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Welcome to Nan, a quiet and tranquil province, of
heavily forested mountains, the highest of which is
Doi Phu Kha, measuring a colossal 2000 meters. Located
about 668 kilometres from Bangkok, Nan is nestled
in a verdant valley in northern Thailand where you
will find a warm welcome and a place to watch the
world go by.
The people of Nan were originally from Laos, and
the area is full of rich history, culture and interesting
architecture. To discover more about the area, a good
place to start is the Nan National Museum, whilst
the many temples display both Thai and Laos temple
art. Temples not to miss include Wat Phrathat Beng
Sakat, Wat Phra That Chae Haeng, Wat Nong Daeng, at
Chang Kham and the spectacular Wat Phaya Wat.
A good way to get an idea of the area's beauty is
to visit one of the enormous and lush national parks.
There are plenty of stunningly beautiful parks to
choose from, including the Khun Nan National Park,
Nanthaburi National Park, Tham Pha Tup Forest Park
and the incredible Doi Phu Kha National Park, which
contains caves, waterfalls, remote villages and picturesque
forest walks.
Many visitors travel to the Mae Charim National Park
in order to go white water rafting. This exciting
adventure sport is also available through Nam Wa Rafting.
The 'Earth Pillars' at Sin Thao are very popular and
the Ban Pak Nai Fisherman Village offers an insight
into a traditional and relaxed way of life.
Another popular activity is trekking, and it is easy
to arrange a three day trek into the mountains, stopping
overnight at one of the many small villages or at
specially constructed cabins beside a flowing waterfall.
40 kilometres to the north of the town is the pretty
little village of Ban Nong Bua. The village is home
to the Thai Lu people, who are noted for producing
traditional patterned tribal fabric. Ban Bo Suak Kiln
Site and Glazed Ceramics is another interesting village,
where you can see traditional pottery skills still
being employed, and you can dine in one of the converted
wooden rafts in the sleepy village Ban Pak Nai, located
about 96 kilometres from the town of Nan.
There are many interesting festivals that are enthusiastically
celebrated in Nan. The Hok Peng Waisa Mahathat Chae
Haen Fair takes place on the full moon night of the
6th northern lunar month or the 4th central lunar
month (around the end of February-March). During
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sky rockets are fired as an offering to the Buddha.
Another long awaited celebration is the Nan Boat
Races. This tradition began in 1936, when boat racing
was organized during the community's robe presentation
to the monks after the end of the Buddhist Lent. Nowadays,
it takes place around mid-October each year. At the
opening of the races food offerings are presented
to the priests by drawing lots at Wat Chang Kham Worawihan.
After this there is much celebrating and the much
loved boat racing, where teams of oarsmen race along
the Mae Nam Nan in long, beautifully decorated dragon
prow boats
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