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Chiang Rai -first Visit, Ged


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Somewhat similar to the like/dislike question of Trebek: Which places do you think are worth showing to your friends visiting chiang rai (and surroundings) when they have more time than the average tourist.

I'll start by mentioning the obvious and some of my favourites:

- night bazar

- wat rong khun (the white temple)

- the elephant camp

- the hot springs

- Pattaya Noi

- the old airport around 17h30 when everybody is jogging etc.

- the area behind the old airport (the lake and the hill from which you have a great view over the city)

A little bit further: Doi Tung and Mae Salong

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A quite evening and night at the Mekong River, 2100 kms from Tibet and 2100 kms from Ho Chi Minh City: Chiang Khong.

I always choose Chom Khong Guesthouse of Luxemburger Victor. He has a remarcable collection of Belgian, Dutch, German and Thai beer. And Guinness!

The rooms are directly at the river. From your bed you oversee the mighty river and mysterious Laos at the other side.

Cable television for the kids, perfectly clean and hot shower of course. About 250 Baht for Chiang Rai expats.

Nice place to sit and relax with a good beer (much cheaper than most places in Chiang Rai) and to catch upp with your friends.

It is a superb ambiance for a good conversation.

The soi next to the police station opposite the big temple, before you enter the town, on your right.

Next day the beautiful road through the mountains and partly along the Mekong River to Chiang Saen, shortly to the obligatory Golden Triangle (12 kms from Chiang Saen) and back to Chiang Rai.

Opium Museum at the Triangle (entry 30 Baht).

Eventually Opium Hall (300 Baht).

Shortest road to Chiang Khong:

Opposite the statue of King Mengrai (Man Rai?) trough the gate with His Majesties portrait. In Ban Panjamorn (after seven or eight kms) to the left. New road along the River Kok. It saves you about ten kilometers.

Limbo.

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As I am currently entertaining visitors, one on her first trip out of Australia, this has been on my mind. We will visit orchid growers just north of town, then the monkeys (gibbons) outside the temple at Thaam Pla (fish cave) on the West of Hwy 1 just north of Huai Krai (I think, anyway, 20 plus kilos south of Mae Sai) then Thaam Luang, the big cave 6 or 7 klicks south of the border town. There's a long (5 km) nature walk there, with canopies of orchids...

The drive from mae Sai up to Doi Tung is great, adn just west of town is an interesting meditation spot. There are caves and waterfalls all over (see my guide at www.chiangraiporvince.com - this is not an ad per se as I make nary a dime ever off what I put on the Net for the benefit of tourists here). Also reservoirs, "agro-tourism" parks, arboretums and reforestation parks. Santikiri/Doi Mae Salong is great. Near town, Doi Khao Quai is interesting (see if you can find the 5-eyed 4-eared monster's cave) and Rice box hill, above the new prison a great place to work off some beer - over 400 steps up! The hermitage up there is now off-limits though.

Then there's the Yao Taoist temple at well, - the info is already up and I'm paying to write this!

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The orange house.  :D

Don't underestimate the eye-sore pink house at the Thanon Sakai along the militairy base. It really hurts to look at that.

When going to Santikiri (Doi Mae Sa Long) you might consider to go straight on at the last samyek (T-crossing?) about 12 kms before Santikiri. There were the world is sealed of with billboards and all kind of different signs, with an Akha village hidden behind it.

A perfect road and after 8 kms you will arrive in Hin Taek (Thoedt Thai), the former stronghold of Khun Sa, once competitor of the Chinese KMT army in Santikiri in the regional drugsbussiness.

There is a nice guesthouse and two karaoke places. The most boring place on earth possibly. Unseen Thailand, an absolute must :o

It is a great place to sleep and to make a walk in the early morning. An amazing market where probably ten languages are spoken. The quarters of Khun Sa's army, the temple with its fantastic view and .... eh .... eh.

OK, that should do.

Limbo.

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JETYOD RD!!!

Tyree D,

You are incorrigible :o ! And WHAT about Jetyod Rd ?

