Chiang Rai province is Thailand’s most northerly province approximately 182km north of Chiang Mai, is mostly mountainous and shares borders with Laos and Myanmar. The diversity of hilltribes in this area means the streets are awashed with colour as these minority groups can be seen in their traditional costumes going about their daily chores and selling their wares by the roadside. Chiang Rai offers an array of destinations and you could easily spend days here discovering each one.
Mae Sai
This is the most northerly point of Thailand, and a bustling border town with Myanmar. A popular place for visa runs where you can hop across to the Burmese town of Tachileck for the day or 1 week. The Burmese influence is vivid here, markets filled with goods from China and Burma such as Chinese tea, preserved fruit, local snacks, electrical goods, sunglasses and gadgets, jade and jewellery. Neighbouring sights are Doi Tung Mountain and Royal Villa ,Mae Fah Luang Botanical Gardens, the monkey cave and Mae Salong.
Doi Tung
The northern most mountain in Thailand the meandering road up 2,000m above sea level to the peak offers spectacular views of the mountain frontier with Myanmar and Laos. Here you can also visit Doi Tung Royal Villa, Mae Fah Luang Botanical Gardens, and Wat Prathat Doi Tung.
Thaton
An overlooked destination in Chiang Rai, Thaton located on the Mae Kok River valley is probably most well known for its hilltop temple which offers great views of the Thailand/Myanmar mountain range and the Mae Kok valley. There are also other Buddha images in Thai and Chinese style scattered across these hills which can be seen on the drive up. A small and quiet town its the kind of place to take it slow, enjoy the authenticity of the area, pick a spot by the river and watch it go by.
Doi Mae Salong
Or ‘Santikhiri’ which means ‘Hill of Peace’ is a small and peaceful picturesque mountain settlement famous for tea cultivation. The mountainside plantations of tea, coffee and fruit make it a popular picturesque destination which is a little more off the regular Chiang Rai tourist track. Situated 1,800m above sea level it offers sweeping mountain views of the Thailand/Myanmar frontier. Most of the inhabitants are Chinese and the area has distinctly Chinese feel which can be seen in the architecture, people and food. The first Chinese to arrive here were KuoMintang soldiers who fled from the Communist regime and today there is still a large Chinese Yunnanese population. The area is filled with Chinese temples and small local shops selling Chinese specialities such as tea, jade, preserved fruit, mushrooms, herbs and wines.
Here you can visit tea plantations, take a horse ride, and sample Chinese Yunnanese cuisine. If you come at the right season, the drive up to Mae Salong is even more scenic as the Japanese cherry blossoms (or Sakura fowers) come to bloom.
Akha Hilltribe Village - Ban Lorcha - Community Based Tourism Village
A large proportion of the Akha hilltribe reside in Chiang Rai. Visit an Akha hilltribe village, whilst the village is in a tourist setting, it is a community based tourism project which allows you to see and learn about aspects of Akha culture and village life in a responsible way. The project is implemented and owned by the villagers themselves with proceeds of the 80baht entrance ticket going back into their development fund to assist the villagers and work that they do, such as preserving the culture and way of life of the Akha.
Golden Triangle
Aptly named because of the meeting points of three lands – Thailand, Myanmar, Laos that come together as the Mekhong River converges. It was once a notorious area because it was a major opium growing and trading point, now opium poppy cultivation has been outlawed leaving an interesting history behind. Here you can visit the Hall of Opium museum, take a boat down the Mekhong which includes a stop-off at Laos where you can visit a market.
Chiang Saen
This old riverside town was the former capital of Thailand and has great historic importance to the country. Perched on the banks of the Mekhong just 10km from the Golden Triangle there are plenty of old temples, relics and a National Mueum.
If you travel to Chiang Rai you can see a variety of hilltribes that live there such as the:
Akha
Lisu
Lahu
Yao/Mien
Hmong
