Which Is The Best Itinerary To Visit Golden Triangle And Go To Mae Sai?

[dharadevi]

Sleeping one or two nights on the road. Traveling by bus. Need to go this week, and come back before or on sunday.

Second option go in a private car, if somebody wants to share with us, with my daughter and I.

Thanks,

D

[hellodolly]

Can't really say. What are you looking for?

All the travel agents have tours with a little bit of difference in them but basically the same. Most of them offer you a chance for two hundred baht to take a long tail boat to an Island in Lao where they have a market strictly for tourists.

The only thing you might want to do is check to see how much time each will allow you in Burma if it is shopping at the market just inside the border and down a flight of stairs you are looking for. Some of them don't like people to go into Burma as it takes away the time from other stops where the guide gets a commission. I did two visa runs there years ago the first one I had about an hour to shop the second one the guide went with me to make sure I was in and out as fast as possible.

When I was there they had two good sized stores with good videos.

[qdinthailand]

Huh? Where's your itineraries? Hard to choose your best one if you don't have any.

(oh, you want us to plan your itinerary for you!)

[KRS1]

golden triangle/chiang saen is very boring...just so you know.

if you want to see opium plants, try doi pui on doi suthep.

[HullyGully]

Stop off at the White Temple in Chiang Rai

[T_Dog]

We've had two sets of visitors that did the Golden Triangle tour by mini-bus and they came back saying they regretted it, mainly due to the speed and unsafe driving. Hire a private driver so you can tell them how fast to drive. Another benefit is that you can do some side trips that might be more interesting as well.

[hellodolly]

We've had two sets of visitors that did the Golden Triangle tour by mini-bus and they came back saying they regretted it, mainly due to the speed and unsafe driving. Hire a private driver so you can tell them how fast to drive. Another benefit is that you can do some side trips that might be more interesting as well.

Good plan also you will not be crowded into a van. You may take a van but you will have plenty of room. Only the two of you would give you any thing you wanted.

[dharadevi]

Yes, I informed myself today, Golden Triangle doesn't look so appealing to me, specially traveling with baby.

I need to go Mae Sai, sleeping 1 or 2 nights in Chiang Rai or vicinity.

I want to move slowly and enjoy. And insert a couple of nice places to visit. White Temple is one and maybe some hill tribe or hot spring if baby can go inside (not to hot). I am just asking which are nice places to visit around and cheap nice places to stay.

[dharadevi]

We've had two sets of visitors that did the Golden Triangle tour by mini-bus and they came back saying they regretted it, mainly due to the speed and unsafe driving. Hire a private driver so you can tell them how fast to drive. Another benefit is that you can do some side trips that might be more interesting as well.

Good plan also you will not be crowded into a van. You may take a van but you will have plenty of room. Only the two of you would give you any thing you wanted.

What happen with private driver is that it is still a very long trip for us in one day, and if we add stops we will not enjoy them properly...

[MESmith]

you could take a bus to Thaton & then take the boat down the river to Chiang Rai. Then bus to Mae Sai & back to Chiang Mai, overnighting in Chiang Rai?

[dharadevi]

you could take a bus to Thaton & then take the boat down the river to Chiang Rai. Then bus to Mae Sai & back to Chiang Mai, overnighting in Chiang Rai?

Sound great, THANK YOU! Would this work opposite way? Departing from CM to Mae Sai on late morning VIP bus, sleep there 1 night, next day Bus to Chiang Rai, visit the white temple, take the boat to Thaton, sleep there 1 night and then bus to CM next day. Feels like fun and easy exploration

Edited February 6, 2013 by dharadevi

[meadish_sweetball]

If you are in Chiang Mai, you are already in the Golden Triangle, no matter what the tourist authorities attempt to have you believe.

MESmith's suggestion is good. Chiang Saen has nothing to go out of your way for.

If you're heading to Wat Rong Khun (the White Temple), you may need to bring a Thai person as a guide to get in, as they have a sign saying foreigners are not allowed to enter on their own anymore due to several incidents breaching the rules.

In fact, they have signs for just about everything, as well as a speaker system they use to call out in case somebody is seen doing the wrong thing. Somebody in there really likes signs and speakers, and seems to be well and truly stuck in the world of form, perhaps even more than others. It's best not to take it all too seriously.

[dharadevi]

Finally what we did looked like this:

We went by nice bus to Mae Sai, slept there one night. Simple, clean good food.

Proceed to Tha Ton next day by bus, slept there 2 nights, really enjoyed nature and peaceful enviroment and nice people we met there.

Then took the goverment boat to Chiang Rai, 350 bath, my baby and I really enjoyed the experience

And took bus to Chiang Mai.

It was really a nice different 4 days, full of adventures, prefer to go slower if traveling with family. 5 hour bus in two days could have been too much for us, without knowing anything on the road.

Thanks everybody for your suggestions and help.

[Fishenough]

4 Years ago my son and I had to do our regular visa runs, and rather enjoyed most every single trip. Did these runs via bus, rental big bikes, our own 200/250 cc bikes and truck. Most trips taken over 2 days on a 250.

For me Doi Mae Salong is a treat, and the cooler weather is a welcome break starting this time of year. Taking your time the 1089 is great, but it's not an enjoyable route if your in a truck wanting to just cover the miles quickly. Dropping south to Thoen, a night in Phayao, is better for more brisk backcountry pace - a must for motorcyclist because the r4018 off the 1020 is a most ride experience - though likely nausea inducing to 4 wheeled passengers.