Top Things to do in Surin
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Top 10 Things to do in Surin, Thailand
Discover the best top things to do in Surin, Thailand including Save Elephant Foundation - Surin Project, Ban Tha Sawang Silk Weaving Village, Surin National Museum, City Pillar Shrine, Surin Elephant Round-up, Phanom Sawai Forest Park, Wat Burapharam, Robinson Surin, Huai Saneng, Saran Water Park.
Restaurants in Surin
1. Save Elephant Foundation - Surin Project
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 157 reviews
This is a wonderful project that helps get street begging elephants out of the cities and back to a more natural setting where they can bond as family groups and wander without chains, whilst at the same time provides a sustainable source of income for the mahouts & their families
Reviewed By Asiana C - Tokyo, Japan
Volunteering at Surin Project was an extraordinary experience. We got a peek into the elephants' every days and had the chance to getting these magnificent creatures know better. All of them has a different personality, a way of expressing her feelings.
It is advised to keep a distance from the elephants, for security reasons and mainly to ensure the animals' comfort. If you are looking to see happy elephants, you better stay in a few meters distance so the mahouts (the elephants' owners/trainers) won't have to stand by the giant to ensure your safety. Observing from a distance will result in happy elephants! :)
Spending a week or more will also give you a chance to socialise with fellow volunteers and befriend mahouts as well. During your time there, you are going to know the community's culture better, meet and teach little children at the school and have an unforgettable time overall.
As in this area elephant owning is traditional, there are going to be dozens of elephants outside the project. That means there are others chained up all day and there is even a circus with mistreated elephants.
Seeing them will make you struggle with mixed feelings, but keep in mind, you are making a difference. By going there and showing locals that you would rather pay for seeing fairly treated, healthy, happy elephants, they will at some point "use" their elephants differently.
The Save Elephant foundation is growing, be part of something great and volunteer! :)
My review should also mention Joe and Ocha, who took really good care of the volunteers and did a great job to ensure everyone is having fun in a safe environment.
Also, Ocha's kitchen is one of the best in Thailand. We had the best vegetarian Thai dinners there! :)
2. Ban Tha Sawang Silk Weaving Village
Overall Ratings
4 based on 66 reviews
Reviewed By Ruby37 - Lancashire
We were dropped off here for about an hour. The silk production was behind an old wooden door, which made you feel you were going back in time.
The weaving was fascinating, 4 ladies to work one loom, such intricate patterns.
Just outside were lots of matching shops selling silk and cotton produce. Useful to find presents for people back home.
3. Surin National Museum
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 25 reviews
Reviewed By Jeremy-J591 - Bangkok
This is an excellent museum. It's quite new and purpose-built, and the temptation has been avoided to try to cram too much in. The result is a series of very good displays that are described sensibly. The displays cover a number of subjects, from rice - which is very important in the local economy - via the story of settlement in the area and region, to village life, dances, and elephants. Many of the artefacts on show are interesting as single items and most are in such good condition that they help to tell their own stories. This is the first time that we've visited this museum, but it certainly won't be the last and we'll want to spend longer there than we had time to this month. We thoroughly recommend a visit; when we went we were, literally, the only visitors present.
4. City Pillar Shrine
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 31 reviews
Reviewed By EarthlingOnline - Worldwide
This is one of the nicer City Pillar shrines.
It's a bit of a challenge to get the entire structure into a well-composed photo with a typical camera, as it's fairly big for the crowded urban setting. However, an interchangeable lens camera, with sufficiently wide angle lens, can do the trick.
5. Surin Elephant Round-up
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 24 reviews
Elephant is regarded as a Royal animal in Thailand. The former flag of Thailand actually has a white elephant as the main symbol. Every year for the past 50 years, Surin province has been hosting the “Elephant Round Up” to pay respect and praise this giant animal. The event is held in November and it takes place at the biggest elephant village of Asia. There are many interesting things to be seen, such as the Elephant Breakfast, the parade procession, the football match etc. It is quite a spectacular sight to see so many of these big mammals all together in one place.
