Sala Kaew Ku Sculpture Park

On the banks of the Mekong near the Lao border, a field bristles with gigantic concrete gods. Sala Kaew Ku (also spelled Sala Keoku) is the creation of Luang Pu Bunleua Sulilat, a charismatic mystic who claimed his cosmology after tumbling into a cave as a young man, and who built sprawling sculpture parks on both sides of the Mekong.

Why It’s Interesting

Hundreds of statues — some over 25 metres tall — fuse Hindu and Buddhist iconography into scenes of his own invention: a giant seven-headed naga coiling over the crowd, elephants wading through a pack of dogs, and an enormous “Wheel of Life” you physically walk through. The on-site hall displays Luang Pu’s mummified body under glass, ringed by mirror balls and old photographs. It’s eerie, joyful, and gloriously unclassifiable.

Best Time to Visit

Open all year. There’s little shade among the giants, so visit in the cool season or first thing in the morning.

Getting There

About 5 km from Nong Khai town. Grab a tuk-tuk, taxi, or Grab — it pairs well with a Mekong sunset back in town.