Quiet, Guest House/bungalows On The Maekong?

[jaideeguy]

Will be driving up to the mighty Maekong from CM over the 3 day weekend [Dec 5-7] with family, wife and two kids and would like to stay a couple of days looking at the river. Any recomendations for a quiet mid-price range bungalow [or 2 side by side] that won't be over run by BKK people??

Would like to make reservations to be sure of acomodation on that weekend. Maybe some where between Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong??

Thanks in advance.....

[sceadugenga]

There doesn't appear to be any shortage of them JDG, I only do day trips up there but maybe some of the other guys here may know of a place. Both Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong have many on the river front.

[jaideeguy]

Would prefer to stay out of town in a quiet place. Seems I've heard of some quiet bungalows somewhere on the river, owner falang.

My memory of Chiang Khong is that there are bungalows, but quite dark and rundown....suitable for a backpacker. We ended up staying in a decent hotel instead, but quite sterile.

[jubby]

Would prefer to stay out of town in a quiet place. Seems I've heard of some quiet bungalows somewhere on the river, owner falang.

My memory of Chiang Khong is that there are bungalows, but quite dark and rundown....suitable for a backpacker. We ended up staying in a decent hotel instead, but quite sterile.

Don't know of any places to stay but I would recommend you take a trip south from Chiang Khong to Wiang Kean. Theres a road from there that follows the river quite close and takes you as far as possible before the river enters Laos Territory. The River is spectacular there . Lots of rock outcrops and sand banks and you get closer to the river traffic. In my opinion the river north of chaing Khong is pretty ordinary.

I was there yesterday.

[toybits]

Try this link

http://www.hotels2thailand.com/chiang-rai-...n-Chiangrai.asp

I have seen this place and it is quite pretty. They have a cottage right next to the Mekong River.

Have a nice trip.

[klikster]

I wish I could remember the name, sorry .. maybe someone here knows it. A fair distance past Chiang Saen on the Chiang Khong river road.

I stopped a couple of years ago on a drive. It was a coffee house and work in progress at the time. I had a nice chat with the owner. They had built a deck on the crest of the land looking down toward the river. Also in the process of building wooden (looked like teak) bungalows perched along just above the river. The construction quality sure looked nice .. just as the deck .. all planks beveled, pegged instead of nailed.

Also had a floating restaurant.

I commented on his manicured gardens, and he told me the plots near the deck were veggie gardens rather than flowers and that the veggies were organically grown.

Across the road, a rice field had a wooden walkway built just above the plants. It ran for a couple of hundred meters and the owner said he had more bungalows over in another area. One thing that struck me is that the walkway had no handrails and there appeared to be no lights. Sounds like an adventurous walk back to the bungalows late at night .. after a few brews.

BTW, the coffee was delicious.

EDIT: After looking at the link that Toybits referenced, I'm sure that is the same place.

Edited November 23, 2009 by klikster

[davidgtr]

The Rai Saeng Arun is a gem of a place on the Khong, but it's upmarket & not back packer price.

Location on route R4007, the river road between Chiang Khong & Chiang Saen.

[jaideeguy]

Know the place Rai Saeng Arun.......beautiful and would be perfect, but with 2 kids, and needing 2 bungalows, it's not in the budget this year. Have had a couple of great lunches there and met the owner from BKK and got the royal tour. It is indeed a great place, but looking for something a little more mid-price range.

thanks so far, let's keep trying.....

[davidgtr]

Know the place Rai Saeng Arun.......beautiful and would be perfect, but with 2 kids, and needing 2 bungalows, it's not in the budget this year. Have had a couple of great lunches there and met the owner from BKK and got the royal tour. It is indeed a great place, but looking for something a little more mid-price range.

thanks so far, let's keep trying.....

My real favourite is the Tammila Guesthouse in Chiang Khong.

Watchara put in some new aircon / cable TV rooms earlier this year.

Price was 600 baht a night. The brekky at the Tammila is real good.

Don't know how old the kids are, but Tammila has bicycles for rent, plus there is a gate straight onto the riverside "boulevard", where the kids can play / run up & down.

Well worth checking out.