Bordering Laos, the rural province of Nan is attracting an ever-increasing number of visitors who come to enjoy the scenery and northern culture. The town has become particularly popular with Thai tourists from Bangkok and Chiang Mai.

In the town of Nan there are several beautiful temples to discover, and morning and evening fresh markets with a wide variety of northern cuisine. On the weekends there’s also a walking street which also has an area where you can sit down and eat.

I must say that unlike Chiang Mai the food in Nan is a bit of a disappointment and it’s hard to hunt really good northern food in the restaurants.

The main attraction for me is the produce in the fresh markets and the extremely friendly locals. It’s a pretty laidback town.

Of course, there’s always the standby of khao soi noodle soup, and some decent sai oua sausage in the evening market.

To get the lay of the land, hop on a tram that leaves from the tourist office and then head off on your own. It’s a good town to explore on foot or by bicycle.

If you are into motorcycling, the nearby Doi Phukha National Park includes several 2,000-m (6,500-ft) peaks and some of the best winding mountain roads in Thailand for motorcycling. Hire a bike in Chiang Mai and come via Phayao, a great little lakeside town en route.

My favourite local airline, Nok Air, flies from Bangkok to Nan.

While I’m on the subject of classic Thai dishes, when in Chiang Rai last week I headed straight for a khao soi shop. This comforting noodle soup is one of my favourties which I used to enjoy several times a week when I lived in the north. Alas, good khao soi shops in Bangkok are hard to find.

The dish is a rich curry soup containing chicken ladled over a nest of egg noodles and topped with crispy noodles. Condiments include pickled cabbage, lime, red onion and nahm prik pao, roasted chilli paste.

Unlike the green curry, I’ve never actually attempted to make khao soi but must give it a go sometime. Head further north from Chiang Rai to Mae Sai and you can hunt out khao furn, a delicious Tai Yai dish that hails from Kengtung in the the Shan State, Myanmar. More on that and images to drool over, tomorrow.