Do you mean the excellent kao soi kaj (spelling?) chicken noodle soup Northern style in the shop opposite the staff entrance of the Wang Coe Hotel?

Or do you mean the Cat Bar where good old Sam welcomes any farang musician to join the jam sessions?

I suppose you don't mean the pavement as such.

Details please!

Limbo.

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  • 1 month later...

For people who are not afraid of sadle-soreness:

Rent your self a nice mountainbike at for instance Fat Free bicycle shop in the middle of town opposite the First Church or a good Honda Dream or Wave or whatever at ST Motorcycle rent at the clocktower. If you choose for a moutainbike: Be prepared for some climbing!

Be warned, it is a tour of almost sixty kilometers!

First to Den Ha (the market at the military base) and follow the signs to Huay Kiam Hot Springs (about 22 kms).

A beautiful road through a beautiful mountainious environment, hardly any traffic.

A good place at a great spot at the Kok River for a break and a little cheap meal.

Continue then on a dirt road to the narrow hanging bridge over the Kok River. You pass some Akha villages on the way (5 kms). Cross the swinging bridge and take to the right. After 8 kms good grit road (breathtaking views, you are riding along the Kok River) you will arrive in the Karen elephant village Ban Ruammit( and back on paved roads). On the way you passed some Lisu villages.

From Ban Ruammit back to town. Choose between passing the old prison and the beautiful road to Ban Nam Lat (to the right at the school of the village where the sois are marked with corncobs), you will pass the opposite side of Pattaya Noi.

Don't forget to take a shower afterwards :o

Limbo.

Edited by Limbo
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For people who are not afraid of sadle-soreness:

Rent your self a nice mountainbike at for instance Fat Free bicycle shop in the middle of town opposite the First Church or a good Honda Dream or Wave or whatever at ST Motorcycle rent at the clocktower. If you choose for a moutainbike: Be prepared for some climbing!

Be warned, it is a tour of almost sixty kilometers!

First to Den Ha (the market at the military base) and follow the signs to Huay Kiam Hot Springs (about 22 kms).

A beautiful road through a beautiful mountainious environment, hardly any traffic.

A good place at a great spot at the Kok River for a break and a little cheap meal.

Continue then on a dirt road to the narrow hanging bridge over the Kok River. You pass some Akha villages on the way (5 kms). Cross the swinging bridge and take to the right. After 8 kms good grit road (breathtaking views, you are riding along the Kok River) you will arrive in the Karen elephant village Ban Ruammit( and back on paved roads). On the way you passed some Lisu villages.

From Ban Ruammit back to town. Choose between passing the old prison and the beautiful road to Ban Nam Lat (to the right at the school of the village where the sois are marked with corncobs), you will pass the opposite side of Pattaya Noi.

Don't forget to take a shower afterwards  :o

Limbo.

Indeed a nice tour. Thank you for mentioning it Limbo. However, one item must definitely be added: on the road to the hot springs, a few km outside of town you pass a hill on your right side with a standing buddha on the top. Talking about 360 degrees breathtaking views: this is my favorite around Chiang Rai so far (just discovered it last week, shame on me!). Great view of the Kok river around Pattaya Noi! The climb up is not that hard (although it might be too much combined with Limbo's tour.) Be shure to bring insect repellent if you're going for the sunset.

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For people who are not afraid of sadle-soreness:

Rent your self a nice mountainbike at for instance Fat Free bicycle shop in the middle of town opposite the First Church or a good Honda Dream or Wave or whatever at ST Motorcycle rent at the clocktower. If you choose for a moutainbike: Be prepared for some climbing!

Be warned, it is a tour of almost sixty kilometers!

First to Den Ha (the market at the military base) and follow the signs to Huay Kiam Hot Springs (about 22 kms).

A beautiful road through a beautiful mountainious environment, hardly any traffic.

A good place at a great spot at the Kok River for a break and a little cheap meal.

Continue then on a dirt road to the narrow hanging bridge over the Kok River. You pass some Akha villages on the way (5 kms). Cross the swinging bridge and take to the right. After 8 kms good grit road (breathtaking views, you are riding along the Kok River) you will arrive in the Karen elephant village Ban Ruammit( and back on paved roads). On the way you passed some Lisu villages.

