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A quiet and tranquil province, Nan nestles in a verdant valley in northern Thailand. Nan is a big little town that has avoided the generic nondescript from attributed to many of Thailand’s bus stop towns, and fortunately it has not been affected by sell-out tourism ventures like gaudy farang-enticing amusements, irksome taxi drivers and markets that sell everything produced in SE Asia for under a tenner. It’s easy to imagine that twenty-odd years ago our hectic city might have been similar to Nan. The streets are mostly quiet, flanked with parks and religious sites; the pavements are wide, and clear of obstacles, while a wandering western tourist evokes stares and self-conscious smiles from locals who still find you a bit of a novelty. And with national parks surrounding the town, a river running through it, temples seemingly on every street corner and a bi-localised nightlife that can be either quiet or chaotic.
The people of Nan descend from the Lan Changs (Laotians). Their ancestor moved to settle around present-day Pua district which is abundant in rock salt deposits, about 700 years ago at the time when Sukhothai was becoming the kingdom of the Thais.
The main attraction of Nan town is the national treasure of Wat Phumin. The temple is most remarkable for its many murals in pastel tones depicting tales from the Buddha's life. Another temple of some merit is Wat Phra That Chae Haeng, located southwest of town on the opposite bank of the river.
Daytime Nan
At the temple: It’s wat-tastic in Nan, with temples on just about every street. As the city is small and the pavements are wide and walkable, you can do a temple tour without breaking much of a sweat. Wat Phumin is the piece de resistance, with its cruciform shape, Buddha quadrangle and impeccable interior murals that include pictures of topless women, bargaining farang and ill-fated guys in hell suffering from acute elephantiasis of the gonads. You should enter the hell dome that is in grounds of the temple.
Nan National Museum: The Nan National Museum is the former residence of the ruler of Nan. Artifacts date from prehistoric times to the halcyon days of the kingdom through to 20th century Nan. It’s just s a short walk from Wat Phumin. Open Wednesdays – Sundays, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Doi Phu Kha National Park: Take the drive to this national park, the views are stunning and the drive is enjoyable. Head north of Nan on road 1080, when you reach Pua follow the signs to Bo Kluea and there you’ll find Doi Phu Kha National Park. There’s camping and accommodation at the park
.Nightlife Nan
Similar to Chiang Mai, if not quite as flashy, Nan has nightlife along both sides of riverbank. The roads that run alongside the river can be accessed by going over the Nan bridge, which is impossible to miss. |
