What To Do In Chang Rai For 5 Days?

[LoveLife]

Hello People,

We are a couple in our early 60's and can handle 2.30 hour walks if the terrain is not too steep. We are staying at the Wiang Inn arrive 8:00 hour from 28/11 - 2/12. Leave the morning of 3/12. Our budget is flexible but we are interested in all options. We are interested in tribal tours but not the touristy places. , good places to eat. One thing that looks interesting it the boat ride from Chang Rai to Tehton.

Do you know if there are local guides or good tour outfits, that can put together a complete trip? We would like visiting 3 northern tribes the Karen Akha and Phai Phongpang village. Also would like to include a trip to Burma market. Are the bordors closed and is the trip worth it?

The Internet indicated that one could cross a bridge for the day at Mai Said to visit a Burma market on the other side. If we can not fill up all the time maybe one tea and orchard farm.

Could you point us in a good direction?

We would appreciate some email addresses / links and comments.

Regards

[lannaman]

Hello and welcome to Chiang Rai

Yes, the trip up the river is very good, but I would only go as far as the Elephant Hill tribe Village and return. To Theton is quite far to do the return trip. If you are adventurous bus it to Theton and then come down the river stopping at the village. Do not book through your hotel, just bus it to Theton and buy your boat ticket there.

Trip into the mountains - Doi Mae Salong and Doi Thung -very pleasant. Again use the local buses - more fun.

Go to old city of Chiang Saen and then golden Triangle, and border town of Mae Sai. Can do this by local bus.

There are interesting temples in town and the riverside area is nice.

Good luck ( U can email for any more help)

[ISPY]

Hello and welcome to Chiang Rai

Yes, the trip up the river is very good, but I would only go as far as the Elephant Hill tribe Village and return. To Theton is quite far to do the return trip. If you are adventurous bus it to Theton and then come down the river stopping at the village. Do not book through your hotel, just bus it to Theton and buy your boat ticket there.

Trip into the mountains - Doi Mae Salong and Doi Thung -very pleasant. Again use the local buses - more fun.

Go to old city of Chiang Saen and then golden Triangle, and border town of Mae Sai. Can do this by local bus.

There are interesting temples in town and the riverside area is nice.

Good luck ( U can email for any more help)

Lannaman is right. Five days is not much for the Chiang Rai province.....but nevertheless you can see a lot. In Chiang Rai (city) there are nice restaurants with local food and farang food. Personally we like the local food: the (night) market offers a lot of local food, starting from grilled fish, rice, to insects. Central Point is also good quality local food en if you like Japanese: on the Main Road (in front of Da Vinci) is a good Japanese

restaurant.

Have fun in Chiang Rai!

[LoveLife]

I appreciate the help can you tell me some more information. What bus stations what bus etc? How do I get around without the language?

[Joel Barlow]

Only one bus station (well, there's ThaRotNoi by the main market, for songtaeos - see www.chiangraiprovince.com/guide... hope I'm not breaking any thaivisa reg with that link...), and near to it is your hotel, a variety of tour offices, restaurants and the Night Bazaar (not to be missed).

Tachilek, just north of Thailand's northernmost point, is interesting but dirty and full of beggars. $10 entrance fee, lots of touts and cheats, quite likely nothing you really want to buy. And why support that awful government? Mae Sai has plenty to offer, there's the Golden Triangle, ChiangSaen, lots of hill-top temples with great views, TokTaeng restaurant with northern food and live traditional music, plenty of orchid and flower places on the way to MaeSai... and sure, Doi MaeSalong/Santikiri. Lots of tribals over that way!!!

It's now LoiKratong time - lots of festivities and parades. Shop around for a vehicle and driver: you may be very glad you did.

but don't let a guide dominate all your time! exploring on your own can be a much better adventure!

[Joel Barlow]

oh yeah - language: no worries near the bus station and downtown area. Bus to MaeSai, every hour from the main station

posted in English but cheap, crowded, uncomfortable (and therefor a bit of an adventure). you only get to the MaeSai bus station, from which you must take a songtaeo to downtown and the border bridge...

