Other City Guides
Golden Triangle from Sop Ruak in Thailand.
Akha ladies in traditional costume.
Sop Ruak is the Thai name of the town that visitors know as the Golden Triangle. The small town has a number of interesting things to see and do and boasts of some fine hotels with good views.
Many visitors only pass here, stopping for half an hour of so. The scenery is one of the main draws with unforgettable sunsets when the weather is clear. Misty mornings are also a popular feature with visitors.
Shopping. The usual selection of stalls offers tribal souviners, clothing, shirts and sun-hats and an astonishing array of Chinese dried mushrooms.
Several tribal villagers including Akha are located near-by via a route of mud paths. Transportation will be necessary to get to them.
The hillside temple offers a panoramic view of the three countries that are bordered by the Mighty Mae Khong river. At 4184 kilometers or 2600 miles it is the longest river in SE Asia and the eighth longest river in the world. It is also known as the Cuu Long Giang, Dza-chu, Lancang Jiang, Lan-ts’ang Chiang, Mae Nam Khong, Mègaung Myit, Song Cuu Long, Tonle Thom. The river runs from Tibet, China, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.
Opium House is a small museum located in the centre of the town. It has an intersting collection of opium regalia and, at only 50 c admission fee represents excellent value. Photographs, models, opium wieghts and displays are all well laid out and some interesting details about Khun Sa are also posted.
Chiang Saen
This small town by the banks of the Mae Khong has had inhabitats for over 15,000 years and has been the centre of once-flourishing trade. In the 19th Century a British Engineer mapped the area for a still to be built rail system linking Indo-China. The town has a number of interesting temples and