Reviewed By David B - Rayong, Thailand
For most of the year Surin, in Thailand's north east, is a tourist backwater. But once a year it comes into its own with the Surin Elephant Round-up, which is gathering international renown and with more and more foreign tourists coming here each year.
This is the fourth time I have been to the festival and the hair on the back of my head still stands up as I watch some 300 elephants - bulls, cows and calves - parade through the city dressed in their silk finery, and with traditionally dressed mahouts.
This year, later in the afternoon, I saw a huge royal and sacred white elephant plodding down the street with its mahout, obviously late for the main parade but intent on joining the later festivities. It was literally an awesome looking beast, totally oblivious to the fact that it had caused a two hundred meter traffic jam behind itself.
The parade is accompanied by school marching bands and dancing troupes, all dressed in traditional local costumes, and with school army cadet contingents, and other participants dressed as traditional Thai warriors or elephant catchers and trainers.
After the opening parade and the elephant "Buffet Breakfast", the festival moves to the Surin Stadium where elephant displays demonstrate the ancient arts of elephant warfare, elephant soccer matches and more.
A word of warning. Because of its increasing popularity, if you plan to visit the Elephant Round-up book your hotel months in advance or you might find yourself sleeping on the street.
6. Phanom Sawai Forest Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 24 reviews
Reviewed By Quakemaster - Bangkok
I visited this location today 12 July.
It is a nice place to visit. It took about 1 hour to get here on a motorbike from Surin and was quite easy to find.... You will be able to see the large budda on the hill from a distance.
Lots of nice little walks and trails and temples to visit.
There is a steep but easy climb up steps with bells on each side that you tap with a stick, that you buy at the bottom....Very nice and atmospheric.
At the top is a nice big white budda to view...very large.
There is a drinks place here but no food other than crisps and pop....
A shame really as someone could make a few baht selling chicken etc.
7. Wat Burapharam
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 16 reviews
Reviewed By David B - Rayong, Thailand
Wat Burapharam is the grandest of the many Buddhist temples in Surin, in Thailand's north west.
It is right in the middle of town, so is easy to get to.
It comprises several temple buildings, and other buildings, including administrative offices and monks' dormitories.
Wat Buraparam is about 200 years old, dating to the early Rattanakosin (Bangkok) period.
Its founder was Phraya Surinpakdi Srinarong Changwang (Pum for short), who was also the founder and first lord of Surin.
One of the temples houses the effigies of a famous monk who tutored His Majesty, King Bhumpol, when he was ordained a monk.
The largest temple's walls are covered in colourful fresco panels depicting the life of the Lord Buddha.
8. Robinson Surin
Overall Ratings
4 based on 22 reviews
Reviewed By David B - Rayong, Thailand
Robinson Surin is the largest shopping mall-cum-complex I have seen in Thailand. It is simply massive.
When I first visited Surin about 15 years ago, it was a quiet, dusty town with shops lining two of the main streets, including a small antediluvian shopping mall. There was, of course, the local fresh markets, and they still do a thriving trade in fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, fish and poultry.
But it there is no doubt that there has been a seismic shirt in the shopping habits of the locals because now they can park with ease in Robinson's football field sized car parks, and shop for everything under one roof.
9. Huai Saneng
Overall Ratings
4 based on 15 reviews
Reviewed By HotelRoomsAndTravel - Surin, Thailand
Don't expect the Great Lakes, but enjoy a change from the city with the chance of lovely sunsets. Watch the fishermen cast their nets, and try the restaurants overlooking the lake. Follow the road past farmers and their buffaloes, with egrets keen to perch in the time-honoured style. Hear the splash as Nile Perch flash in the sunlit fish ponds. See the local children play in the water as their parents enjoy a picnic.
10. Saran Water Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 18 reviews
Reviewed By Dr_T_R_A2014 - Birmingham, United Kingdom
Spent a small fortune getting here, really looking forward to it as one of the only activities available to do in Surin. All looked normal from outside and there were people wandering around and eating at the restaurants. However, the actual water park has been closed since (?) and until mid-January for refurbishment. This wasn't advertised anywhere on the website! Thoroughly disappointed, what a waste of time and effort.
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