Sop Ruak

Ban Sop Ruak is a small town of Chiang Rai in the Chiang Saen district which houses, among other things, "the Opium Museum", the "Big Bhuda", the amazing "Golden Triangle" and "Wat Phra That Doi Pu Khao "(Hill Temple). You can get to Chiang Saen from Chiang Rai by bus for 32 baht and the journey takes about an hour and a half. The area is not too touristy as far as accommodation is concerned because tourists tend to pass through the area on their way elsewhere. It is a quiet and extraordinarily beautiful place on the banks of the Mekong river. I would recommend wandering through the streets and taking in the atmosphere and culture of northern Thailand.