The early morning sun twinkles on the surface of the water as the boatman slowly guides his vessel to shore. But there is still no sign of the star attraction. It’s only after clambering aboard and travelling for twenty minutes or so into the heart of Nong Han Lake that the scene begins to change. Now the lake is living up to its colloquial name. This is ‘Talay Bua Daeng‘; the ‘Red Lotus Sea’. Tucked away in a quiet district in the north-eastern province of Udon Thani, the lake is a unique tourist attraction that springs to life during Thailand’s cool season months when carpets of pink water lilies cover the surface of the water. The best time to see the water lilies on Talay Bua Daeng is usually from early December to February. And the optimum time to see them is in the morning (from around 6-11am) before the sun becomes too strong and the flowers start to close up again.