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Thailand Travel Agents offers Travel to Golden Triangle, Thailand, Thailand Golden Triangle, Golden triangle Travel |
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Thailand Tourism » Travel to Golden Triangle, Thailand
THE GOLDEN TRIANGLE - Thailand
The notorious Golden Triangle — which produces over 70% of the world’s heroin — is squeezed between the Laos and Myanmar borders, at the confluence of the Mekong and Ruak Rivers. This area has a real “Wild West” atmosphere to it. It has a spectacular landscape of mountains, valleys and waterfalls, fascinating hill tribes, plus of course, the feeling of being out there on the edge which you inevitably get from being in a major opium area with a rebel army just over the border. Expeditions into the Golden Triangle area can be organized from Chiang Mai or the medium-sized city of Chiang Rai, which is further north. Chiang Rai, known as the Gateway to the Golden Triangle, is fairly drab and uninteresting but its location makes it a good base for initiating river trips and organizing trekking and hill tribe visits.
TREKKING: IN FRONTIERLAND
Although these packaged adventures are called “treks”, they’re more like long walks. They usually last 3-7 days but each day includes only a few hours of walking. The rest of your time is spent wandering around hill tribe villages, watching the women weave or pound rice. But it’s still a great way to see this beautiful, historical part of Thailand. The treks take you over foothills, wading through streams and tramping through bamboo forests. The views on the way are a spectacular mix of fertile valleys and agriculture, bright tropical jungle and thick, emerald green forest.
More than a dozen agencies offer organized tours in the hills around Doi Tung and the more remote regions around Chiang Khong. The best short hikes are probably those north of Mae Salong between Ban Hin Taek and the Burmese border. For a longer 3-4 day hike it’s possible to walk south from Mae Salong to Chiang Rai. These trails pass through the remote hill tribe villages of Hmong, Akha, Lahu. Lisu and Mien peoples. Passing through these villages is fascinating. The physical appearance and customs of these people is noticeably different from one village to the next, giving you a sense of moving through different cultures.
Independent trekking is also possible. DK Books in Chiang Mai publish two excellent maps for independent trekkers: one of the Wawi area south of the Kok River in Chiang Rai Province, the other of the Kok River itself. Both areas offer the possibility of rewarding visits to different hill tribe communities. For organized trekking expeditions, contact The Trekking Collective. based in Chiang Rai. Their trips tend to be more specialized and unique than those run by standard tour operators and guesthouses. They also offer custom-made trips.
MOUNTAINBIKING: ROLLING THROUGH TIME
The Golden Triangle region offers some of the best mountainbiking terrain in the country. A network of excellent trails link the villages of the Chao Khao (Thai for ,’mountain people”). These trails are a mountain biker’s dream.
One of the best trails in the Golden Triangle starts at Doi Mae Salong, near the Burmese border, and snakes its way down the mountain, over rivers and ridges. through bamboo and mixed teak and deciduous forest, and finally brings you to Mae Chan. It’s all off -road riding and almost entirely down-hill — a magnificent roller-coaster descent through spectacular landscape. Apart from the pure adrenalin of the ride, this route takes you through interesting hill tribe villages. The starting point, the mountain-top village of Doi Mae Salong, was settled by Yunnanese who fled China during the Communist revolution in 1949. Most villagers are descendants of members of the renegade KMT 93rd regiment who were granted refugee status by the Thai government in the 1960s after more than a decade of hiding in the Burmese hills. You’ll also meet Akha, Lisu and Lahu people on the ride. From Doi Mae Salong to Mae Chan by mountain bike takes two days. If you have your own mountain bike, you can organize your own trip. There are buses that run between Chiang Rai and Mae Salong. Alternatively, Wild Planet Adventure Centre, based in Bangkok, run excellent mountainbiking tours. You can join a standard trip or arrange a custom-made tour that incorporates all the areas you want to visit — the Golden Triangle is riddled with good trails.
The notorious Golden Triangle — which produces over 70% of the world’s heroin — is squeezed between the Laos and Myanmar borders, at the confluence of the Mekong and Ruak Rivers. This area has a real “Wild West” atmosphere to it. It has a spectacular landscape of mountains, valleys and waterfalls, fascinating hill tribes, plus of course, the feeling of being out there on the edge which you inevitably get from being in a major opium area with a rebel army just over the border. Expeditions into the Golden Triangle area can be organized from Chiang Mai or the medium-sized city of Chiang Rai, which is further north. Chiang Rai, known as the Gateway to the Golden Triangle, is fairly drab and uninteresting but its location makes it a good base for initiating river trips and organizing trekking and hill tribe visits.
TREKKING: IN FRONTIERLAND
Although these packaged adventures are called “treks”, they’re more like long walks. They usually last 3-7 days but each day includes only a few hours of walking. The rest of your time is spent wandering around hill tribe villages, watching the women weave or pound rice. But it’s still a great way to see this beautiful, historical part of Thailand. The treks take you over foothills, wading through streams and tramping through bamboo forests. The views on the way are a spectacular mix of fertile valleys and agriculture, bright tropical jungle and thick, emerald green forest.
More than a dozen agencies offer organized tours in the hills around Doi Tung and the more remote regions around Chiang Khong. The best short hikes are probably those north of Mae Salong between Ban Hin Taek and the Burmese border. For a longer 3-4 day hike it’s possible to walk south from Mae Salong to Chiang Rai. These trails pass through the remote hill tribe villages of Hmong, Akha, Lahu. Lisu and Mien peoples. Passing through these villages is fascinating. The physical appearance and customs of these people is noticeably different from one village to the next, giving you a sense of moving through different cultures.
Independent trekking is also possible. DK Books in Chiang Mai publish two excellent maps for independent trekkers: one of the Wawi area south of the Kok River in Chiang Rai Province, the other of the Kok River itself. Both areas offer the possibility of rewarding visits to different hill tribe communities. For organized trekking expeditions, contact The Trekking Collective. based in Chiang Rai. Their trips tend to be more specialized and unique than those run by standard tour operators and guesthouses. They also offer custom-made trips.
MOUNTAINBIKING: ROLLING THROUGH TIME
The Golden Triangle region offers some of the best mountainbiking terrain in the country. A network of excellent trails link the villages of the Chao Khao (Thai for ,’mountain people”). These trails are a mountain biker’s dream.
One of the best trails in the Golden Triangle starts at Doi Mae Salong, near the Burmese border, and snakes its way down the mountain, over rivers and ridges. through bamboo and mixed teak and deciduous forest, and finally brings you to Mae Chan. It’s all off -road riding and almost entirely down-hill — a magnificent roller-coaster descent through spectacular landscape. Apart from the pure adrenalin of the ride, this route takes you through interesting hill tribe villages. The starting point, the mountain-top village of Doi Mae Salong, was settled by Yunnanese who fled China during the Communist revolution in 1949. Most villagers are descendants of members of the renegade KMT 93rd regiment who were granted refugee status by the Thai government in the 1960s after more than a decade of hiding in the Burmese hills. You’ll also meet Akha, Lisu and Lahu people on the ride. From Doi Mae Salong to Mae Chan by mountain bike takes two days. If you have your own mountain bike, you can organize your own trip. There are buses that run between Chiang Rai and Mae Salong. Alternatively, Wild Planet Adventure Centre, based in Bangkok, run excellent mountainbiking tours. You can join a standard trip or arrange a custom-made tour that incorporates all the areas you want to visit — the Golden Triangle is riddled with good trails.
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