HA-O ᴄᴀғᴇ x ɢᴜᴇsᴛʜᴏᴜsᴇ

📍 Location: Khao Phanom, Nakhon Phanom, Thailand
⏰ Time of Songkran Festival: April 13-15 (main venue activities)

🎉 Three core experiences of Khao Phanom Road Water Splashing Festival

1. Water battle at the main venue of the Mekong River
Main battlefield: Khao Phanom Road and the banks of the Mekong River (near Wat Phra That Phanom)
The water splashing culture here is more of a combination of tradition and fun. Locals will use silver basins, water guns and even water pipes to &quot;attack indiscriminately&quot;. It is recommended to wear dark quick-drying clothes (light colors are too embarrassing after being soaked). Waterproof mobile phone bags can be bought at the night market for 50 baht.
After 2 pm, enter the &quot;melee mode&quot;, but remember to avoid monks and pregnant women holding yellow flags. This is a local customary respect.

Hidden gameplay: In the evening, release Kongming lanterns by the river, and the city of Tha Khaek in Laos on the other side of the Mekong River will light up the light show at the same time. The moment the water lanterns and lights interweave, the atmosphere is directly full! 

2. In-depth participation in traditional rituals
Temple Buddha Bathing: On the morning of April 13, Wat Phra That Phanom will hold a Buddha Bathing Ceremony. When you gently sprinkle the Buddha statue with perfumed water to pray for blessings, the local elders will sprinkle your shoulders with branches dipped in water. Remember to wear long pants or knee-length skirts, otherwise you may be stopped outside the temple.
Sand Tower: On the beach by the Mekong River, the whole family decorated the sand tower with shells, which means &quot;accumulating virtue and doing good deeds.&quot; Free shovels and buckets are provided on site, so families with children should not miss it! 

3. Cross-border Carnival Night
Singing and electronic music party across the river: On the evening of 14-15, Khao Pan Road and Tha Khaek City in Laos interacted across the river. Rent a boat and row to the middle of the river. You can hear the popular electronic music on the Thai side and the traditional folk songs on the Lao side at the same time, which is a mix and match!
Be careful of &quot;cross-border sneak attacks&quot;: Lao friends will use long bamboo poles to tie water guns to &quot;attack&quot; remotely. Remember to smile and return the favor when you are splashed - this is a unique way of blessing for the two countries!

🏨 Local private hotel recommendation: Fortune River View Hotel

📍 Location: Mekong River, 5 minutes walk to the main venue
💰 Price: 1200-1800 baht/night (rooms are in short supply during the Songkran Festival, book at least 1 month in advance)

🌟 Advantages of low-floor rooms
Direct access to the river view: The private terraces of rooms 101-105 are directly connected to the riverside trail. You can see the sunrise in the direction of Laos by opening the window in the morning. Wet clothes will dry in the small garden in half a day.
Activities at zero distance: You can take a shower in your room at any time when you are tired. The hotel also provides water guns and waterproof bags for free (just tell the front desk &quot;participate in the Songkran Festival&quot;).
Hidden benefits: Thai milk tea and mango sticky rice are free by the pool from 17:00 to 19:00 every day. The mango used is the local &quot;nam dok mai&quot; variety, which is sweet to the heart!

🛎️ Check-in secrets
Secret code to upgrade the room type: Note &quot;ขอยืน河边&quot; (Thai for &quot;I want a riverside room&quot;) when booking, and you will most likely be upgraded to a room with a better view.
Transportation easter egg: The hotel provides free airport pick-up and drop-off service (reservation must be made 24 hours in advance), and the daily rental of motorcycles is only 150 baht, including insurance!
Must-eat breakfast: Arrive at the restaurant before 7 o&#39;clock, and you can eat freshly made Thai pancakes, which are crispy with sweet and spicy sauce, and are more authentic than the night market.

🚗 Transportation and Food Guide

From Bangkok: AirAsia flies directly to Nakhon Phanom Airport (1 hour), or take a VIP bus from Ekkamai East Station (10 hours, 450 baht).
Moving within the city: Tuk-tuk is 50 baht to Khao Pan Road Night Market, and the main venue is only 5 minutes walk away.

Food
Must-eats at the night market: Volcano spare ribs are sour and spicy, and locals eat them directly with their hands; cold vermicelli with green mango shreds and fried pork skin, so spicy that you sweat but can&#39;t stop eating!
River view restaurant: Chelsea Riverside&#39;s grilled Mekong catfish with lemongrass sauce, 200 baht per person; View Kong&#39;s Tom Yum Goong soup uses freshly caught river shrimps, and the sour taste goes straight to the top of the head!

🧳 Pre-trip essentials and safety tips

Essential items
Waterproof mobile phone bag (night market price 50 baht), non-slip sandals, mosquito repellent (mosquitoes are fierce by the river).
❌ Don&#39;t wear light-colored clothes! After being soaked, you will be dead in a moment.

Secret play method
One-day trip to Laos: The hotel will handle the visa on arrival (US$20), take a boat to Tha Khaek City to experience the Laos Water Splashing Festival (April 14-16), the cultural collision between the two countries is super interesting!
Niche photo spots: Naga Monument&#39;s sunset silhouette, Ho Chi Minh&#39;s former residence&#39;s Thai-Laos-Vietnamese mixed architecture, few people and good photos.

Safety reminder
The person holding the silver basin may be an &quot;ice water assassin&quot;, and being splashed will instantly chill you to the bone!
Avoid walking alone in remote alleys at night, it is safer to travel with friends.

💡 Postscript
Last year&#39;s Water Splashing Festival, when I was releasing Kongming lanterns by the Mekong River, my friend on the other side of the Laos suddenly shouted &quot;Happy New Year&quot; in Chinese. The transnational warmth at that moment is unforgettable to me. The Water Splashing Festival on Khao Pan Road does not have the hustle and bustle of Bangkok, but it has the tranquility of the Mekong River and the fireworks of the two countries. This year, do you want to experience this unique wet romance?

#ThailandSafeTravel #WaterSongKhaoPhanRoadWaterSongKhaoPhanRoadWaterSongKhaoPhanRoad

HA-O ᴄᴀғᴇ x ɢᴜᴇsᴛʜᴏᴜsᴇ

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