🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
This route suits anyone with a car, because the sights are scattered across the outer districts. On the Roi Et side the highlights sit in different directions: the tower and Bueng Phlan Chai are downtown and easy to walk between, while Ku Ka Sing and the edge of Thung Kula Ronghai are down south in Kaset Wisai district. On the Maha Sarakham side, Phra That Na Dun and Ku Santarat are out in Na Dun district. Roi Et to Maha Sarakham is about 35–40 km along Highway 23, roughly 40 minutes to an hour. So we've set things up to stay one night in Roi Et town, soak up the best of Roi Et on day one, then cross over to Maha Sarakham on day two before heading home.
Trip overview and getting around
- Length — 2 days, 1 night is just about right: easy-going, no need to rush. If you want to fit in every stop, stretch it to 3 days, 2 nights.
- Transport — Your own car is by far the easiest, since spots like Ku Ka Sing and Phra That Na Dun are out in the rural districts. Without a car, buses and vans run the Khon Kaen–Maha Sarakham–Roi Et line between towns, but around town and in the outer districts you'll need to grab a motorbike taxi or arrange a ride.
- Main route — Roi Et to Maha Sarakham runs along Highway 23 (Chaeng Sanit Road), a straight shot on a good road.
- Roi Et → Maha Sarakham — About 35–40 km, roughly 40 minutes to 1 hour by car.
- Admission — Most stupas, temples and Khmer ruins are free. The upper viewing deck of Roi Et Tower runs about 50 THB, and Ku Santarat charges a small entry fee in the tens of baht.
Why build the whole trip around jasmine rice? Because Thung Kula Ronghai is a vast plain of more than two million rai that overlaps five provinces, including Roi Et and Maha Sarakham. The salty, dry soil here actually gives Khao Dawk Mali 105 rice an unusually strong fragrance, which earned it Geographical Indication (GI) status back in 2007. Drive across the plain late in the rainy season and the paddies are green as far as the eye can see; come November they turn golden as the rice ripens. It's an Isan view that looks plain but stays with you.
Roi Et — the view tower, the lake in the middle of town, and Thung Kula Ronghai
Day one tips
If you can set out early, knock out the in-town spots (Bueng Phlan Chai, the tower, Wat Burapha Phiram) from morning to midday, then head down to Kaset Wisai in the afternoon, because the softer afternoon light makes the paddies and Ku Ka Sing photograph beautifully — and you'll roll back into town right around evening. If you'd rather not drive far, you can drop Ku Ka Sing and just take Roi Et town slowly all day; save it for next time.
Book the activities in your Roi Et trip ahead
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Isan dishes worth trying across both towns
Both Roi Et and Maha Sarakham are pure Isan, so the food revolves around som tam, larb, grilled chicken, sticky rice and pla ra. What makes it special here is eating jasmine rice in the region where it's actually grown. These are the dishes we'd want you to try on the trip, ordered roughly by how easy they are to find and how much the locals genuinely eat them.
Som tam pla ra + sticky rice
The heart of an Isan meal — pounded fresh in the mortar with fragrant pla ra and eaten with hot sticky rice. You'll find it at every market and roadside stall. In Roi Et, the som tam spots around Bueng Phlan Chai give you plenty to choose from.
Thung Kula Ronghai jasmine rice
Not a single dish but the rice that comes with every meal. The GI jasmine rice from the Kula plain has a standout fragrance, and eating it with larb or som tam is noticeably different from ordinary rice. You can buy it to take home, too.
Larb / koi, beef or pork
Boldly seasoned larb tossed with toasted rice and herbs, eaten with fresh vegetables and sticky rice — a dish Isan locals order all the time. Both towns have plenty of larb places to pick from.
Grilled chicken / grilled pork neck
Chicken marinated and grilled until fragrant, eaten with jaew dipping sauce and sticky rice — the inseparable partner to som tam. Roadside stalls around the Kula plain grill it fresh all day.