From Ban Ruammit back to town. Choose between passing the old prison and the beautiful road to Ban Nam Lat (to the right at the school of the village where the sois are marked with corncobs), you will pass the opposite side of Pattaya Noi.

Don't forget to take a shower afterwards  :o

Limbo.

Indeed a nice tour. Thank you for mentioning it Limbo. However, one item must definitely be added: on the road to the hot springs, a few km outside of town you pass a hill on your right side with a standing buddha on the top. Talking about 360 degrees breathtaking views: this is my favorite around Chiang Rai so far (just discovered it last week, shame on me!). Great view of the Kok river around Pattaya Noi! The climb up is not that hard (although it might be too much combined with Limbo's tour.) Be shure to bring insect repellent if you're going for the sunset.

Re-reading this thread, I guess I must have been talking about Rice Box hill, according to Joel. So all credit for mentioning it goes to him :D

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  • 6 months later...

A very nice and relaxing place still is the Huay Mae Sai waterfall about 18 kms out of town.

It is an idyllic little area with a lot of ingredients together:

Forest, river, waterfall, buffaloes and elephants walking around free (when did you last see an elephant without a bench on it?), a Lahu village (with a little museum) and an Akha village. And a nice place to sit and have some refreshments (Khun Chawin and his charming wife). Because of the big trees is is even cool during the hot season.

If you cross the little river just before the last of the three stages of the waterfall, you can follow the river through the forest untill you reach an open space again after about two kilometers('breathtaking' in all senses of the word as they would call it in tourist brochures, but there are no tourists aside from a little group of trekkers once in a while).

There should be a possibility to extend the walk and come back over Jalae village, but that's for guys of HHH calibre. Normal mortals walk back the same path which has the advantage that you see both sides of the trees so to say. The path will be slippery though in the rainy season.

It is great but tough walk (the narrow path goes upp and down), but below you hear the smoothing sound of the water all the time.

The road leading to it surpasses the beauty of the road to Nam Tok Khun Korn (sp?).

How to find it:

You pass the Mae Fah Luang Bridge, pass Ban Nam Lat and follow the road to Ban Huay Kham for about 10 kilometers.

At a certain moment you will start to see the signs. At a little temple you turn to the left.

You will find it difficult to miss it.

The alternative is to take the superhighway, cross the Mae Sai Bridge and take to the left at the first traffic light (direction Rimkok Hotel). Also then straight on untill you see the same signs.

Limbo :o

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A quite evening and night at the Mekong River, 2100 kms from Tibet and 2100 kms from Ho Chi Minh City: Chiang Khong.

I always choose Chom Khong Guesthouse of Luxemburger Victor. He has a remarcable collection of Belgian, Dutch, German and Thai beer. And Guinness!

The rooms are directly at the river. From your bed you oversee the mighty river and mysterious Laos at the other side.

Limbo.

View from Chom Khong Guesthouse

post-29230-1149681252_thumb.jpg

Edited by Limbo
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When going to Santikiri (Doi Mae Sa Long) you might consider to go straight on at the last samyek (T-crossing?) about 12 kms before Santikiri. There were the world is sealed of with billboards and all kind of different signs, with an Akha village hidden behind it.

A perfect road and after 8 kms you will arrive in Hin Taek (Thoedt Thai), the former stronghold of Khun Sa, once competitor of the Chinese KMT army in Santikiri in the regional drugsbussiness.

There is a nice guesthouse and two karaoke places. The most boring place on earth possibly. Unseen Thailand, an absolute must :o

Limbo.

Going from Hin Taek there is a small paved road with wonderful views all the way to Doi Tung.

This is one view from there:post-29230-1149681641_thumb.jpg

Just before you come to Doi Tung you pass (don't pass!) Doi Tung Zoo. There you can see

post-29230-1149681803_thumb.jpg and post-29230-1149681848_thumb.jpg

And from the Zoo you go to Wat Doi Tung. That is one of the most famous temples in Thailand and Buddhists from all the world come there.

