Thailand | Nature
The province boasts more than 26 waterfalls, which are situated in more than 12 national parks. 'Nam tok kun kom' is located close to the city. Getting there is already an experience in itself. At the end of the road, one reaches the entrance to a national park. A walk of around a half hour through the jungle (which is manageable for nearly everybody) leads to the waterfall, which is 72 metres high. During and after the rainy season, it is an impressive sight.
A definite 'must' is to visit the border town of Thaton, which is situated on the border with Myanmar. After arrival, you can choose between three possibilities of how to return to Chiangrai down the beautiful river, the Maekok, which meanders through the mountains and tropical forest. The quickest and most exciting option is possibly the trip with a 'long-tail' boat. It is a fast, slender boat, which is equipped with a motor that propels a long shaft. If you would like more time to enjoy the beautiful surroundings, you can take a motorised raft. In the swift-flowing parts of the river, the motor is turned off. These two possibilities are easily manageable in one day. A further possibility is a trip on a real bamboo raft. This trip takes two to three days, according to your personal wishes and you stay in bamboo huts along the way. The guides provide you with meals. On all three trips, you visit the mountain tribes, such as the Palong, the Akha, Lisu and the Karen along the way. There are various ports of call where there are hot water springs. Also the trading post is often visited, where elephants are still used to bring heavy loads from the mountains to the river. On these elephants, you can view the landscape in a unique way. A one hour journey by elephant takes you through the village, through rice fields, along mountains and through the river back to the village.
Are you a water sport enthusiast? Then you need to know that not far from the city, there are a number of lakes that are fantastically suited for swimming, sailing and canoeing. These lakes, however, have not been developed as a water sports region, so it really is all unspoiled nature.
Halfway between Chiangrai and the large border town of Maesai, are the mountains Doi Tung and Doi Mae-salong. Doi Tung, is especially well known for the royal palace with its impressive gardens. The villa, as well as the very extensive and charming gardens are open to the public. In the surrounding area of the palace, the mountain villages have been very well developed and as a result of initiatives from the royal house, the agricultural focus has switched from the cultivation of poppies to the more worthwhile product of coffee. Doi Tung coffee is ranked number four in the world. A little further west lies the Doi Mae-salong mountain. Descendents of Tjang Kai Check can still be found in that region. Most of the defeated army fled to Formosa, today known as Taiwan and part of the army escaped to Thailand. This Chinese minority's primary economic activity is the cultivation of tea, which is also high on the list of exported products.
Nearly everywhere outside the city, are many possibilities for wonderful walks. Within close proximity to our own project, only three kilometres from the city, you can wander through rice fields and hills and come through one valley after another. It is almost impossible to name the most beautiful scenic areas of Chiangrai. There are simply too many and everywhere there is something new to discover.
The Border towns
We have already mentioned Thaton and Maesai. Both towns are on the border to Myanmar. Near Thaton you find a closed border. Maesai however, has open access to Tachilek, the town that borders Maesai, but which is on Myanmar territory. With a day pass, you can visit this town and may explore the area within a 12 kilometre radius. Directly at the border, you can hardly notice the difference to Thailand. Nevertheless, if you venture a little further, you do realise that there is a big difference in lifestyle, culture and living conditions. Maesai itself is a real border town. Therefore, you can notice the presence of smuggling and you can buy many foreign products. At the border is a proper market with numerous products from China, which is in fact only 100 kilometres away. Recently, a new road has been built that connects Maesai with the Chinese province of Yanan. By applying for a visa for Myanmar and China, it is simple to travel from Maesai through both countries.
Other border towns are Chiang Saen and Chiang Khon. They border onto Laos, but are separated by the mighty Mae-Khong River. Nowadays, it is easy to cross to the other side of the river with a day pass and even to take a trip to tourist attractions.
The Mae Khong is definitely a beautiful river to travel on. From Chiang Saen, which is situated in the 'Golden Triangle', you can take a small or a large boat, do a roundtrip to Myanmar, and then return to Thailand via Laos. The 'Golden Triangle' has been given its name due to the sand dune, which is situated precisely between Thailand, Myanmar and Laos on the Mae-Khong River. In the past, large amounts of gold were found in the sand. Today, you can still see people with gold pans working away on the Laos side of the river. Later on, the area was developed as a poppy-growing area by the English, because China only wanted to be paid for its goods in gold or opium. In those times, the opium trade was paid for in gold sheets. Therefore, the name 'Golden Triangle' rightfully remained. Now that opium is no longer cultivated and traded, it is the tourists who are the greatest source of income. And therefore, it is still the 'Golden Triangle', although in actual fact it is little more than a point where three countries meet.
Chiang Saen is Thailand's oldest city. It can be stated that the growth of the Kingdom of Siam began there. Many historical buildings and ruins can be found in Chiang Saen. At present, a lot of restoration is being done. If you have enough time, a walk through this city will reward you with many worthwhile sights. There is an ancient museum with a collection that is twelve centuries old. The king Mengrai travelled from this city on a white elephant and founded the city of Chiangrai by declaring that wherever the elephant would choose its resting place, he would build a new city. This is also how Payao, Lapang and Chiangmai came into being. King Mengrai was definitely a king who built extensively and was one of the most important founders of Thailand. But prior to him, there were also the Sukhothai and the Ayuthaya periods.
Chiang Khong is known especially as an operating base for those who wish to travel to Laos and Vietnam. There are plenty of travelling agencies, guides, restaurants and cheap accommodation. The simplicity is due to the fact that most of the people who are visiting Laos and Vietnam are not countries of luxury and therefore most places are set up for the adventurers. It is sometimes condescendingly referred to as the 'backpackers' village. It is a fact that the road from Chiang Saen to Chiang Khong has the most fascinating panoramic views of the Mae-Khong. Halfway along, there is an area, where the river pushes its way through a mountain in Laos and a mountain in Thailand. In between the many rock formations, gigantic whirlpools form and the amount of water that passes through is so enormous that in the rainy season, you can feel the road shaking and hear the loud rushing of the river.