Nan

Wat Phumin murals and the Bo Kluea salt wells over two days

Two days in Nan covers the old town and the hills. Day one is for Wat Phumin's murals, Wat Phra That Chang Kham, the national museum and the Pha Kong Road night market. Day two goes north-east by motorbike or car to the Bo Kluea salt pans and Doi Phu Kha National Park.

If you fly up from Bangkok, Nan Nakhon Airport is only a few minutes' drive from the old town, so you can be at the temples the same morning. Start at Wat Phumin early, before the tour vans arrive, and give the murals a proper half hour. Find the whispering couple first, then hunt out the smaller scenes of traders, boatmen and village life around the walls. Cross the road to Wat Phra That Chang Kham and its elephant-buttressed chedi, and spend the late morning in the national museum, where the rooms of the old palace trace the Nan kingdom from its 14th-century founding as Nanthaburi.

After lunch, visit Chao Fongkham House or, if you have phoned ahead, the King of Nan's Teak House on Mahaprom Road, opposite the back entrance of Wat Phra That Chang Kham.

On day two, collect a motorbike or car early and head north-east to Bo Kluea, where families still boil mountain brine down to salt in open pans. Climb on into Doi Phu Kha National Park for cooler air and forest views, and be back in town before dark: the roads wind, and the round trip takes the whole day. With a third day, swap the north for Si Nan National Park and the Doi Samer Dao viewpoint.

Khao soi and nam prik noom at the Pha Kong Road night market

Nan eats northern Thai food at stalls and small shophouses. The night market on Pha Kong Road runs from late afternoon into the small hours, and the dishes to order are khao soi curry noodles, sai ua sausage and nam prik noom green chilli dip with sticky rice and pork crackling.

Nan eats early and cheaply. The night market sits just past the crossroads with Anantaworarittidet Road towards Wat Suan Tan, and the stalls on the right-hand side heading towards the temple have long been reliable.

For noodles, find the fresh noodle stall on Anantaworarittidet Road between the 7-Eleven and the bank, which opens in the evening. On Sumonthewarat Road, opposite the guesthouses near Wat Pranet, Jan Paa Lap Pet serves Isaan food from late morning to evening; the name promises duck larb, the minced, herb-heavy salad that is a staple across the north and north-east.

Expect the sai ua to be loud with lemongrass and chilli and the nam prik noom to be smoky. For wine, the shop called Drugstore on Sumonthewarat Road keeps a cellar of older French bottles at fair prices.

Cool clear months, April haze and Nan's long-boat races

November to February is the best time to visit Nan, with January lows near 15C, only 12 to 16 mm of rain a month and clear views from Doi Samer Dao. April averages 37C with heavy smoke haze, August is the wettest month at about 290 mm, and the long-boat races fill town around September and October.

In the cool season, mornings in the hills can be properly cold and mist sits in the valleys until mid-morning, while January afternoons reach around 31C. Bring a warm layer for dawn rides.

From March to May, smoke from field burning across northern Thailand can blur the mountains for weeks. Keep sightseeing to early mornings and spend afternoons in the museum or a cafe.

From May the rains build. The valleys turn green, rice terraces fill and waterfalls run hard, though some mountain roads get slippery. As the rains end, around September and October, the town holds its long-boat races on the Nan River to mark the close of the Buddhist rains retreat. Carved dugout boats with dozens of oarsmen in matching colours race along the river while crowds cheer from the banks. It is the busiest time of year in town, so book rooms early.