GOLDEN TRIANGLE TOUR ORIGINAL THAILAND WEB PROGRAM

This tour is only available departing from Chiang Rai. We do not operate this program departing from Chiang Mai because, in our professional experience, the distances from Chiang Mai make the experience unviable and unsustainable (even for us). However, this excursion requires ThailandWeb to send the staff (guide and driver) from Chiang Mai one day before the tour, and therefore the excursion has additional logistical costs.

The tea plantation in Chiang Rai as the first stop on the Golden Triangle tour. The plantation offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and tea fields, making it an excellent spot for photography and nature walks.
The tea plantation produces various types of high-quality tea, including oolong, green, and black tea. Visitors can enjoy the delicious teas served in the plantation's tea room, which overlooks the beautiful tea fields.
The teahouse also offers an excellent opportunity to relax and admire the natural beauty of the plantation while enjoying a cup of tea. The teahouse staff is friendly and knowledgeable and can offer recommendations on the best teas to try.
Overall, the tea plantation is a peaceful and scenic destination that offers visitors the opportunity to enjoy delicious teas and breathtaking views of the surrounding landscape. It's a great place to relax and connect with nature while savoring the taste of excellent tea.

The context of the Golden Triangle tour. The Golden Triangle It is an area of ​​approximately 950,000 km² within the province of Chiang Rai that connects Thailand, Laos, and Burma, which border where the Ruak River (Burma) flows into the Mekong (Thailand and Laos). The area has been known for decades as the region with the largest opium production in the world, but let's discover the history of these places and the places to visit during a tour of the Golden Triangle.
Between 1839 and 1842, the First Opium War was fought, sparked by the conflict over the opium trade between British India and the Chinese Empire, and ended with the latter's defeat and the signing of the Treaty of Nanking. Between 1856 and 1860, a Second Opium War broke out, waged by the British Empire and the French Empire against the Chinese Empire and caused by the unfair conditions imposed by the treaty. It again ended with the defeat of the Chinese Empire and the signing of the four Treaties of Tientsin (August 1958). The defeat of the Chinese Empire marked the beginning of European imperialism in China.

The tour includes a boat trip to Burma with a stop in Laos, lunch in the Golden Triangle, and a visit to the Mae Sai market on the border with Thailand.

The tribal villages of Chiang Rai. There are hundreds of hill tribe villages in Chiang Rai. The Karen, Akha, Hmong, Lahu, Lisu, Palong, and Mien (Yao) villages are all located here. Chiang Rai is a melting pot of different hill tribe groups, making it the perfect place to discover authentic hill tribe culture and traditional hill tribe life.
Chiang Rai's proximity to China, Laos, and Myanmar means that hill tribes have historically crossed borders to settle in the mountainous areas of Chiang Rai. Some settled here in search of arable land for agriculture, while others fled persecution in their homelands. As a result, Chiang Rai is a melting pot of ethnic minorities (hill tribes), with their villages scattered throughout the province. The different hill tribes live harmoniously together, and it's common to find several groups and their villages located near each other.
The Akha hill tribe originally hails from Yunnan, which still has the largest Akha population. Over the centuries, many Akha have migrated southward.
Although many Akha, especially the younger ones, are Christian, Akha Zang ("The Akha Way"), a comprehensive way of life prescribed in the oral literature of the Akha people, still flows deeply in the consciousness of the older generations. The Akha Way combines animism, ancestor worship, and their profound connection to the land.
For an Akha, the Akha Way is a way of life that goes beyond simple religious practice and permeates every aspect of their existence. The Akha Way emphasizes rituals in everyday life and emphasizes strong family ties. Every Akha male can trace his lineage back over fifty generations to the first Akha.
The Yao hill tribe is native to southern China. They are also called "Mien." From the late 1800s to the early 19th century, the Yao began migrating to Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.
Yao villages appear to be less on the tourist and trekking trail than other hill tribes in northern Thailand.
The Yao prefer high-altitude dwellings. Their homes are usually on solid ground. A traditional Yao home has a communal living area, several bedrooms, and a guest area.
The Yao typically grow corn and rice as primary crops, although they are known to cultivate other crops. The Yao have adapted to Thai agriculture and have learned to produce various new vegetables every year. Opium cultivation is still important in some sections of Yao culture, although the tradition is declining. In the early 90s, opium cultivation was still a problem in northern Thailand. Thai border police were present in the three Yao villages to monitor the situation.

Wat Huay Pla Kang Chiang Rai and the Goddess of MercyWat Huay Pla Kang sits atop a mountain surrounded by a series of green hills in the heart of Chiang Rai. It's an impressive site to see from afar and becomes more and more interesting as you get closer.
Like other unusual temples in the region, Wat Huay Pla Kang was designed by a true visionary, which explains its unusual stylistic and structural choices.

It's believed that anyone who prays at the temple will receive good health or money as a blessing. It's easy to believe: the ambitious temple is a fusion of international influences with palpable attention to craftsmanship, detail, and Buddhist devotion. Since there are almost never large crowds or groups of other tourists to spoil the authentic atmosphere, a visit truly feels like a blessing.

Chinese-Lanna fusion
Wat Huay Pla Kang is known for its unique architecture, built in the Chinese-Lanna style with whitewashed walls. Almost all other temples in the region are built in traditional Thai or Thai-Lanna styles, but Wat Huay Pla Kang blends Lanna and Chinese elements so thoroughly that the temple resembles neither. The Chinese architectural elements stand out in the color scheme, boasting bright shades of red, yellow, gold, and green.

One of the main attractions of this extraordinary temple is actually the enormous statue just outside. Often mistakenly called the Great Buddha, this imposing figure is actually Guan Yin, the Buddhist "Goddess of Mercy." Guan Yin is an important deity in the Mahayana Buddhist pantheon. She is the "Bodhisattva of Compassion"—a being who achieved enlightenment but remained here in the physical world to help the rest of humanity do the same. She waits here at Wat Huay Pla Kang, "observing the sounds of the human world," as she is known.

PROGRAM 

8.30 Departure from hotel in Chiang Rai
Visit to the tea plantations with an overview of the plantations and tasting of different types of tea.
Visit the area known as the Golden Triangle.
Lunch and boat ride on the Mekong River towards Burma to visit the point where 3 countries meet.
Visit to the Mae Sai market on the border with Burma
Visit to the Akha and Yao tribal villages
Visit the complex that houses the giant statue of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy
17.30/18.00 Return to the hotel

TOUR DURATION: A FULL DAY