Tom saep / offal soup
A hot, sour-spicy soup with offal or soft bone, fragrant with kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass. It's a popular dinner around Bueng Phlan Chai — perfect slurped hot in the evening.
Lakeside Isan fusion
Newer spots in Roi Et like Tara by Bueng Phlan Chai and craft-leaning places like Hed reworking Isan ingredients to be more approachable while keeping the regional flavour. Good for a long, relaxed meal in a nice setting.
Lakeside cafes & homemade sweets
In the afternoon, drop into a cafe by Bueng Phlan Chai with a view of the tower — everything from bare-concrete spots to garden-style ones. A drink and a slice of cake are enough to shake off the drowsiness before carrying on.
Khanom jeen nam ya & Maha Sarakham local food
On the Maha Sarakham side there are morning markets and local spots around the university. Try khanom jeen nam ya and an Isan-style breakfast before heading down to Na Dun — filling and cheap.
Maha Sarakham — a thousand-year stupa and a Khmer ruin in Na Dun
Day two tips
Phra That Na Dun and Ku Santarat are in Na Dun district, south of Maha Sarakham town — not in the town itself. Allow about an hour each way for the drive down and back. If you leave Roi Et a bit early, you can take Na Dun at an easy pace and still get back before dark. If you start late, you might do just Phra That Na Dun and focus on souvenirs and the town instead.
What to know about going up Roi Et Tower
Roi Et Tower is a downtown landmark that many people come for to take in the view from up high. It stands in Somdet Phra Si Nakharin Park right beside Bueng Phlan Chai, so you can walk straight over from the lake. A few things are worth knowing beforehand to make planning your time easier.
- Lower levels free, upper deck paid — The upper viewing deck costs around 50 THB; the lower levels are free to walk around.
- There's a glass-floor skywalk — If heights make you nervous, walk slowly and hold the rail. The view takes in Bueng Phlan Chai and the town all around.
- The zipline runs in sessions — For thrill-seekers, it opens in morning and afternoon slots; check the times on site first.
- Go in the evening for the best view — Softer sun and the town as the lights come on. But following this plan you go in the morning, which still leaves you the whole day for the other stops.
Where to stay during this trip
Stay in Roi Et town
The main choice for this plan. Most Roi Et accommodation is around Bueng Phlan Chai and the town centre. Wake up, walk the lake, go up the tower, then branch off to Ku Ka Sing or cross over to Maha Sarakham with ease.
Stay in Maha Sarakham town
Good if you want to flip the order and start with Maha Sarakham. There are places to stay around the university and in town, though slightly fewer options than Roi Et. Better as the night before the trip than a mid-route overnight.
For this plan we'd suggest staying mainly on the Roi Et side, since day one spends most of its time in Roi Et town and down in Kaset Wisai — that way you avoid backtracking. Both towns have everything from small guesthouses to mid-sized hotels. You can see a ranked list of Roi Et stays on our roundup page.
Tweak the plan to your style
Jasmine rice & Kula plain life
Give day one to Kaset Wisai — walk Thung Kula Ronghai, Ku Ka Sing and the silk-weaving community, and buy GI jasmine rice straight from where it's grown. On day two take Na Dun lightly, leaning into farm life and on-theme souvenirs.
History & archaeology
Tie the two Khmer ruins together. Day one is Ku Ka Sing in Kaset Wisai; day two is Ku Santarat and Phra That Na Dun in Na Dun. Both ruins were built around the same era, so the Khmer–Dvaravati storyline carries through the whole trip.
Relaxed — cafes & food
Trim the sightseeing. Bueng Phlan Chai and the tower are enough; sit at a lakeside cafe and eat Isan fusion. Day two, just hit Phra That Na Dun and shop for jasmine rice on the way home. More eating, drinking and photos than running around.
Want a ranked list of Roi Et stays before you set out?
See Top 10 Roi Et stays →