Nan is a small, calm provincial capital in a mountain-ringed valley in the far north of Thailand, close to the Laos border, and it has stayed quieter than Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. The Nan river runs through the plain, and the old kingdom here was a separate Lanna state with its own princes until the early twentieth century. The temples keep the northern style, with steep roofs, carved gables and gilded flourishes, and the town has the unhurried air of a place that visitors are only beginning to find.
The best-known building is Wat Phumin, a sixteenth-century temple shaped like a cross, with four doorways opening to four Buddha figures seated back to back around a central pillar. Inside, the walls are covered with murals from the nineteenth century showing daily life in the Lanna period, including a pair of lovers, one whispering to the other, that has become the town's emblem. Not far away, Wat Phra That Chae Haeng, on a hill outside town, has a golden spire that is said to contain a relic of the Buddha and is the centre of the area's religious life. Each autumn, boat races are held on the river, with long, ornate dragon-headed craft.
For a rider, Nan is a real treat because the roads leaving it are some of the most enjoyable in northern Thailand. Highway 1081 runs north into the mountains toward Bo Kluea, climbing through forest and over ridges, with long sweeping bends, good surface and little traffic, then crosses into the Doi Phu Kha National Park, where the hills are covered with cloud forest and the wild Chaloem Phra Kiat cherry trees blossom in winter. At Bo Kluea, an old well pumps salt from underground brine, and local families still boil it down in the traditional way. Traffic drives on the left, and the occasional dog or buffalo on the road deserves respect.
The hot season from March to May brings smoke from agricultural burning, which can make the air hazy and unpleasant, and the rains from June to October make the roads slippery. The cool months of November to February are the best for riding, with clear skies and fresh mornings.
Nan has fuel stations and cafes on every main road, and the night market is a good place for local dishes such as khao soi and sticky rice with grilled pork. Fill up before heading into the hills, as the stations thin out beyond the villages.