The journey to Doi Samer Dao in Nan Province has become much more convenient than before, thanks to the completion of the airport and the increased number of flights to Nan. The roads leading to Nan have also been expanded to four lanes in many sections. The most convenient route from Bangkok to Doi Samer Dao is via Bangkok-Nakhon Sawan-Phitsanulok-Uttaradit-Phrae-Nan, which takes about 9-10 hours by car. However, if you're coming from Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, it's recommended to take the route through Ngao District in Lampang to reach Nan.
After visiting and staying overnight at the Doi Inthanon Royal Project, we continued our journey to Nan. After breakfast, we drove down from Doi Inthanon, passed through Chiang Mai city and Lampang city, and then headed towards Ngao District, turning right towards Phrae and Nan.
We checked in at Phu Hansa Hotel (coordinates N18.78339 E100.77247), a small but relatively new hotel. Afterwards, we visited the walking street at Khueang Mueang Nan, a large open space in the heart of the city in front of Wat Phumin.
One of the highlights of this temple is the mural paintings on all four sides of the cruciform ordination hall. The murals are divided into three sections: the first section depicts stories and lifestyles of local folklore, the second section relates to the Vessantara Jataka, and the third section portrays the lives of Nan people in the past. The most prominent and famous mural is the "Whispering" or "Pu Man Ya Man" painting, which depicts a Tai Lue man and woman whispering to each other.
After that, we had dinner at Khao Tom Pum 3 restaurant and returned to the hotel to rest. The next day, we checked out of the hotel at 4:30 AM and drove to Doi Samer Dao, located in Na Noi District within the Sri Nan National Park (coordinates N18.37545 E100.82650), to witness the sunrise and the morning mist. Upon arriving at the parking lot, we found it completely full of cars, and the area was filled with tourists camping in tents. We quickly found a parking spot and walked up the hill to wait for the sunrise.