Loei

Loei is a sparsely populated, mountainous province in northeast Thailand, bordering Laos across the Mekong River. South of the laid-back capital, Loei, is the biodiverse Phu Kradueng National Park. Trails pass waterfalls and sandstone cliffs on their way up the huge plateau of Phu Kradueng mountain. North of the park are the striking eroded limestone formations of Suan Hin Pha Ngam, or “Beautiful Rock Garden.The province is mountainous. The seat of provincial government, Loei, is in a fertile basin surrounded by mountains whose summits are covered by fog and abundant with varied flora. The best known mountains in the province are Phu Kradueng, Phu Luang, and Phu Ruea. The Loei River, which flows through the province, is a tributary of the Mekong, which forms part of the northern boundary of the province with neighboring Laos. Phu Thap Buek, the highest mountain of the Phetchabun Range, is in the province.