23 January 2026 – Day 71 — Passports on the Run, Pad Thai Wins, and a Walk by the Old Wall
Alison woke up looking noticeably better today — still not fully back to normal, but definitely heading in the right direction. A good start. We were also more than ready to leave this hotel behind; it’s one we’ve stayed at for years, but the standard has sadly slipped, and today it really showed.
Just as we were packing the last of our things, we had our morning drama:
Alison suddenly realised the passports weren’t with us in the car.
Cue ten minutes of us chasing AirTag pings like a pair of confused detectives. Up the hall, down the hall, back into the room — and finally, the room safe was located and opened. Passports rescued. Only then could we actually leave.
The drive from Phitsanulok to Phrae was easy and relaxed. We stopped at PTT for morning tea, stretched our legs, and enjoyed the slow pace of the day. A little further on, Big C became our lunch stop. Pad Thai chicken was the winner — simple, tasty, and exactly what we felt like. We also topped up the car with another 30 litres of fuel, still cruising at around 6.5L/100km, which continues to make us feel like we’re driving some sort of efficiency miracle.
Arriving in Phrae early meant we could check into the hotel ahead of schedule. We were greeted with a huge Thai smile from behind the counter — the kind that instantly resets your mood and makes you forget the morning’s chaos. By 1pm, we were stretched out on a comfy bed, enjoying the luxury of doing absolutely nothing.
By 6pm, we were back out again, wandering along the old city wall to get our daily 10,000 steps. The wall in this part of town is surprisingly hidden — tucked behind buildings and half‑covered by trees — but once you spot it, it adds a quiet sense of history to the walk. The evening was warm, the streets gentle, and the pace slow.
Our walk eventually delivered us to the night markets on the walking street, where we grabbed a simple Thai dish for dinner and soaked up the easygoing atmosphere. Nothing fancy, nothing rushed — just a pleasant end to a day that unfolded exactly the way we needed it to.
24 January 2026 – Day 72 — A Slow Day Done Right
Today was an easy day, exactly what we both needed. We had a lovely lay‑in on the comfy bed — no alarms, no rushing, just a slow start that felt like a small luxury.
Late morning, we wandered over to Big C for lunch. Nothing fancy, just a relaxed walk and a simple meal. Red pork for one, fried rice chicken for the other — both tasty, both exactly the kind of comfort food that hits the spot on a quiet day.
The afternoon was all about resting up. No plans, no outings, just staying in and letting the hours drift by. After the last few days of driving, temples, and passport‑chasing adventures, it felt good to do absolutely nothing.
We stayed in for the evening too — calm, quiet, and wonderfully uneventful. A proper reset day.
25 January 2026 – Day 73 — Caves, Views, and Back to One of Our Favourite Places
Today we headed out towards Pua, one of our favourite corners of Thailand. First stop was PTT for much‑needed fuel, and we were pretty chuffed to record one of our best fuel economy figures of the trip — 6.5L/100km. Still holding strong. Wow.
Our next stop was Tham Pha Nang Khoi, the Cave of Coloured Lights in Phrae. We’ve always loved this place — the cool air, the soft glow of the lights, and the way the rock formations seem to shift as you walk through. It’s one of those spots that never gets old.
Lunch was at Lotus’s Nan food court, a simple and familiar stop. Nothing fancy, just easy, tasty food to keep us going.
From there we made our way to Wat Phra That Khao Noi, well known for its standing golden Buddha which overlooks the magnificent city panorama. It’s known for its sunset views, but with the air quality being good today, we actually had a great lunchtime view over the whole area. Clear skies, soft colours, and that peaceful feeling you get when the haze finally lifts.
Around 3pm, we rolled into Pua, our home for the next four nights. The air quality here is noticeably better, and the mountains looked beautiful as we arrived — layers of green stacked against the sky. Our hotel overlooks the green fields of the local farms, a view we’ve always loved. We’ve stayed here quite a few times now, and they even gave us the same room we had on our very first visit many years ago. A small touch, but it made the place feel instantly familiar. Definitely one of our favourite places in Thailand.
At 5pm, we headed out for our afternoon walk and found some dinner along the way. Nothing rushed, just an easy wander as the day cooled down.
It feels great to be back — calm, familiar, and wrapped in mountain views once again.
26 January 2026 – Day 74 — Fog, Fields, Familiar Faces & Birds at Twilight
What started as a slightly foggy morning soon turned into thick white fog rolling across the fields. It was beautiful — the kind of soft, quiet fog that makes everything feel calm and a little magical. As it lifted, the day opened into a clear blue sky, warm but not too hot. Perfect.
We took a morning walk through the agricultural fields, the green stretching out in every direction. The locals were out and about, smiling and welcoming as always. It’s one of the things we love about Pua — people here greet you like an old friend even if they’ve never seen you before.
We wandered past the local markets, still closed and sleepy, stalls half‑set up and waiting for the day to begin.
Lunch was at KFC — green curry for both of us. Simple, tasty, and exactly what we felt like.
The afternoon was a quiet one at home, resting up and enjoying the peaceful view over the fields.
In the evening, we headed back to the local markets for dinner. We found the same Pad Thai lady we first met six years ago. She was amazed we still had the old video of her cooking, and when we showed it to her, both she and her husband lit up. Big smiles, lots of laughter — one of those lovely little full‑circle travel moments.
After dinner, we took a quick walk to Lotus’s for an ice cream, a perfect cool treat for the warm evening. On the way back, we were amazed by the birds gathering in the twilight over the main street — swirling and swooping in huge groups, filling the sky with movement as the light faded.
Back home, the night settled in with the distant thump‑thump of music drifting across the fields. A soft soundtrack to end a gentle, beautiful day.
27 January 2026 – Day 75 — Salt Wells, Ridge‑Top Roads & A Border We Didn’t Expect
Sunrise this morning wasn’t as colourful as yesterday, and the fog didn’t roll in as heavily either — but it was still beautiful to watch. A soft, gentle start to the day.
We decided to get going early and head into the mountains to visit the Bo Kluea Salt Well. This place never ceases to amaze us — our fourth visit, and still one of our favourites. Watching the salt pulled up from the well and boiled over open fires is always fascinating. The whole village has that smoky, earthy smell that instantly tells you where you are.The drive in was spectacular. We travelled along the mountain ridge tops, with amazing views stretching out on both sides — layers of hills, soft morning light, and that feeling of being high above everything. We eventually reached 1715, the highest point along the route, and stopped to take in the viewpoint. Clear skies, clean air, and a view that makes you pause.
Just past the well site there’s now a large construction project happening in the riverbed. It’s definitely going to change the look and feel of the area. Interesting to see it mid‑transformation.
After soaking up the vibe of the salt village, we continued on to Sapan Waterfall. A lovely stop — well‑formed paths, plenty of steps up and down, and a waterfall actually flowing. Always nice to see one with real movement.
Next, we headed north… and ended up in a dead end, so we had to backtrack. Part of the adventure.
We passed the Nan River origins and continued following the river north. Eventually the road turned west, but we kept going north until we reached the Huai Kon Border Checkpoint. The improvements here were surprising — new roads, a turning circle, and a large ring road. Clearly this border point is becoming more important. It looked very different from our last visit many years ago. As we drove back towards our hotel we stopped to watch some of the farmers dehusking their corn – its was lik e it was snowing.
From there, we took the road south again back to Pua — about 140 kilometres — and settled in for a quiet afternoon.
At 6pm, we headed out for dinner and a walk before heading home. Once again, we watched the distant lights flicker across the fields and listened to the familiar thump‑thump music drifting through the night air. A comforting end to a big day out.
28 January 2026 – Day 76 — Long Walks, Smoky Skies & A Quiet Night at Last
Sunrise this morning was a little overcast — not the colourful show we’ve had on other days — but still soft and peaceful to watch from our room. A gentle start.
Before heading off today we caught up with our host – a wonderful guy we have got to know (limited by our lack of Thai language) over the last few years.
We decided today was perfect for a long walk, so off we went across the farmlands. The fields were green and open, the air cool enough to make walking easy, and the whole area had that calm morning stillness we love about Pua. We walked for a few hours, just taking it all in.
Eventually we detoured to the PTT station for refreshments — well earned — and decided to have an early lunch there too. KFC was very welcome after the big effort. Simple, salty, satisfying.
After that, we headed home for a well‑deserved rest. The kind where you sit down “for a minute” and suddenly it’s the afternoon.
Before we knew it, 5:30pm rolled around and it was time to wander up to the local markets for dinner. We grabbed Pad Thai chicken — yum, exactly what we felt like — and enjoyed the easy evening atmosphere. After eating, we took a slow drive through the local area. The sunset was a thick brownish‑red, the kind you only get when fires are burning somewhere nearby. Beautiful in its own way, but also a reminder of the season.
One positive tonight — no thump‑thump music drifting across the fields. Just a quiet evening, a smoky sky, and a gentle end to a big walking day.
29 January 2026 – Day 77 — Smoke, Mountain Ridges & Back to Chiang Rai
We woke to a thick layer of smoke this morning. A quick check of the air‑quality website confirmed what it looked like outside — Thailand is sliding quickly into smoky February. Pua was sitting at PM2.5 = 183, firmly in the “unhealthy” zone. Not ideal, but not unexpected for this time of year.
Today we left our little Pua home and headed west across the mountains towards Chiang Rai. Google claimed it would take “4 hours odd” to cover the 200 km, and for once Google wasn’t lying — it was slow, steep, winding, and absolutely beautiful. The road hugs the tops of the mountain ridges, and for most of the journey we seemed to be cruising around 700 metres up, with views dropping away on both sides. One of those drives where you don’t mind the slower pace.
We arrived at our hotel in Chiang Rai in the mid‑afternoon. This is another place we’ve stayed at multiple times, and it always feels familiar the moment we walk in. Bags dropped, we headed out on foot to Robinson’s food court for lunch — simple Thai dishes today, nothing fancy, just easy and satisfying.
The afternoon was a quiet one, resting up after the mountain drive.
In the evening, we took a walk over to Big C food court for dinner. Another simple meal, another easy night — exactly the kind of gentle routine that makes travel days feel balanced.