[Crow Boy]

Only one bus station (well, there's ThaRotNoi by the main market, for songtaeos - see www.chiangraiprovince.com/guide... hope I'm not breaking any thaivisa reg with that link

Hi Joel - the problem with links in the forum is if they are used by a poster putting themself up as a helpful person but in fact are directing the readers to their own website for commercial gain. It is not uncommon for the person to have several IDs that work in series. ID number one writes "anyone know where I can buy.............?" ID number two write "try www.my commerical website.com - I bought from there and they gave me a great price" Then ID numbers 3 and 4 post with "oh yeah, I tried there and they were fantastic" What the other posters don't realise is that these are IDs from the same person.

URLs are very useful to the forum and I have no problem with yours - what I will suggest is to use the URL link on the editor - some Web browsers hijack the viewer and take them to the new screen by closing the previous one.

Getting back on topic - this is the link above Everything you wanted to know about Chiang Rai but were afraid to ask

thanks

CB

[Joel Barlow]

OK, thanks for that. Actually there are some things not gone too far into!

the massage stuff is certainly out of date - used to get a lot of guys checking that out for some reason

recently I don't bother even trying to count all the places, Chiangrai being the "massage hub" and all...

nor have I tried a "spa"!!!

recently I was able to get a copy of Chiangrai Travel Planners Guide - quite a feat I must admit!

It mentions "offensive tourism promotion" in CR but that may be a translation problem (not sure )

Put out by the "ChiangRai Tourism Society", it has items of interest even I did not know about!

in both Thai and English. One gets to read what a beast Chalermchai of White Temple used to be (according to he himself),

historical places, the importance of certain people...

but really, it's better than what's been offered before (except my stuff of course, but you have to pay for that - unless you download it free - advertisements there are only to pay for hosting costs and have nothing to do with me; and the history presented is of necessity a bit tamer).

I wrote to the address on the magazine, but got nothing in reply. One can read it while eating at Lotus Family Bakery on the soi between the front of WangKom Hotel and Tops Super at Edison (good food there... I went to the other Tops at Appy Square today - great! will certainly give BigC a run for their money) but you are not to take one away. I remain mystified why it has been so hard to find it anywhere else (TAT, Dusit, bookstores...)... c'est la CR (which must be kept a secret so it doesn't turn into another CM! Please!!!)

back to topic - there are many, many easily accessible fascinating places to visit here. Don't miss Doi Khao Quai (4-eared, 5-eyed monster cave), Doi Jom Tong (center of the universe) and I much like 2 tmeples in sedate Wiang Chai - Wat Boran and nearby place built by King SamFangKaen about 1550, with the roofed-over fallen tree decorated with gifts of dresses and make-up

[lannaman]

You can email me and maybe we can help you some more, and maybe meet up in the Night Bazarr so my Thai wife can guide you through the exotic foods there. <snip.> then I'll give you my phone number.

-------------------------------------------------

If you wish to contact Lannaman - please send his a PM.

Crow Boy

Moderating Team

Thai Visa

[toybits]

Visit the Hilltribe Museum which is located right beside the Cabbages and Condoms Restaurant. (www.pda.or.th/chiangrai).

Hello People,

We are a couple in our early 60's and can handle 2.30 hour walks if the terrain is not too steep. We are staying at the Wiang Inn arrive 8:00 hour from 28/11 - 2/12. Leave the morning of 3/12. Our budget is flexible but we are interested in all options. We are interested in tribal tours but not the touristy places. , good places to eat. One thing that looks interesting it the boat ride from Chang Rai to Tehton.

Do you know if there are local guides or good tour outfits, that can put together a complete trip? We would like visiting 3 northern tribes the Karen Akha and Phai Phongpang village. Also would like to include a trip to Burma market. Are the bordors closed and is the trip worth it?

The Internet indicated that one could cross a bridge for the day at Mai Said to visit a Burma market on the other side. If we can not fill up all the time maybe one tea and orchard farm.

Could you point us in a good direction?

We would appreciate some email addresses / links and comments.

Regards