Chiang Rai

An excellent base for exploration. This little provincial capital is a place of romance, discovery and adventure. Set on the banks of the Mae Kok river, Chiang Rai is about 100 miles north of Chiang Mai and 40 miles southwest of Chiang Saen, where the Ruak river flows into the Mekong to form the Golden Triangle. This is where Thailand meets Laos and Myanmar (Burma) in a stunningly scenic setting.

Our Thoughts

Hotel accommodation in Chiang Rai and the Golden Triangle is now excellent and visitors will find the northern people extremely friendly. The more accessible hill tribe villages have now become quite adapted to tourists and you will often be expected to pay to photograph their colourful costumes. Discover this fascinating area on foot, on board an elephant or more gently by bamboo raft.

Transfers

Chiang Rai is accessed by direct flights from Bangkok, with a flying time of about 80 minutes. The Golden Triangle is about 75 minutes by road from Chiang Rai. Approximate transfer times to hotels are shown in the individual hotel description text.