Amazing Thailand Travel

A quiet and tranquil province, Nan is made up of many districts, all of which give a nostalgic and un-spoilt idea of what rural Thailand travel was once like. The provincial capital, Nan, is a small city some 668 km north of Bangkok, set into a lush valley some 320kms east of Chiang Mai. Most travellers heading to the north of Thailand travel straight to Chiang Mai or Chaing Rai, but with a little effort you will be rewarded with a town offering considerable charm. A little remote set out to the east of the north, Nan is very little visited by tourists but it was designated a tourist development area for its historical hybrid temples and stunning mountainous countryside. The old heart of the city, where many of the tourist attractions are located, is being attractively restored to increase the image of this town to tourists.

Once the main commercial, administrative, educational and hospital center of the province, Nan is now trying to entice more tourists to this beautiful part of Thailand. Home to the Thai Lue and other hill tribes, you can now find many local textiles for sale showing the traditional floral, geometric and animal designs in the red and black cotton fabrics. These textiles as well as local Mein embroidery and Hmong crafts are usually of far better quality as they are or mass produce like those found n Chiang Mai.

Getting To Nan

You can fly to Nan from Bangkok, Chiang Mai or Phitsanoluk on several days of the week and the journey time is anything from 45mins – 1hr 30mins. There are daily buses from Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chinag Rai that can take anything up to 10-13hrs but are far more economical and scenic than flying. One word of warning though is the road journey is very mountainous and can provide an uncomfortable journey, scenic or not! There is no direct train line to Nan with the closest train station at Den Chai, a three hour drive away, in the neighboring province.

Things to Do in Nan

The main attractions in Nan, other than the tranquil and untouched Thailand qualities, are the Nan National Museum and the Phrathat Chae Haeng Pagoda. If you plan on Thailand travel during October, then make sure you don’t miss the Nan Provincial Boat Race which is the main event of the Provincial Fair during late October.

Filed under : Northern Thailand Travel, Thailand Travel

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Amazing Thailand Travel Guide To Hua Hin

Hua Hin is Thailand’s oldest beach resort which used to be little more overgrown fishing village with one exceptional, The Grand Hotel. The main and most popular visitor to Hua Hin was the Thai Royal family around the turn of the century, who had their own summer place built on the north end of the beach. Thailand’s Royal family still visits their summer palace each year and you’ll know when they are in town because of the large hand painted billboard portraits of the King and Queen and all the shops hanging national flags outside, a truely wonderful sight of your Thailand travel. The beaches of Hua Hin still remain very popular with Thai people who take holidays in their own country and would like to avoid the tourists packed beaches of Phuket and Pattaya. Unfortunately for the local Thai people, but fortunate for us tourists, the secret of Hua Hin is no out.

Things to do in Hua Hin

The beaches of Hua Hin at the main attraction to many tourists who would like to avoid the sleaziness of Pattaya, or the overcrowded beaches of Phuket. Situated at the North West of the Gulf of Thailand it has become a suitable place to learn or practice watersports such as windsurfing, kite surfing and in some cases even sailing. You may want to also take a visit to, what was once called the Railway Hotel, but know the Hotel Central Hua Hin. This hotel still remains in the classical colonial style architecture with cool high ceilings, heavy bladed ceiling fans, polished wood panelling and wide seaview balconies, just like it was 90 years ago. This hotel was also used in the filming of the movie the killing fields for which the hotel added the swimming pools and tennis courts.

Getting to Hua Hin

There are daily flights from Bangkok to Hua Hin which takes only 30 minutes however the airport is some 10 km north of the city. There are many taxis or other means of transport that will take you to town and some hotels in the area will actually provide free airport transfer. Buses from Bangkok’s southern terminal will take 3 1/2 hours with a train journey taking not much longer.

Filed under : Central Thailand Travel, Thailand Travel

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