What's your #1 favorite thing to see or do around Chiang Rai?
Aug 8th, 2004, 06:14 PM
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What's your #1 favorite thing to see or do around Chiang Rai?
Still collecting valuable info for upcoming trip. Please offer your best experience, sight to see or place to go, that can be done during a day trip from Chiang Rai. Thank you!
Aug 9th, 2004, 11:23 AM
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I second a stop at the Princess Mother (or grandmother?) house and botanic gardens surrounding her house. The gardens are absolutely beautiful and relaxing. And the bonus: the cleanest public toilettes in Thailand.
After enjoying the gardens, her home is at the top of the hill, but be forewarned that you can't enter her house in shorts or sleeveless/backless tops. They'll give you wraparound something to cover yourself. Also your shoes have to be removed to walk thru the house.
A stop at the Opium Museum - very interesting.
After enjoying the gardens, her home is at the top of the hill, but be forewarned that you can't enter her house in shorts or sleeveless/backless tops. They'll give you wraparound something to cover yourself. Also your shoes have to be removed to walk thru the house.
A stop at the Opium Museum - very interesting.
Aug 9th, 2004, 06:29 PM
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how could i forget the opium museum----it is one of the best museums i have been to in the last 5 years...newly opened in the fall of 2003, it has the latest of museum technology....its drive way is directly across from the anantara drive...
Aug 11th, 2004, 05:54 PM
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these are the two main attractions...there are many more like walking around in the chiang saen morning market, crossing over to burma and laos, visitng the town just before the cross-over to burma...driving around....this is not a heavily populated area and/or a tourist area...its only the last few years that people went there...it was dangereous...drug lords, smuggling, etc...it is not developed for tourists....its not phuket, koh samui or chiang mai (ugh)....
maybe you are too "hip" for it??
maybe you are too "hip" for it??
Aug 11th, 2004, 06:49 PM
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No rhkkmk, not too "hip". I love visiting small towns and surroundings and just seeing and listening...I was just hoping to get some names of some small towns, areas, or markets since we will be hiring a driver that day. Maybe we will take your suggestions from your last post. Thank you.
Aug 11th, 2004, 07:11 PM
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i suggest two things then....get a map of northern thailand and you will see that there are very few towns first of all....we found them to be very quiet and you saw few if any people during the day...i guess they were mostly out in the fields, etc...
your driver will undoubtably have a standard trip that he takes everyone on...we had our own car for maximum flexibility....
the anantara has an elephant camp extension with 4 elephants and there are quite a few things that you can do with them...the hotel itself is fun to just relax in....we took a cooking class one day...they offer them everyday....it was a highlight on this trip....
your driver will undoubtably have a standard trip that he takes everyone on...we had our own car for maximum flexibility....
the anantara has an elephant camp extension with 4 elephants and there are quite a few things that you can do with them...the hotel itself is fun to just relax in....we took a cooking class one day...they offer them everyday....it was a highlight on this trip....
Aug 11th, 2004, 08:17 PM
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If you stay at the Anantara, there are many things to do there such as the elephant camp and the cooking class that Bob mentioned. They also have a heavenly spa. On our day with a car and driver, we went to Chaing Sean and visited a couple of temples and the museum, took a boat on the river for a while, visited another temple that overlooks the Golden Triangle, went to Doi Tung. That was a full day. We walked to the Opium Museum from the Anantara another day (half day visit). We took a cooking class which included a trip to the market at Chaing Sean another day. We spent 6 nights at the Anantara and loved every minute. You'll want to slow down and experience it. You don't want to have every minute scheduled.
Aug 12th, 2004, 04:58 AM
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I thoroughly enjoyed a few days in Mae Salong, a mountain town that was established originally by the Kuomingtang?s 93rd regiment. It's on the Burma border. Opium cultivation is rife in this area, and the drug warlord Khun Sa had a base in the region until the early '80s. . There is a very Chinese feel to this town. There are many ethnic minority villages nearby--Lisu, Akha, Musser, and Yao. And there is a fabulouslocal market. Not to be missed are the local alcohol shops, selling a potent rice whiskey laced with snakes, herbs, and lizards. There is also a very interesting tea factory in town.
I spent three days here and had a great time four years ago.
Gloria
I spent three days here and had a great time four years ago.
Gloria
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