There is lake called Nong Han Kumphawapi in northeast Thailand, north of the town of Kumphawapi, and about 50 kilometers away from Udon Thani. But locals call it Talay Bua Daeng which means the “Sea of Red Lotuses”.

Every year from November till March, the lake’s 8,000 acre surface sprouts millions of pink lotuses which reach full bloom in December. The perfect time to see them is in the morning when the flowers are fully opened, revealing their vibrant, pink color, but tourists take boat rides to admire the gorgeous scenery all throughout the day.

The freshwater Nong Han Kumphawapi Lake is very shallow, with an average depth of just one meter, but is the primary source of the Pao River, the lifeline for people of the Udon Thani province.