Nan, Thailand: A Travel Guide

Nan town is the base, and its old town is small enough to walk in a morning. Start at Wat Phumin, a cross-shaped temple with four doors, two of them guarded by giant nagas, and four Buddha images sitting back to back inside, one facing each door. The walls are covered in murals painted by Thai Lue artists in the 19th century, scenes from the Buddha's past lives alongside everyday Nan of the time, weavers, lovers, foreigners and even French warships. The most famous panel, a man whispering to a woman, has become the symbol of Nan. It's free and open from 06:00 to 18:00.

Across the road, the Nan National Museum fills the 1903 palace of Nan's last rulers, with the province's history, its hill peoples and a rare black elephant tusk. It's open Wednesday to Sunday, 09:00–16:00, for ฿100. Nearby are Wat Phra That Chang Kham, one of Nan's oldest temples, gold-covered Wat Sri Panton and white Wat Ming Muang, all free. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, from 16:00 to 21:00, a night market sets up beside Wat Phumin, with local food and music, and for sunset, drive up to Wat Phra That Khao Noi, whose viewpoint faces west over the town and the hills.

Across the Nan River from the town, on a low hill, Wat Phra That Chae Haeng holds the province's most revered chedi, a golden spire dating to the 14th century, approached by a stairway lined with nagas. It's the birth-year temple for those born in the year of the rabbit, and it's an easy short ride from the old town, open from 07:00 to 18:00.

The reason to give Nan more than a day is the drive north. From the town, head to Pua, a market town of Thai Lue weavers and cafés in the rice fields, then climb Highway 1256 through Doi Phu Kha National Park, one of the most beautiful mountain roads in Thailand, with viewpoints over ridge after ridge of forest. The park is named for the chomphu phu kha tree, which flowers pink along the road from late February into March. Foreigners pay ฿200 at the headquarters, and the park closes every year from 1 June to 30 September.

On the far side is Bo Kluea, about 110 km from Nan town, where families draw brine from wells and boil it into salt in sheds by the stream, as they have for centuries. It's free to watch, and you can buy the salt, along with salt soap, from the people who make it. About 10 km on, Sapan is a quiet village in a river valley, often filled with fog in the early morning. Thai visitors pack it at weekends, many of its guesthouses aren't on booking sites, and Bo Kluea's rooms are cheaper, so book ahead or stay there and drive over for dawn.

November to January is the best time, with cool mornings, clear skies and green hills, and the best chance of fog in Sapan's valley. Nights are cold in the mountains, so bring a warm layer. Late February and March bring the chomphu phu kha flowers, but March and April are also the hottest months, with smoke from crop burning across the north, so check the air quality. The rains run from about May to October, when the country is at its greenest but Doi Phu Kha National Park is closed from June to September.

Flying is easiest. Thai AirAsia and Nok Air fly from Bangkok's Don Mueang to Nan, about 1 hour 15 minutes, with around four flights a day. Overnight buses from Mo Chit take about 9.5 hours for around ฿650. From Chiang Mai, Green Bus runs from the Arcade terminal in about 6.5 hours for ฿300–500, and the drive takes about the same.

The old town is walkable, but for the rest of the province you need your own wheels. Rent a car or a scooter in Nan, and take the mountain road slowly, since it's steep and winding. A car is the better choice for the Doi Phu Kha road in the cool season, when the mornings are cold.

Plan three or four days. Spend a day on the old town, Chae Haeng and the sunset at Khao Noi, then drive north through Pua and over Doi Phu Kha to Bo Kluea, sleep in Bo Kluea or Sapan, and catch the fog at dawn before heading back. Add a day for Sao Din Na Noi to the south if you have time. Stay in Nan town for the old town and the night market, and book Sapan or Bo Kluea ahead for the mountain night, especially at weekends.