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Ban Ruammit (300B), a Karen village. Both are well touristed, but you can get off the path by joining a hill-tribe trek from here to other Shan, Thai and hill-tribe villages or longer treks south of Mae Salak to Wawi, a large multi-ethnic community of jeen hor, Lahu, Lisu, Akha, Shan, Karen, Mien and Thai peoples. The Wawi area has dozens of hill-tribe villages of various ethnicities, including the largest Akha community in Thailand (Saen Charoen) and the oldest Lisu settlement (Doi Chang). Another alternative is to trek south from Mae Salak all the way to the town of Mae Suay, where you can catch a bus on to Chiang Rai or back to Chiang Mai.

You can also make the trip (much more slowly) upriver from Chiang Rai – this is possible despite the rapids. The boats are also available for charter hire (2500B, six people).

Sleeping

Most visitors who do stay overnight prefer to stay in Tha Ton.

Thaton Garden Riverside (0 5345 9286; r 300-600B) Next to Thaton Chalet by the bridge, this spick-and-span place has Tha Ton’s best choice of air-con and fan rooms. It’s worth paying the extra baht for the air-con room as you get a river terrace. There is also a restaurant overlooking the river.

Apple Guest House (0 5337 3144; r 350-600B) Conveniently located opposite the boat landing, the rooms in this two-storey building are spacious and well equipped. There’s a restaurant on the ground floor.

Garden Home (0 5337 3015; r 380-1500B) A tranquil place along the river, about 150m from the bridge, with thatch-roofed bungalows spaced among lychee trees and bougainvillea. There are also a few stone bungalows, and three larger, more luxurious bungalows on the river with small verandas, a TV and fridge. From the bridge, turn left at the Thaton River View Hotel sign.

Baan Suan Riverside Resort (0 5337 3214; fax 0 5337 3215; r 700-1500B; ) Although the grounds are beautifully landscaped, this hotel is slightly overpriced. There are small cement air-con bungalows with terraces set back from the river and a couple of large air-con wooden bungalows with terraces right on the river.

Thaton River View Hotel (0 5337 3173; fax 0 5345 9288; r 1400B; ) Further upstream, this quiet resort has 33 rooms facing Mae Nam Kok, joined by wooden walkways lined with frangipani trees. The rooms are stylishly decorated and enjoy a forested view. The restaurant at the hotel is considered one of the best in the area.

Thaton Chalet (0 5337 3155/7; www.thatonchalet.com; 1400-2200B; ) A bit more institutional, this four-storey hotel next to the bridge has slightly dated rooms. The hotel features a pleasant beer garden right on the river, as well as an indoor restaurant.

Maekok River Village Resort (0 5345 9355; www.maekok-river-village-resort.com; r 2600-4300B; On the boat-dock side, downstream along the river, this sprawling affair offers four-bed family rooms as well as two-bed poolside rooms. It is best known, however, as an outdoor education venue, hosting annual visits from international research teams. There is a variety of tour activities available including trekking, rafting, mountain biking and caving.

Eating

FANG

The food stalls on the main street market are good places to eat. There is also a few restaurants serving Yunnanese specialities such as kôw soy, man·toh (mantou in Mandarin; steamed buns) and kôw mòk gài, plus go·ay e·o (rice noodles) and other standards.

THA TON

Most of the top-end hotels have riverside restaurants. There is a row of basic Thai/Chinese restaurants (dishes 25-35B) by the boat dock, and the Coffee Cup (dishes 60-90B; 7.30am-4.30pm) – a funky looking place that sells good breakfasts and sandwiches, as well as iced and hot coffee and tea.

Getting There & Away

Bus & srng·ta·ou

Buses to Fang (105B, three hours, every 30 minutes) leave from the Chang Pheuak bus terminal in Chiang Mai. Air-con minivans make the trip to Fang (150B, three hours, every 30 minutes), leaving from behind the Chang Pheuak bus terminal on the corner of Soi Sanan Kila.

From Fang it’s about 23km to Tha Ton (25B). Yellow srng·ta·ou leave from the market