Chiang Rai Favorites

Favorite thing: Sop Ruak is just a bus stop... a tourist bus stop... if it weren't for the Golden Triangle signs (yes, plenty of them - too many to be original) it probably wouln't have a reason to exist. It's basically a road flanked by several stalls selling all sorts of tacky souvenirs, a few simple and deserted eateries... and not much else... 2 nice temples (deserted) and an opium museum (not really packed). Welcome to the Thailand that should not exist

Fondest memory: Probably getting out of it... except the temple visit - the rest of the "road" (one can't call it town) is as depressing as it can get... boring, too.

Favorite thing: Chiang Khong was my gateway to Laos: I must admit I did not do it justice.. I walked up and down the main street once and then headed back to my guesthouse - and stared at the mekong river - knowing Laos was just on the other side, and the following day I would finally be there.

Fondest memory: A simple memory: not having liked thailand so much I was really delighted to know it would be my last night there - and that the following night I would be speding it happily in Laos. I had high expectations, and I was not disappointed!

Favorite thing: Chiang Saen is now a sleepy village on the Mekong River, neat the (in)famous Golden Triangle: it looks straight out of an "outlaw" movie set. But once upon a time it knew days of power and glory. The long-gone Lanna Kingdom had its centre of power here.

Fondest memory: What I like about it was the absence of tourism - everyone drove on to the Golden Triangle, and I had the charm of this town to myself: wonderful temples and ruins that I did not have to share.

Favorite thing: Chiang Rai pineapples are small. Sweet and a bit souer.
It's very tasty and you can find it offered in every restaurant.
They were carved in shape of heart or butterfly. Very lovely.

Favorite thing: They are mainly local tropical fruit with very reasonable prices: mango, bell fruit, pineapple, jackfruit.