De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit?

No, because I don’t remember which site I found it on. I just did a Google Images search but had no luck—only maps of the province that aren’t detailed enough and in really low resolution.

It’s not perfect, but it’s not too bad either—here’s one option: www.mychiangmaitravel.com/nan-travel/

Thanks so much for working on this for me... It's really kind!

When I showed my plan to my landlady based on your advice, she took charge. She organized everything. At first, I was skeptical and even annoyed because I thought: here’s another person who’s going to decide for me. But what she put together seems really smart and well-balanced. Plus, she told me I should spend at least two nights outside of Nan to really enjoy the mountains. And since the driver she’d arranged (her neighbor) wasn’t keen on a trip with two nights away from home, she contacted no fewer than three drivers. First, a lovely young woman (she even came to meet me) from Nan to Bo Kluea. Then another driver from Bo Kluea to Pua. Overnight in Pua. I booked a room in a homestay outside the village, in the middle of the rice fields—it looks super comfortable and affordable. And a third driver from Pua to Chiang Klang/Thung Chang, where I’ll spend the second night. The manager of this homestay will pick me up in Pua and then take me back to Nan on the third day. With all the photo stops, bathroom breaks, meals, and visits at my own pace...If it goes as she described, it should be amazing all around. But I couldn’t figure out how much it was going to cost.
- You’ll see with each of them, but it won’t be expensive...😐😊As someone who’s usually a total skeptic, this time I’m putting my trust in this little lady.
Here’s her plan:

Program that reeks of a touristy package tour, the accommodation owner being all sweet with you from the start and now suddenly acting as the organizer of said program, not being able to know the price before leaving... I fear the pigeon hunt is on.

I hope I'm wrong.
No matter what happens, this’ll be a trip where at least two spots are bound to be unforgettable...

Good evening,
I’ll get back to both of you soon. I just got home this afternoon and can’t wait to look at my photos on my computer instead of my camera screen. Last year in February, I didn’t see a single slash-and-burn fire in the mountains I traveled through, but this year, they’ve already started everywhere since January… So, we’re really getting a lot of haze this time around.

It's awful from January to March. Recently, they were lucky in Chiang Mai because the wind was blowing exceptionally in the right direction. Generally, during those few months, it's the most polluted city on the planet.There's quite a bit of smoke coming from Cambodia that drifts southwest, which means even Hua Hin and Prachuap aren't spared.There’s a lot of talk about this at the highest levels, but not much action. There’s a phone number where people can report illegal fires. I guess in many cases, it’s just an opportunity for police to pocket a few bills...

Hello,
This discussion isn’t a travel journal, so I’ll keep it short.
No, my nose wasn’t blocked when it came to this plan or these people. My instincts rarely lead me astray—a professional bias and a solid grasp of Indian-Asian attitudes toward tourists.To cut a long story short, my first driver, a charming young woman, didn’t charge me anything at all from Nan to Bo Kluea. The kind, completely illiterate farmer—but who knew how to count—who took me from Bo Kluea to Pua via Route 1256 first asked for 1800 baht, then added 500 baht for fuel at the last minute (right before leaving, though), bringing the total to 2300 baht. That seemed entirely reasonable to me since he’d made himself available just for me at my helpful driver’s request and had to make the return trip home. The third driver—the owner of the resort where I was staying the second night—charged me 2500 baht to drive me around Doi Phu Kha all day. He didn’t charge me anything at all to take me back from Thung Chang to Nan the next day.
And since I asked for a cheaper room—there were some—than the 1000 baht one he’d reserved for me, he lowered the price to 800 baht. Keeping the same room, of course. That was a real steal because even the 1000 baht price was a bargain given the beauty and quality of the accommodation, not to mention the natural surroundings that many hoteliers use as an excuse to inflate their rates. And the next morning, I woke up to the lovely surprise of a delicious and hearty breakfast included in the nightly rate. A bit too Western for my taste—the breakfast, that is—since he clearly wanted to please me, as 99% of his clientele is Thai or from neighboring Asian countries...Since this isn’t a travel journal, I won’t go on and on about how amazing this resort and its magical surroundings are.One thing’s for sure: I promised him I’d come back to stay for three weeks next year. There’s plenty to keep me busy with trekking, car trips, swimming—in the river flowing below the gorgeous teak bungalows—and lazing around, all while stuffing myself with excellent food cooked by his wife.Unfortunately, after a flare-up of my coughing, sneezing, and breathing problems, I’m wondering if the agricultural burning isn’t to blame...In conclusion: Instead of "pigeon hunting," they kindly "scattered grain for the pigeon."You mentioned an unforgettable memory? That’s definitely the case...

