Undiscovered south-east Asia: remote towns and secret beaches

Considered by many to be the most remote city in Thailand, Nan lies in a river valley along the Thai-Laos border. Indeed, Nan was so difficult to reach that it managed to stay autonomous for centuries, only incorporating itself into Thailand proper in the 1930s. Today, Nan still retains mystique as a little-known former kingdom that boasts strong Lanna (Northern Thai) influence.
Nan province is rich in natural beauty, as its national parks can attest. Arguably the most famous national park – Doi Khu Pha – offers the province’s highest mountain and a smattering of villages featuring the Mien, Lu, Hmong and Htin tribes: ethnic groups uncommon in the rest of Thailand. Nan’s most famous temple, Wat Phumin, is known for its beautifully drawn murals, while visitors can dig deeper into Nan’s history at the.
While Nan’s cultural history makes it part of northern Thailand, neighbouring Loei province is technically a part of the Thailand’s north-eastern Isaan region. Tucked alongside the Mekong River border with Laos, Loei is a mountainous mix of rice paddies, flowery meadows and dramatic scenery that remains a relatively underexplored part of the Land of Smiles. Known among Thais as the “Sea of Mountains” and the kingdom’s coldest province, Loei serves enterprising travellers ample opportunities to explore the local flora and culture.