Things to do in Chiang Rai Province
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Akha Hill House
This outfit does one- to seven-day treks. They begin with a long-tail boat up the river, before trekking to and around their Akha Hill House about 23km from Chiang Rai, at a height of 1500m. A portion of the profits from the guest houses and their activities go into a local school. Inquiries can be made at Akha Hill House.
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Suwannee
Suwannee offers nearly day-long cooking courses that involve a visit to a local market and instruction in cooking four dishes. Suwanee's house is about 3km outside of the city centre, but she can pick you up at most centrally located hotels and guest houses.
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Doi Tung Royal Villa
On the theory that local hill tribes would be so honoured by a royal presence that they would stop cultivating opium, the late Princess Mother (the king's mother) built the Doi Tung Royal Villa, a summer palace on the slopes of Doi Tung near Pa Kluay Reservoir, which is now open to the public as a museum. The royal initiative also provided education on new agricultural methods to stop slash and burn practices. Opium has now been replaced by crops such as coffee, macadamia nuts and various fruits. The rest of the property, including the Mae Fah Luang Garden and Mae Fah Luang Arboretum,is also open to the public. There is also a top-end hotel, a restaurant, coffee kiosk and…
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Hilltribe Museum & Education Center
This museum and handicrafts centre is a good place to visit before undertaking any hill-tribe trek. The centre, run by the nonprofit Population & Community Development Association (PDA), is underwhelming in its visual presentation, but contains a wealth of information on Thailand's various tribes and the issues that surround them. A visit begins with a 20-minute slide show on Thailand's hill tribes, and exhibits include typical clothing for six major tribes, examples of bamboo usage, folk implements and other anthropological objects. The curator is passionate about his museum, and will talk about the different hill tribes, their histories, recent trends and the community …
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Sabay Dee
Stick around long enough, and it seems like just about everybody in Chiang Khong stops by this family-run cart for a bag of curry or chili dip to take home. For those who don’t live here, the owners are more than happy to provide dishes and seating. Prepared by natives of Chiang Khong, you’re at the mercy of whatever local dishes they’ve made that day, but if you’re lucky you’ll get to try the delicious gaang hŏoa Ъlee, banana flower soup, or a spicy northern-style lâhp made from pork, buffalo or fish (raw or cooked – your call). Regardless, make it an early dinner, as choices become slimmer the darker it gets. Sabay Dee has no English sign, but is located di…
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Hall of Opium
One kilometre north of Sop Ruak on a plot of about 40 hectares opposite the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa, the Mah Fah Luang Foundation has established the 5600-sq-metre Hall of Opium. The goal of this impressive facility is to become the world's leading exhibit and research facility for the study of opiate use around the world. The multimedia exhibition includes a fascinating history of opium, and examines the effects of abuse on individuals and society. Well balanced and worth seeing.
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Sue Hai
This very simple family-run teashop-cum-Yunnanese place has an English-language menu of local specialities including local mushroom fried with soy sauce, or the delicious air-dried pork fried with fresh chilli. They also do filling and tasty bowls of homemade noodles. It's roughly in the middle of town.
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Phu-Lae
This air-conditioned restaurant is exceedingly popular with Thai tourists for its tasty, but slightly gentrified northern Thai fare. Recommended local dishes include the gaang hang·lair, pork belly in a rich Burmese-style curry, here served with pickled garlic, and sâi òo·a, herb-packed sausages.
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House of Opium
This small museum with historical displays pertaining to opium culture is worth a peek. Exhibits include all the various implements used in the planting, harvest, use and trade of the Papaver somniferum resin, including pipes, weights, scales and so on, plus photos and maps with labels in English. The museum is at the southeastern end of Sop Ruak, virtually across from Phra Chiang Saen Si Phaendin.
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Khao Soi Islam
This friendly Muslim restaurant serves the usual beef and chicken versions of the eponymous noodle dish; for something a bit different try Ъah·Ъah soy,kôw soy served with thick noodles made from brown rice. They do several other Muslim dishes as well, and dining entertainment involves listening to the staff converse in a mixture of Chinese, northern Thai, central Thai and Burmese.
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Loong It
To eat like a local, look no further than this rustic but delicious northern-style food shack. There’s an English-language menu on the wall, but don’t miss the sublime lâhp gài, minced chicken fried with herbs and topped with crispy deep-fried shallots and garlic. The restaurant is on Th Phranorn near the intersection with the Superhighway; look for a sign that says ‘Local Food’.