I’m going with the first option...
And when a non-conventional Western traveler meets a non-conventional Thai resort owner, it’s a total win.
And in the non-conventional category, you’ve got to include the place itself: neither a hotel, nor a homestay, nor a resort...[;]

Hello,So, to summarize (and correct me if I’m wrong):
Day 1: Nan to Bo Kluea (+ exploring the area) with the young driver, then the 50 km on Route 1256 to Pua with the farmer who knows how to count, overnight in Pua.
Day 2: No exploring around Pua. The resort owner from Thung Chang picks you up at your Pua accommodation, takes you for a day trip to Doi Phu Kha National Park, then heads to Thung Chang for a night at his resort.
Day 3: The same owner drives you back to Nan—it’s at his place that you promised to return for three weeks next year.Does my summary check out?
No little detour around Thung Chang before heading back to Nan?
Is the Thung Chang resort in town? (It’d be easier if you shared its name.)
Could you sum up your impressions of Doi Phu Kha National Park in one or two lines, please?

This was replying to "the first stone" Joël was talking about...
Just to say the pigeon wasn’t shot because there were NO pigeon hunters at all.This discussion isn’t a travel journal...You should’ve realized by now that I’m—supposedly—a pain in the neck who’s hard to please. If I say it was unforgettable, it’s because it was unforgettable. I intentionally don’t give any details; I was just saying it wasn’t a "program that reeks of a cookie-cutter tour" and that I didn’t get ripped off...
I’ve got nothing else to add on this topic.I want to thank you again for pointing me toward Nan last year. And even if I neglected it last year, I hadn’t forgotten, and I followed your advice this year...

First time I’m the one asking someone for info...

It’s unlikely I’ll write a travel journal about this second trip to Thailand, but I’ll answer any practical questions via PM about the places I visited and accommodations. I do have three great spots to recommend.Someone recently wrote—I can’t remember which thread—that as soon as an off-the-beaten-path place is posted online, it instantly loses its off-the-beaten-path status.
The real danger is travel agencies and other tourism service providers who now use "off the beaten path" as their main selling point. In less than a year, a magical place, a hidden gem, can turn into something completely ruined by sudden crowds. A magical place, a gem, should be shared with those who deserve it—not thrown out there for anyone and everyone. And definitely not served up on a public forum.
So if you want, I’ll tell you all about it in a PM (as long as you unblock me 😅😊).I myself used to run guest rooms and an upscale guest table back in the 80s. Some enthusiastic and friendly guests wanted to be nice and promote me. They put up tons of posters with glowing reviews about me all over the (5-star) campsite. A year later, I saw rude, uncouth, ill-mannered people showing up at my place in swimsuits, behaving like pigs at the table... Just because you’ve got money doesn’t mean you’ve got class or refinement... And I ended up a victim of too much haphazard publicity aimed at just anyone...For now, here are some photos from my trip.Highway 1256 offered stunning landscapes, but the haze from the burn-offs kept me from getting decent photos, even after post-processing.I had better luck wandering around the countryside near Pua in the late afternoon.And the next morning before heading to Doi Phu Kha (Doi Sakat).

And even more luck on the evening of my arrival in Thung Chang during a lovely little hike at the end of the day in the surrounding countryside.And the next morning as well, during a beautiful riverside walk before heading off to Nan.

You:Me:So how did you end up making the trip? The 2,500-baht taxi or the 250-baht bus as described above?