Chiang Rai

It’s a slower pace in Chiang Rai. The top of this leafy province forms part of the Golden Triangle where Thailand meets Laos and Myanmar around the mighty Mekong river. See the limestone karst scenery as you take a leisurely riverboat ride. Visit Chiang Rai city’s Sunday market for crafts, food straight from the wok, and even the chance to try the local speciality of deep fried crickets.

A more palatable must is sampling the regional khantoke food that includes sticky rice. Trek to see hilltribes around Chiang Rai, or see the transforming work done by the Royal Project agricultural schemes that have replaced opium crops. Find out more about the region’s past as a world drugs centre in the Hall of Opium museum.