Marien33 · 21 January 2026 à 15:40 · 28 photos 45 messages · 3 participants · 1 423 affichages | | | | À: Jojoone1 · 24 January 2026 à 7:23 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 21 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 490 affichages · Partager You might wanna consider a quick stop in Pua—we stayed there when we visited the northern part of the province.
Thanks, Joël. It was planned... | | | À: Songsam · 24 January 2026 à 7:27 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 22 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 489 affichages · Partager Map of Nan province (full file so it keeps its details when enlarged):
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Would you mind sending me the link so I can check it out anytime without having to log in to VF? Thanks a bunch! | | | À: Marien33 · 24 January 2026 à 12:07 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 23 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 476 affichages · Partager 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. | | | À: Songsam · 24 January 2026 à 15:27 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 25 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 459 affichages · Partager Thanks so much for working on this for me... It's really kind! | | | À: Marien33 · 25 January 2026 à 14:48 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 26 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 433 affichages · Partager 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:
| | | À: Marien33 · 25 January 2026 à 16:46 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 27 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 422 affichages · Partager 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. | | | À: Songsam · 25 January 2026 à 22:47 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 28 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 400 affichages · Partager Program that reeks of a touristy package trip, the accommodation owner being all sweet with you from the start and now improvising as the organizer of said program, unable to know the price before leaving... I fear the pigeon hunt is on.
I hesitated for a long time before sending my itinerary... I’m sorry to contradict you—you might be right—but I’m an old-school traveler, and I’ve got nearly 20 years of experience traveling in India. The mentality about "touristy" stuff is the same, as is this kind of pigeon hunt. I can sniff them out from 10 km away... But since I’ve got a bad cold and my nose is really stuffed up right now, maybe I didn’t smell anything... Anyway, it’s too late to back out now... So I’m wishing myself a great trip through the mountains in the north of Nan Province. | | | À: Marien33 · 25 January 2026 à 22:53 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 29 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 397 affichages · Partager I hope I'm wrong. No matter what happens, this’ll be a trip where at least two spots are bound to be unforgettable... | | | À: Songsam · 26 January 2026 à 15:05 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 30 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 364 affichages · Partager Program that reeks of a touristy package tour, the accommodation owner who was all sweetness and light with you at first and now suddenly fancies herself as the organizer of said program, no way to know the price before you leave... I fear the pigeon-hunting season is open.
If you want to put together a circuit in places like this, you’ve basically got three options: - you miraculously stumble upon a rare gem who knows everything and really gets the desires of a non-conventional Westerner - you let yourself be guided by the local organizer - you prep it like a pro with dozens, even hundreds of hours of online research in the months beforehand
Sometimes we’re quick to throw the first stone, which is easy when you’ve got a fair bit of experience... | | | À: Jojoone1 · 28 January 2026 à 14:19 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 31 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 333 affichages · Partager 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. | | | À: Marien33 · 29 January 2026 à 17:51 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 32 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 309 affichages · Partager 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... | | | À: Marien33 · 30 January 2026 à 6:38 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 33 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 294 affichages · Partager 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... | | | À: Jojoone1 · 30 January 2026 à 8:26 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 34 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 284 affichages · Partager A program that screams "cookie-cutter tour" from miles away, the accommodation owner being all sweet with you from the start and now suddenly playing tour organizer, not being able to know the price before leaving... I fear the pigeon hunt is on.
When planning a trip to places like this, either: - you miraculously stumble upon a rare gem who knows everything and really gets the wishes of a non-conventional Westerner - you let the local organizer take the lead - you prepare like a pro with dozens or even hundreds of hours of online research in the months before
Sometimes we throw the first stone, which is easy when you’ve got quite a bit of experience...
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...[;] | | | À: Marien33 · 30 January 2026 à 10:14 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 35 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 269 affichages · Partager Hello,
To keep it 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 1,800 baht, then added 500 baht for fuel at the last minute (right before leaving, though), bringing the total to 2,300 baht, which seemed entirely reasonable since he went out of his way 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 2,500 baht to drive me around Doi Phu Kha all day. He didn’t charge me anything 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 1,000 baht one he’d reserved for me, he lowered the price to 800 baht. Same room, of course. That was a real steal because even the 1,000 baht price was a great deal 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 was pleasantly surprised to find a delicious and hearty breakfast included in the nightly rate. It was a bit too Western-style for my taste—clearly, he wanted to please me, as 99% of his guests are Thai or from neighboring Asian countries...
Since this isn’t a travel journal, I won’t gush about this resort and its magical surroundings here.
One thing’s for sure: I promised him I’d come back to stay for three weeks next year. There’s plenty to keep busy with—trekking, car trips, swimming in the river that flows below the beautiful teak bungalows—and just relaxing while stuffing yourself with the excellent food his wife cooks.
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? | | | À: Songsam · 30 January 2026 à 10:48 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 36 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 260 affichages · Partager No short walk around the Thung Chang area before heading back to Nan? Is the Thung Chang resort in town? (It’d be easier if you mentioned its name.) Could you summarize 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... | | | À: Marien33 · 30 January 2026 à 12:27 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 37 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 255 affichages · Partager No short walk around the Thung Chang area before heading back to Nan? Is the Thung Chang resort in town? (It’d be easier if you mentioned its name.) Could you sum up your impressions of Doi Phu Kha National Park in one or two lines, please?
This message was replying to Joël’s “first stone”... Just to say the pigeon wasn’t shot because there were NO pigeon hunters around.
This discussion isn’t a travel journal...
You should’ve realized by now that I’m—supposedly—a pain in the neck to please. If I say it was unforgettable, it’s because it was unforgettable. I deliberately didn’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 though 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... | | | À: Songsam · 8 February 2026 à 12:27 · Modifié le 8 Feb 2026 à 12:47 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 38 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 199 affichages · Partager No short walk around the Thung Chang area before heading back to Nan? Is the Thung Chang resort in town? (It’d be easier if you mentioned 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.
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 deliberately 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...
For once, it was me 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).
| | | À: Marien33 · 8 February 2026 à 12:37 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 39 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 196 affichages · Partager 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.
| | | À: Marien33 · 8 February 2026 à 14:54 Re: De Nan à Chiang Rai: idées de circuit? Message 40 de 45 · Page 2 de 3 · 181 affichages · Partager You:
That said, Thierry, I’m sending you this message because you mentioned a daily bus to Chiang Rai, so I didn’t look into that detail. Which is no longer a detail but a real thorn in my side—no buses to Chiang Rai, only taxis... at least 2,500 baht for the cheapest one. I’ll go check directly at the bus station tomorrow because online, it’s only taxis, no buses.
Me:
Update: as of 01/22/2026, the Nan-Chiang Rai bus still runs daily except on Thursdays*. Departs at 9 AM, 250 baht, arrives at Chiang Rai’s downtown terminal. ~5h30 trip. Buy your ticket the day before. For the first half of the trip, the bus heads straight north to Tha Wang Pha, then turns west onto a road that more or less follows the Laotian border, passing through some gorgeous mountain scenery. The second half descends into the plains heading northwest, passing through Chiang Kham and Thoeng.
*Except on Wednesdays in the opposite direction.
So how did you end up making the trip? The 2,500-baht taxi or the 250-baht bus as described above? | Discussions similaires sur la Thaïlande: Trouvez des offres de séjours uniques avec nos partenaires Photo postée par le membre Songsam. All rights reserved © 2026 MyAtlas Group | 5 977 visiteurs en ligne depuis une heure! |