping centers and a few western restaurants. The best western restaurants, along with some the best shopping, can be found in the Charoen Shopping Complex. There is also a good night bazaar near the railroad station. The shopping action at the night bazaar usually begins around 5:00pm and finishes up around 10:30pm.

The Charoen Shopping Complex also houses most of the nighttime entertainment venues, with bars, karaokes, and English style pubs

This area is in the real Issan part of Issan. Wherever you go, you can count on seeing one thing. Rice farms. Everywhere you look you'll see rice farms. This is the major industry in this area of Thailand and this is also the area at whioch most of Thailand's famous sticky rice is grown.

Sightseeing in and around the area includes:

* Ban Chiang - This is widely considered to be the most important recent archeological discovery in nearly all of Southeast Asia. The discoveries, beginning in 1967, here date back to the Bronze Age and artifacts have been made here that date back as far as 4400 BC. This is one of the finest museums in Thailand and is considered a must when visiting Udon Thani.

* Udon Thani Museum - This museum houses collections dating back to the founding of Udon Thani and includes an abundance of historical information.

* Udon Sunshine Orchid Farm - This is one of Thailand's finest collections of common and rare orchids. A stop here is a must if you are an orchid enthusiast and well worth a stop even if you are not. Some of the most beautiful flowers you will ever see can be found here.

* Phu Foi Lom - This is a major eco-tourism site, located in the Pa Phan Don-Pakho National Forest.

There are also several caves, waterfalls, rapids, and other historical sites to visit.

Local food products include the Chinese sausage called kun chiang, moo yong, which is a pork floss, moo yo, which is steamed pork, and moo naem, which is a sour pork product.

If you wish to enter Laos via the Friendship Bridge at Nong Khai, the visa-on-arrival fee for foreigners is US $35 and entitles you to 30 days in Laos You must have two passport photos available. Thais pay a different fee of their own. Air conditioned buses to Vientiane depart six times daily from Udon Thani. The fare is 80 baht one way.

To learn the most abut this great area and Thailand, check out http://thailandvisa.com

About the Author

Michael Allen is an expat who lives abroad and loves travel and adventure. For all the current information on traveling to Thailand and visa and immigration to this country, go to: http://www.thailandvisa.com

Vientiane,Laos by Night,Nam Ngum River by Day,October,2008


lao orchid vientiane
lao orchid vientiane
lao orchid vientiane

Lao Orchid

lao orchid="lao orchid"

Rhynchostylis Orchids

Rhynchostylis Orchids are originally from Thailand, Laos, The Philippines and surroundong areas. They are also refered to as 'Foxtail Orchids'

Temperature requirements for Rhynchostylis Orchids: a range of 60 - 80 degrees F .

Humidity requirements for Rhynchostylis Orchids.: 60 to 70 percent humidity is ideal for most species, however they are a tolerant species.

Water : Water when the mix approaches dryness during flowering or spike initiation. When not flowering allow the mix to become just dry between watering.

Repotting:
Repot in the early spring months from March to April using clay pots and a medium grade bark mix. Keep dry after repotting as many of the roots can crack due to their stiff nature.

There are 3 favorite Rhynchostylus spicies:

1. Rhynchostylis retusa

The plants die if the leaves are wet frequently. They prefer moderate waterings, heavy fertilizing, and very bright shade to direct morning light. Flowering is usually summer into fall.

The plant is found in semi-deciduous and deciduous dry lowland forests woodlands at elevations of sealevel to 700 m, native to Malaya, Singapore, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India.

Rhynchostylis retusa have stout, repent, short stem carrying to 12, curved, fleshy, deeply channeled, keeld, retuse apically leaves and blooms on an axillary, pendant, to 60 cm long, racemose, densely many flowered, cylindrical inflorescence that occurs in the winter and early spring.

2. Rhynchostylis coelestis:

Rhyncostylis coelestis is native to Southeast Asia and can be found in Thailand India and Burma. This plant has a Vanda like growth habit with stiff-folded leaves that curve downwards. The beautiful 2 tone blue flowers emerge in summer and have the fragrance of grapes. The flowers are long lasting and the plant is easy to grow as long as there is enough light.

3. Rhynchostylis gigantea

Rhynchostylis gigantea are best grown in wood slat basket with little or no potting material and will grow massive fleshy roots entangled throughout the basket if given uniform water and fertilizer. The plants are warm to hot growing. They can grow somewhat like a Vanda but will tolerate cooler conditions and lower light.

4. Rhynchostylis violacea

These orchids have a full spray of many miniature lavender and white flowers. This plant blooms in the winter and in the spring. The orchid prefers intermediate to warm temperatures, filtered light, and even moisture.

About the Author

Soccer Jersey Shop Queensoccer

Info and good advices to plant cactus and succulent

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Tiny orchid blooms in a Lao forest.


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