Depart from the hotel for Doi Maeslong and visit a Kuomintang (KMT) Yunnan Chinese settlement, en route we will stop at the villages of former Yao and Akha opium planters. Afterwards, we will continue on to Mae Sai on the Myanmar border where you can enjoy shopping and see the Burmese jade, which was used to create the Emerald Buddha. After lunch, we will proceed to the infamous Golden Triangle where three countries converge. We will visit the Hall of Opium, a very interesting exhibition about the legends and history of the opium trade. Before returning to our hotel, we will visit the old temples of Chiang Saen.

Drive one hour to Doi Tung mountain where the royal project of HRH the King’s Mother is situated. Her vision and determined efforts helped resolve several troubling issues for the nearby tribal villages.  The hill projects combine both northern Thai and Swiss flower garden themes and surround her winter villa. We will then drive to the northern town of Mae Sai on the Burmese border. After lunch, we will have time for shopping and a short visit to the famous Burmese jade working centre. In the afternoon, our stops will include the Golden Triangle, the Hall of Opium, and the ancient city of Chiang Saen.

We will leave the hotel by van and visit the temple of the Emerald Buddha in Chiang Rai city. Afterwards, we will take an hour long boat trip to a Karen village where the largest elephant camp in the province is located.  We will ride elephants for an hour through rice fields, hill areas and jungles, and we will have lunch at a local restaurant. Later, we will travel by car to Yao, Akha and Lahu tribal villages and visit a nearby waterfall before returning to our hotel.

This tour visits some of the more fascinating tribes in the northern area, including the Yao, Lahu, and Akha, as well as the Padong.  The later are known as the “long neck” tribe due to their practice of placing bronze rings around the neck of the women. This practice begins at the age of five, and rings are added every three or four years until their necks are stretched, thus protecting them from tiger attacks.  We will lunch in a Chiang Rai restaurant.  Afterwards, we will drive to the largest elephant camp in the area. These animals were once use exclusively for logging, but now are only for tourism. An hour-long elephant ride across rice fields and mountains,  presents unparalleled views normally not experienced in vehicular travel.

This tour incorporates all aspects of the history of the Golden Triangle, including a visit to the Hall of Opium, a modern museum devoted to explaining the mysteries and the culture of the “black gold” trade here. The trip also includes an hour-long Mae Khong River Cruise with a stop in a Lao village.  After lunch, we will visit the Monkey Cave, where hundreds of wild monkeys congregate. Later, we will drive to the Burmese border and take a local taxi around to explore the community, Burmese temples and markets.

Using local transportation, we will take a trishaw to the two major temples of Chiang Rai:  Wat Pra Sing and Wat Pra Kaew (the Emerald Buddha). Then we will tour the main local market and finish with a visit to the hill tribe museum.

We will take an hour-long Mae Kok boat trip to a Karen village to see the largest elephant camp in Chiang Rai. Our two-hour long elephant ride through ride fields, jungles and hills will be followed by lunch in a local restaurant or a box lunch at Bay Yafu Lahu village. Afterwards, we will proceed by pick-up truck to Yao, Akha and Lahu villages. Before returning to the hotel, we will visit Houy Mae Sai waterfall.

We will take an hour-long boat trip up the Mae Kok to a Karen village, home of the largest elephant camp in the province. The tour includes an hour-long elephant ride through rice fields, jungles, and local hills. In the afternoon, we will drive to the Golden Triangle, Hall of Opium and Chiang Saen.