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Paa Suk
This immensely popular third-generation restaurant specialises in the local dish kà·nŏm jeen nám ngée·o, a thin broth of pork or beef and tomatoes served over fresh rice noodles. The restaurant is between Soi 4 and Soi 5 of Th Sankhongnoi (the street is called Th Sathanpayabarn where it intersects with Th Phahonyothin); look for the yellow sign.
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Jinda's Kitchen
This cosy roadside restaurant has been serving up local dishes for more than 50 years. Try the famous northern noodle dishes kôw soy or kà·nŏm jeen nám ngèe·o, or choose a curry or homemade sausage from the English-language menu. Jinda's Kitchen is roughly halfway between Chiang Saen and Sop Ruak.
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Nangnuan
The menu here boasts that the restaurant is 'At the first great catfish's reproduction place', but it isn't all about sexy locality; they also do some tasty food. Freshwater fish from the Mekong is the emphasis here, and it's prepared in a variety of ways, as the extensive English-language menu describes.
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PDA Tours & Travel
One- to three-day treks are available through this NGO, the profits from which go back into community projects that include HIV/AIDS education, mobile health clinics, education scholarships and the establishment of village-owned banks.
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Bamboo Mexican House
Run by the manager of a now-defunct guest house, the chef of this tiny restaurant/bakery learned to make Mexican dishes from her American and Mexican guests. To be honest, though, we never got past the delicious homemade breads and cakes. Opens early, and boxed lunches can be assembled for the boat ride to Luang Prabang.
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Phra Chiang Saen Si Phaendin
The first sight you'll inevitably see in Sop Ruak is Phra Chiang Saen Si Phaendin, a giant Buddha statue financed by a Thai-Chinese foundation. The statue straddles a boat-like platform, and visitors here are encouraged to donate by rolling coins from an elevated platform behind the statue.
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Wat Klang Wiang
This Buddhist temple appears thoroughly modern, but dates back at least 500 years. Extensive remodelling in the early 1990s has left several structures in the temple with a unique 'modern Lanna' style, but the elegant hŏr đrai (manuscript depository) appears to retain its original form.
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Cham Cha
This casual little hole-in-the-wall is good for breakfast or lunch. It has all the usual Thai and Chinese standards, along with a few Isan dishes that are not on the English menu, such as lâhp (spicy minced-meat salad) and sôm·đam (spicy green papaya salad), plus ice cream.
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Wat Jet Yot
The seven-spired chedi at Wat Jet Yot is similar to that of its Chiang Mai namesake, but without stucco ornamentation. Of more aesthetic interest is the wooden ceiling of the front veranda of the main wí·hăhn, which features a unique Thai astrological fresco.
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Sukhothai Noodles
This open-air restaurant serves the namesake noodles from Sukhothai, as well as satay and a few other basic dishes. A picture menu shows the varieties of noodles available, and the pictures on the wall are of the owner’s daughter. Look for the busy pink restaurant opposite S-House Hotel.
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Lomtawan
If you don't require river views, this cosy, candlelit home is a great dinner option. The English-language menu is extensive and includes daring options such as green curry with salmon. Stay late, and the soundtrack becomes live and the place gradually transforms into an intimate bar.
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Song Fang Khong
In Sop Ruak, Song Fang Khong and Rim Khong are two sŏo·an ah·hăhn (food garden-style) riverside restaurants, off the river road from Chiang Saen. Both offer extensive menus of Thai, Chinese and Isan food. Bring your Thai-language skills.
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Kaat Jiang Hai Ramleuk
If you’re around on a Saturday evening be sure not to miss the Kaat Jiang Hai Ramleuk, an expansive street market focusing on all things Chiang Rai, from handicrafts to local dishes. The market spans Th Thanalai from the Hilltribe Museum to the morning market.
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Wat Rong Khun
About 13km south of Chiang Rai is the unusual and popular Wat Rong Khun . Whereas most temples have centuries of history, this one's construction began in 1997 by noted Thai painter-turned-architect Chalermchai Kositpipat.
Seen from a distance, the temple appears to be made of glittering porcelain; a closer look reveals that the look is due to a combination of whitewash and clear-mirrored chips. Walk over a bridge and sculpture of reaching arms (symbolising desire) to enter the sanctity of the wát where instead of the traditional Buddha life scenarios, the artist has painted contemporary scenes representing samsara (the realm of rebirth and delusion). Images such as a pl…
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