Northern Thailand is a mysterious region on the borders of Burma and Laos, the area of the former opium "Golden Triangle", where in remote mountains you can meet colourful hill tribes with distinct cultures, go rafting, ride an elephant, see extraordinary temples and eat well.
Chiang Mai
Chiang Mai, the capital of northern Thailand, is about 45 times smaller than Bangkok and yet has a similar number of temples. For many hundreds of years the city was beyond Bangkok's control and was often closer to neighbouring Burma than to the capital of its own kingdom. You can see this, for example, in the architectural influences of its north-western neighbour. The heart of the city is an almost square area bounded by the remains of a moat and city walls. To get inside, you have to pass through one of the four gates leading into it, or rather through what is left of them. Apart from its temples, the city is famous for its night markets: on Saturdays, Wua Lai Road, just outside the walls south of Chiang Mai Gate, is closed to traffic. From around 19.00 it starts to get crowded among the various stalls: clothes, souvenirs, bags, handicrafts and ceramics. If you want to see a show starring the street kitchens, head closer to Chiang Mai Gate, on the inside of the walls.
Although we are far from the sea, it is seafood that reigns here: fresh grilled octopus? Here you go! Crabs and mussels? Enjoy! Prawns of all sizes? Of course! Just say how many and how you want them seasoned. It is worth mastering Thai culinary terminology: "no spicy" means "hot", "just a little" will certainly be packed with heat, and "spicy"... well, inedible...
On Sundays a night market opens in a different location: one of the main streets in the city centre, Ratchadamnoen Road, is closed off and the trading moves there. Walking from one end of the stalls to the other can take an hour or more. The food stalls are tucked away in small side squares. Don't expect to find authentic crafts made and sold by the hill tribes, but there are lots of products inspired by tribal styles and colours.
Back to the temples: the must-see list includes Wat Phra Sing, Wat Chedi Luang and, outside the city, Doi Suthep. You can visit the first two while wandering around the city centre, but you need transport to reach the third. It stands on a hilltop about 15 km north of the centre.
If you want to get there by taxi, the return trip will cost you about 1,000 baht (100 PLN). Hiring a car for the day costs not much more (1,200 baht); we chose the second option, ticked off Doi Suthep and carried on north for 2 days, towards Chiang Rai and beyond.
Watch on YouTubeThe White Temple
Chiang Rai was not our destination; we wanted to go as far north as possible and take in the Burmese-Laotian-Thai borderland divided by the waters of the Mekong. But there is one reason not to skip Chiang Rai altogether: the incredible so-called White Temple. It is the work of the Thai artist Ajarn Chalermchai, who started creating it in 1997 and has basically still not finished it. This is partly because he refuses to accept any financial support from sponsors, fearing that such donations could influence the creative process. Approaching Chiang Rai from the south, you turn left at a large junction and the temple is visible right by the road. This matters, because even after it has closed (at 17.00; entry 50 baht) you can admire it by walking around it. We only just made it in time. Going in lets you see its not particularly interesting interior with a small Buddhist shrine, but also take a close look at the fascinating architectural details. The building really is one of a kind: snow-white with mirrored finishes. Modern, but strongly inspired by Thai art. Chalermchai himself proudly points out that he was one of only 3 students at art school who opted for the traditional course, while the other 40 chose modern art.
The Golden Triangle
North of Chiang Rai we enter the territory of the mysterious "Golden Triangle". We look around, searching for opium plots, watching out for contraband about to slip across the border somewhere off the beaten track; subconsciously we want to witness a gangland showdown or at least a spectacular special forces operation. Nothing of the kind. All around are cabbage fields, charming rice terraces, banana plants and strawberries. Strawberry fields seem to be the new icon of the "Golden Triangle". Following tourist attraction signs, we even end up at... a fruit and vegetable processing plant in Fang. There, two student interns from Bangkok explain to us what makes the project special. It was the recently deceased king who decided that Thailand would break once and for all with the shameful business of opium production. He banned poppy cultivation but at the same time built factories that were to provide a market for crops and work for farmers, who almost overnight were to start growing fruit and vegetables. But the "Golden Triangle" has remained a magnet for tourists, a magical area you can reach by hire car or on an organised trip from Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai. The main attraction of such a trip is... taking a photo by a huge gate set up on a viewing terrace, from which you can admire the Mekong, the Ruak River and the territories of Burma and Laos, just beyond the grey water.
Being so close, it is worth (500 baht per boat, maximum 5 people) popping over to Laos for half an hour. To be precise, after a wild loop through Burmese waters, a sharp turn and a dash towards Laos, you will be dropped off on Donesao island, a Laotian economic zone. Perhaps that is why no visa is needed there; all you pay is an entry fee of 30 baht per person. Another convenience is that in the border areas of Laos and Burma there is no problem paying in Thai baht. On the island, where the boats land, you are greeted by stalls of goods; basically it is exactly the same as at Thai markets, except for the spirits with various creatures drowned in the bottles. Snake liquor, scorpion liquor, turtle liquor... the sellers are happy to offer a taste to anyone interested. Help yourselves!
If you have the time and energy, it is worth driving the back roads along the borders with Laos and Burma. Driving is easy, slower than in Poland; traffic (except in the bigger towns) is lighter, but the distances are long. We covered 650 km in 3 days. Back roads give you the chance to see rural, charming Thailand: mountains, jungle, streams, fields, settlements and rice terraces. I particularly recommend roads 1249 and 1178. Near the Burmese border there are police checkpoints at every junction, but you can basically drive through without stopping.
Hill tribes
Despite our high expectations, we didn't manage to find the real, wild mountain tribes for whom we would have been the first missionaries of the civilised world... You need to know where to go; it is hard to get there on a paved road and in an ordinary car. On the other hand, we met a great many people along the way... and maybe we just couldn't see how different they were. Maybe that boy in jeans and a checked shirt was the son of a shaman from a Lahu village who had just come to town? Maybe those girls sipping cola and listening to Thai hip-hop were members of the Akha tribe who had taken off their pearl necklaces and silver rings just for a moment? Maybe that heavily tattooed seller of grilled skewers had been finishing his chores on the farm with his Karen family only that morning... It is quite easy to come across Chinese villages. Most of their inhabitants are anti-communists from Yunnan province who had to leave China once the red regime had taken hold there.
So we revise our plans and dust off the abandoned idea of visiting the Baan Tong Luang open-air museum north of Chiang Mai. It consists of groups of huts, divided into sectors and separated by small rice paddies, clustered on a fairly large enclosed site.
Each group represents a different tribal culture: you will meet the Yao, Karen, Lahu, Mong, Palong, Aka, Kayor and Padong. Yes, this really is the only chance to see the costumes, ornaments and crafts of so many tribal groups. The most popular are the women with heavy golden rings around their necks; their house-stalls are the most numerous.
A visit to the open-air museum lets you see people, souvenirs and interesting settings all in one place. You can take as many photos as you like. Well, I recommend it.
Chiang Mai is a place well worth recommending. It is not as overwhelming and cosmopolitan as Bangkok, yet it offers everything Thailand has to offer (except the sea). There are markets, street life, street food and temples. There is an international airport, hotels and guesthouses, tourist agencies, bars, car and scooter rental, cash machines and laundries. In the surrounding area you can see elephants, monkeys, snakes and orchids. From the city you can set off on a fascinating trek and see waterfalls, rivers and hill tribes. Add to that the "Golden Triangle" and perhaps a quick hop to Laos or Burma. And the fact that you will need a jumper in the evenings only counts in this destination's favour.
