[fun2have]

some nice spots of course and countless temples.

ubon rat dam is nice for a day trip from udon or an afternoon trip from khon kaen.
kk to udon about 120 kms, udon to nongkhai about 40 minutes.
big temple at nakon phanom worth a trip but its a long drive so its an overnighter.
then drift gently down the highway to mukdahan, good hotels on the river.

loei is very nice for a visit, a lot cooler and some good scenery, maybe a little bit second class compared to chiang mai.

head out to ban dung a day trip from udon, can see the temple the naga comes from.

personally i would purchase a map in english of the region before setting off, if your local tour guide is as good at reading maps as mine is, a map in english will be a bonus.