The Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle 

The world-famous Golden Triangle refers to the point where the borders of three countries -- Laos, Thailand and Myanmar meet. It is located about 8 to 9 kilometers north of the old town of Chiang Saen and lies along the road which runs parallel to the Mae Khong River. This area is locally referred to as Sop Ruak.

Tourists can actually stand here and watch the Mae Khong River meeting the Ruak River flowing in from Burma, creating the widely popular ‘Golden Triangle’. They can just relax and enjoy the view of the lush green rice fields, pristine natural beauty and the distant mountains from this point. The view of the Golden Triangle becomes all the more clear and distinct when one climbs over the Doi Chiang Miang by the side of the Mekong River.

Accommodation, in the form of hotel rooms and huts, is available for tourists who want to stay here overnight. Tourists can hire boats for upstream trips along the Khong River to view the Golden Triangle. The entire trip takes only 40 minutes. Alternatively, boats can also be rented to cruise downstream from Sop Ruak along the Mae Khong River to Chiang Saen and Chiang Khong. The entire trip takes approximately an hour. The duration of these boat rides can vary widely depending on the level of the water during that season, flow of the river and on the water currents.

A very interesting place to visit within the Golden Triangle Park is the ‘Hall of Opium’, where tourists can learn about a wide variety of issues related to opium such as its history, its natural properties, its uses, stories of the opium wars, and the problems caused by opium (along with a mild message about refraining from opium smoking and trading).

The Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle