One of the best ways to experience the charm of Lampang is sightseeing by horse-drawn carriage. Catering for up to four people, a tour will take you through Talad Koa Road, Cultural Road and across bridges spanning the Wang River. You’ll get a glimpse of old-style houses, museums and parks, as well as the laidback local way of life. There are four main cowboy hangouts, including the front of the old municipality office on Boonyawat Road, Thip Chang Hotel, Wiengthong Hotel and Wienglakor Hotel. The best spots to get on a horse-drawn carriage tour are the old municipality (Tessaban Kao) and in front of Thip Chang hotel, which offer standard fares at B200 for a 15-minute journey (about 6km) and B300 for a 30-minute route (about 8km). You can also arrange for a special 1.5-2-hour city tour (B500 per trip) which includes trips to Wat Prakaew Don Tao, Wat Pong Sanuk and Baan Sao Nak, a119-year-old house which currently operates as a museum. For more information, contact The Lampang Carriage Association on 054-224-166 or 081-030-5681.  

The main waterway running through Lampang is the Wang River, which is one of the four main rivers joining the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok. Along its banks are walkways which allow you to take in the natural scenery. The best period to travel to Lampang is from November-February as the cooler weather makes walks particularly pleasant. Along the way you can stop by a number of restaurants and bars. The Riverside pub and restaurant (054-221-861) on Thip Chang Road offers Central Thai food, cocktails (B150-180), draught and imported beers and live music from 7-11pm daily. Next door is the stylish Corkscrew wine bar (084-171-7979), which serves lots of wine and snacks like brie and crackers along with Northern-style gab glaem such as yam nam kluk (fermented pork salad). Be sure to raise a glass on the bar’s terrace overlooking the river.  

Once in Lampang, you can’t miss out on a proper authentic Northern meal. Among the must-try delicacies are the hunglay curry, kang kae (vegetable soup), sai ua (herbal pork sausage), kab moo (pork scratching), namprik noom (green chili dip) and namprik ong (tomato-based sweet and sour pork dip). We recommend Kong Kin Ban Hao restaurant (054-226-514), on Chamthevi Road. Set in an open-air wooden pavilion, the restaurant offers tasty Northern food at reasonable prices ranging from B59-269 per dish. Start with the Northern hors d’oeuvres (B179) which includes kab moo, sai ua, nam (fermented pork sausage) and namprik noom, followed by soup dishes like Hunglay curry (B79) and kang kae (B79). Even if you don’t normally like pork entrails, try the larb moo kua (fried pork and entrails with herbs and spices, B99), which packs a real kick. All dishes go well with warm sticky rice. 

Located just a 30-minute drive from the center of Lampang, the Thai Elephant Conservation Center is home to more than 50 Asian elephants and six white elephants owned by HM King Bhumibol. Operated by the Forest Industry Organization, the center sits on a 760-rai plot of land. It plays host to three 40-minute elephant shows daily at 10am, 11am and 1:30pm which feature traditional logging techniques and elephants painting pictures. There’s also elephant riding, an onsite elephant hospital tour, elephant bathing and trekking available. You can even take a mahout training course, starting from one day up to a month. Homestays can be arranged or you can sleep at the resort. For even more adventure, camp out with the mahouts and elephants. Admission is B200 per adult and B100 per child. Visit www.thailandelephant.org or call 054-829-333. 

Set on Talad Kao Road, parallel to Wang River, Kad Kong Ta market (also known as Talad Chine) is open only on Saturday and Sunday from 5-10pm. Not your typical market, Kad Kong Ta dates back to when the area was a major trading hub over 100 years ago; a history that’s evident in many old houses and buildings that mix Chinese, Burmese, Western and Lanna architecture styles. After 5pm, the road turns into a vibrant walking street with stalls selling handicrafts, traditional foods and drinks. Kad Kong Ta is also home to many galleries. Visit Lampang Arts Centre (054-230-651, www.lampangartscenter.org) for an insight into the growing contemporary art scene, as well as traditional Northern music and performances. Another popular art gallery is Mounge Ngwe Zin Gallery (098-262-4516, tinyurl.com/nxe54eu), set in a beautiful Burmese-influenced house, which exhibits work from local artists and has a juice bar out front that serves up tasty smoothies and baked goods.

Essentials