Hi there, we use cookies to improve your experience on our website. You can update your settings by clicking the Privacy policy link at the bottom of the page. Details here. I originally went for 3 days but stayed for 3 weeks. Questions; 1. I'm coming up from Sukhothai It looks interesting with some Burmese temples and bike riding.
From there I would go to Nan probably via Phrae by the look of the map 2. Last time I was in Phrae I remember lots of billiard halls and brothels and not much else! I could come back from Nan and stay a day and night just to do this. Has anyone seen the Sao Din 'canyon'? I don't mind breaking the trip up. Last time I remember 11 hours in a bus, spending the night somewhere and then another bus journey the next morning. I don't want to cross into Laos either. If there is anything else fascinating en route it would be great to know!
The malaria question. The Thailand malaria map is so vague. Just a red line around all the borders! I saw on the Mut Mee website they mention they haven't had malaria in Nong Khai for 20 years or so but what do people who have travelled there recently feel? Lampang's a pleasant town which is certainly worth a couple of days exploring. There's a large temple some km outside of town which is considerably better preserved than most active temples in Thailand.
I thought that was the most interesting sight. Otherwise the town has some pleasant old neighborhoods near the river, and a few other low-key sights. There's also a bustling night market at the weekends, which is a nice time to be in town. I really like Phrae.
It's a lovely little Thai town with friendly people and good food. The old city is quaint, with some interesting temples and a well-preserved wall it's more like a mound, but most of it's still there. I've never been to Nan, but if you're touring the region, I'd recommend a day or two in Phrae. Not much in the way of billiard halls or brothels when I was there recently. You're almost certainly going to have to pass through Phitsanalok.