In the forrest just before the temple you can see this post-29230-1149682046_thumb.jpg

And beside the temple is this beautiful post-29230-1149682122_thumb.jpg

and behind you is this view over the valley. Highway no 1 is down there.

post-29230-1149682354_thumb.jpg

Going back to Chiang Rai you don't go down to superhighway. Instead you pass the famouse garden and head to Mae Salong. On that road you got this view post-29230-1149682577_thumb.jpg

When you come to road 1130 you take left to Chiang Rai instead right to Mae Salong.

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JETYOD RD!!!

As you go up Jet Yod towards the temple my old mucker used to have the last bar on the left...Golden Bar...is it still there?....(been about 15 years since..etc)....

Seem to remember it was next to a Karaoke joint called something like the "Happy Panda"....

From there you take a right and the Boom Bun Dan Hotel is on your next rhs....afterthe barking dogs... :o

At that time it was al hong was 150bt tamada or 250 dit air... :D

...Must try and get up there sometimes.... :D

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hello rinrada

the bunboondan guest house is still there mabe 250 fan 350 air these days,the only last bar on the left before the temple was opened by richard an american guy,i think the wife/ex still owns the place i remember cockney neil having the place for a couple of years (the blue moon) the last one to have the bar was taxi/crasy joe who opened for a year or two (its closed now)

the karaoke joint nearby i think was opened as a go go bar first off by gordon (nice guy )and a scottish mate since then mainly been for the thais as you say karaoke ,dont know if its still open

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Quick one gotta go home........Yes it was Gordon and Alec.......... :D

Soap...Thanks for the info...just go back home.....Hot day in the Smoke..

Anyway as said the Golden bar is/was the one next to the karaoke joint at the end of the street on the left.

Thinking back I also do seem to remember an americian called Richard who again from memory had a bar down Jedyod which had a thatched roof and think was opposite a newly opened French style bake type pub/wine bar place :o

My last visit to C.Rai was around 1992-3 so recon its time for another looksee.

Wifes mate got a house/land up there and always inviting me so must get off me....... :D

cheers again..R

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  • 5 months later...

i'm visiting Chiang rai for the first time (i've been to thailand many times) a thai ladyfriend has invited me to stay in Phayao but i want to visit a few bars and see a few sights in Chiang rai!

i will stay maybe 4 or 5 nights.

is there any nightlife? if so how doyou find it ? maybe directions from the bus station /or a certain hotel. All info appreciated -cheers.

P.S. i'll be visiting mid january.

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i'm visiting Chiang rai for the first time (i've been to thailand many times) a thai ladyfriend has invited me to stay in Phayao but i want to visit a few bars and see a few sights in Chiang rai!

i will stay maybe 4 or 5 nights.

is there any nightlife? if so how doyou find it ? maybe directions from the bus station /or a certain hotel. All info appreciated -cheers.

P.S. i'll be visiting mid january.

looks like i won't be visiting then ! i'm off to the Chiang Mai forum. :o:D

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Hi Ged,

Sory for that....

It seems that everyone waiting for me to describe the nightlife... :o

Most of the nightlife is concentrated on Yet Jod, the Bar Street. There you can find at least 20 bars. Some are good and some are not worth a visit.

Then you have a hangout for farangs and that is Bo's Place on Main Street.

Inside the Night Bazaar there is a great place named Reggie Bar with very good music, cold beer and nice people. Open around 9 almost every night.

From busstation you turn right and you come to Main Street. Turn left for Bo's Place.

Turn right, after 200 m turn left, after 200 m you come to Bar Street.

Night Bazaar is just behind busstation.

Come back with more questions! We will all try to help you out in best way!

:D:D:D

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Why don't do CR guys compose a list of things to do in and around the area... you know... day trips, sightseeing and tourist spots, good restaurants, night life etc.

A mod could then pin it at the top of the forum for all visitors to see.

:o

I'll be heading up there early next year and will be seeking advice too... :D

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