THAILAND
Days 4-5: Lampang & Phrae The next morning, visit century-old Kao Chao Market. Built as a depot for produce transported by rail, it’s a time capsule and an introduction to ingredients such as conical wild bamboo shoots and jackfruits the size of labradors. For breakfast, hit one of the tiny stalls serving rustic coffee and sweets. Pop into Baan Sao Nak, a restored 19th-
century mansion, for an insight into the lives — and furniture — of northern Thai nobility. Within walking distance is Khun Manee, a family-run factory producing khao taen — a Lampang speciality of deep-fried sticky rice cakes drizzled with palm sugar. For lunch, rustic-and-delicious Raan Sai Ua Mae Chan Dee is a grill shack on Suandok Road, in the middle of the city. Look out for sai ua, a herb- packed northern Thai sausage, or aep, banana leaf-wrapped minced meat and herbs. Afterwards, take a taxi to Friends of the
Asian Elephant Foundation Hospital, where there are no questionable shows or public feedings, but you can see elephants recovering from injuries. Finish up at the buzzy Evening Market, at the northern end of Ratsada Phisek
Bridge, where you can find curries and other dishes bagged up and ready to take away. Kick off your last day in Lampang with a
late breakfast/early lunch at Khanom Jeen Pa Bun Sri on Thanon Talat Gao. Khanom jeen is a dish of thin rice noodles in a tomato-based broth that’s a staple in this region, and Pa Bun Sri does a deliciously smoky, savoury version. From here, take a taxi just outside town to the Dhanabadee Ceramic Museum. This family- run factory is one of the longest-running producers of the iconic chaam traa kai, small ceramic bowls featuring a hand-painted cockerel; there’s a gift shop, too. Continue to Wat Phra That Lampang Luang — one of the most important and impressive Buddhist temples in the north — before returning to Lampang train station to journey to Phrae. This may just be the friendliest city in
Thailand, but there’s no train station; the closest is in Den Chai, 15 miles away, where buses and taxis are available. Once in Phrae, head to Kua Jinsod, in a rural-feeling area west of the centre. This semi-open-air restaurant is one of the best places in the region for laab, finely minced meat with herbs and spices.
Day 6: Phrae For your final morning, head to Slope Coffee, a cafe in a rambling, charmingly crumbling wooden structure in Phrae’s historic centre. Afterwards, explore the quiet, leafy streets and visit Vongburi House Museum or Wichai Ratcha Residence, both former lumber barons’ mansions. For an early lunch, go to Duang Nate Noodle for khanom jeen noodles in a porky broth, or tomatoey rice garnished with chunks of deep-fried pork rind and drizzled with garlic oil — dishes found only in Phrae. They tend to sell out before midday. Spend the afternoon three miles north of
Phrae in Thung Hong, a village known for indigo dyeing. Countless shops sell suea maw hawm, a local indigo work shirt, and on certain days you can watch the dyeing firsthand at Mohom Ban Pa Luang, a tiny, family-run factory. If it’s Saturday, pick up something to eat at Phrae’s Walking Street Market, along a main road in the historic centre. Otherwise, Kad Phra Non, on the same street, serves northern Thai dishes, from meaty curries to spicy salads. From there, backtrack to Den Chai for the night train to Bangkok.
Wooden-fronted buildings along Thanon Talat Gao in Lampang
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