Golden Triangle and King Roman Casino, Lao

[eljuwa]

Hello Chiang Mai Forum

I wish to do the Golden Triangle Tour. I prefer to go through a Travel Company - not try do it on my own.

I also wish to visit the King Roman Casino in Lao.

Hopefully one tour will cover both of my requests.

I am a US Passport holder. Do I need visas for any part of this tour ?

Do you folks any recommendations ??

Thanks very much

James

[WinnieTheKhwai]

A Golden Triangle tour as a daytrip from Chiang Mai involves a LOT of driving. Most of your day would be spent in the minivan. It's also highly touristy.

So I don't really recommend it, but if you do want a tour then any local travel agency can sell you one. (They mostly sell the same tours from a handful of operators).

You can also check on an more travel-dedicated site like Tripadvisor. (This being the Hamburger & Pizza forum. )

[Saan]

A Golden Triangle tour as a daytrip from Chiang Mai involves a LOT of driving. Most of your day would be spent in the minivan. It's also highly touristy.

So I don't really recommend it, but if you do want a tour then any local travel agency can sell you one. (They mostly sell the same tours from a handful of operators).

You can also check on an more travel-dedicated site like Tripadvisor. (This being the Hamburger & Pizza forum. )

Cruel - but true (sometimes).

[Rotweiler]

Worth a trip (and yes the day tour is mostly driving...), so, alternatively, take the bus (Green Bus) to Chiang Khong. Itself worth a visit.

Almost anywhere in the city you can catch a mini-bus/songthau or tuk to the golden triangle. Casino trips are available at the docks.

[Rotweiler]

I should have added that you can alos catch a mini bus from the golden trianle to Mae Sai. The city IS worth a day trip in itself (markets especially) and you can pop over into Myanmar to visit the "world famous" knock-off market!

[junglechef]

I recommend skipping King Roman for a number of reasons. Foremost they keep endangered animals to serve in the on-premise restaurants.

Pictured is a menu, one of the animals available at the entrance of one of the restaurants and a line of cages which held 27 Asiatic Sun Bears.

Do you want to be supporting this??

Also it's a big smokey casino, not very attractive unless your a smoking gambler (I won't judge you on this ), not so special food, some shopping. All which I'm sure one can find at one of the other places like it in that part of the world.

(I haven't been to any others so I won't comment further)

But that part of the world is amazing!!! I love it there, occasionally I drive up across the border bringing along my Mt Bike and when I find a little village I park up, stay a night or two and explore the area cycling.

It takes me 5 1/2 hr to drive to the border and then some more time to the legal formalities to cross. Bit much for a day trip in my estimation as I like to drive in the day and enjoy the scenery and stop to take pictures etc.

Laos is so wonderful, the people, the food, the scenery .... you just might want to be sure what your being served

[Saan]

I recommend skipping King Roman for a number of reasons. Foremost they keep endangered animals to serve in the on-premise restaurants.

Pictured is a menu, one of the animals available at the entrance of one of the restaurants and a line of cages which held 27 Asiatic Sun Bears.

Do you want to be supporting this??

Also it's a big smokey casino, not very attractive unless your a smoking gambler (I won't judge you on this ), not so special food, some shopping. All which I'm sure one can find at one of the other places like it in that part of the world.

(I haven't been to any others so I won't comment further)

But that part of the world is amazing!!! I love it there, occasionally I drive up across the border bringing along my Mt Bike and when I find a little village I park up, stay a night or two and explore the area cycling.

It takes me 5 1/2 hr to drive to the border and then some more time to the legal formalities to cross. Bit much for a day trip in my estimation as I like to drive in the day and enjoy the scenery and stop to take pictures etc.

Laos is so wonderful, the people, the food, the scenery .... you just might want to be sure what your being served

He is a bit more info as to why you should avoid this casino and the restaurants around it.

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/radical-conservation/2015/mar/19/high-end-laos-resort-serves-up-illegal-wildlife-for-chinese-tourists

[eljuwa]

Thanks to all Forum Members for their suggestions. Specially, junglechef. I will follow your thoughts and will drop my plans to visit King Roman Casino in Lao. I support free wild life. Not the consumption. Thanks again, junglechef.