Thailand (Lonely Planet, 13th Edition) - China Williams [295]
* * *
NORTHERN THAILAND TO YUNNAN, CHINA
If you’re in Chiang Rai Province and have already arranged a visa for visiting China, there are a couple of ways to travel from Thailand to China’s Yunnan Province, a route that ties together the Golden Triangle and Yunnan’s Xishuangbanna district (called Sipsongpanna in Thailand) in southwest China. The Thai, Shan and Lao people all consider Xishuangbanna to be a cultural homeland.
The Mekong River is the most direct way. It is possible to take a passenger boat from Chiang Saen in Thailand directly to Jinghong in China, a trip of about 15 hours when the water is high enough. For details Click here.
It’s also relatively straightforward to travel via Laos. From Chiang Khong, cross the Mekong River to the Lao town of Huay Xai, where you can board one of three weekly buses that go directly to the Xishuangbanna town of Mengla via the Lao border town of Boten. From Mengla it’s then a four-hour bus ride to Jinghong, the capital of Xishuangbanna district, or an overnight bus ride to Kunming. For details Click here.
From Mae Sai, also in Chiang Rai, it was previously possible to go to China via Mong La, in Myanmar, but this border has been closed since 2005.
* * *
MAE SALONG (SANTIKHIRI)
pop 25,428
For a taste of China without crossing any international borders, head to this atmospheric village perched on the back hills of Chiang Rai. Although Mae Salong is now thoroughly on the beaten track, its hilltop setting, Chinese residents, and abundance of hill tribes and tea plantations converge in a unique destination not unlike a small town in southern China’s Yunnan Province. It’s a great place to kick back for a couple of days, and the surrounding area is ripe for exploration.
For an explanation of the town’s unusual ethnic background, see boxed text, Click here.
Return to beginning of chapter
Information
There is an ATM at the Thai Military Bank opposite Khumnaiphol Resort.
Sights
A tiny but interesting morning market convenes from 6am to 8am at the T-intersection near Shin Sane Guest House. The market attracts town residents and tribespeople from the surrounding districts. An all-day market forms at the southern end of town, and unites vendors selling hill-tribe handicrafts, shops selling tea and a few basic restaurants.
To soak up the great views from Wat Santakhiri go past the market and ascend 718 steps (or drive if you have a car). The wát is of the Mahayana tradition and Chinese in style.
Past the Khumnaiphol Resort and further up the hill is a viewpoint with some teashops, and a famous Kuomintang (KMT) general’s tomb. It is sometimes guarded by a soldier who will describe (in Thai or Yunnanese) the history of the KMT in the area. In the same vein and south of the turn-off to the tomb is the Chinese Martyr’s Memorial Museum, an elaborate Chinese-style building that is more memorial than museum.
Across from Mae Salong Villa at the north end of town is the Agro Tourism Guide Center, a source of local information that unfortunately appears to only sporadically open, generally during the tourist season (November to January).
Trekking
Shin Sane Guest House has a free map showing approximate routes to Akha, Lisu, Mien, Lahu and Shan villages in the area. Nearby Akha and Lisu villages are less than half a day’s walk away.
The best hikes are north of Mae Salong between Ban Thoet Thai and the Myanmar border. Ask first about political conditions before heading off in this direction; Shan and Wa armies competing for control over this section of the Thailand–Myanmar border do occasionally clash in the area. A steady trade in methamphetamine and, to a lesser extent, heroin, flows across the border via several conduit villages.
Shin Sane Guest House (opposite) arranges four-hour horseback treks to four nearby villages for 500B per day. You could also trek the 4km to an Akha village on your own. A basic guesthouse there offers rooms and meals.
Sleeping
Since the road from Mae Salong to Tha Ton opened, fewer visitors are opting to stay