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When I visited, there were three light shows every night, at 7pm, 8pm and 9pm. Chiang Rai is not a huge party town — in fact I found it pretty quiet, even though I visited in January, in peak tourist season.
Even so, there was a great vibe at Cat Bar. It feels like a good old fashioned dive bar, with a pool table, low lighting and rock tunes. There are also lots of restaurants and shops selling jewellery and ornaments made allegedly from Myanmar jade. You can expect rope bridges, swings and giant zip lines, all in beautiful natural surroundings. You can stand on a balcony high on a hilltop, looking out at breathtaking views of the rivers and land below.
Down below the lookout point is a giant golden Buddha statue overlooking the Mekong River — and up the hill above it is an ancient ruined temple. Click here to learn about the day tour options from Chiang Rai, which takes in the Golden Triangle and the White Temple.
Located next to the Golden Triangle, the Hall of Opium is a small museum with an exhibition focusing on the opium trade. The hills and mountains around Chiang Rai are dotted with hill tribe villages. These groups historically came to Thailand from Myanmar, and the women may wear brass rings around their necks. Chiang Rai is one of the most famous areas of Thailand for trekking, and many routes take in the forests, waterfalls and rivers of the Lum Nam Kok National Park. Most treks take at least a couple of days to complete and involve a rustic homestay in a hilltop village.
Unfortunately though, some of the packages offered include elephant riding, so check this before you book. Travellers highly recommend Lanna Trek.
A private tour costs more and bigger groups are slightly cheaper. Singha Park is a picturesque park in the Chiang Rai countryside, several parts of which are a working farm.
There are walking and cycling routes, tea plantations, fruit orchards, zip lining and an adventure rope course. Surrounded by lakes and mountains, Chiang Rai is an ideal spot for waterfall chasing. Make sure you bring comfortable walking shoes and swimming clothes, plus waterproof gear for your phone and camera to protect them from the spray.
The Chiang Rai region is home to a number of natural hot springs set in beautiful scenic surroundings.
It doesn't cost much more. A "must" for vegetarians. If you choose to book a day tour with a group in a shared minibus, this is also the cheapest way to get around Chiang Rai and see its main sights in a short time. The bus is operated by Transport Co. Take a number and then by your ticket when called. Retrieved from " https: Centrepoint has comfortable wooden furniture while the food court uses rather ugly yellow metal tables and chairs.
Soaking in a hot spring is definitely one of the top things to do in Chiang Rai during the cooler winter months. To experience the slow boat to Luang Prabang from Thailand, you first need to take a bus from Chiang Rai to the border, then catch a boat that sails along the Mekong River and eventually takes you to Luang Prabang. The journey takes two days, including an overnight stay at the halfway point. You can book a travel package through a travel agency in Chiang Rai, some of which include the bus trip to the border and an overnight stay in Chiang Khong the Thai border town , as well as the boat cruise.
Alternatively, you can take a bus to Chiang Khong yourself, cross the border into Laos and buy tickets for the boat trip there. This is the cheaper but less smooth option. A lot of people who visit Chiang Rai stay only for a couple of days. Even though I stayed for longer than that, I was still overwhelmed by the sheer number of things to do in Chiang Rai.
You can catch a bus to some of the closer sights such as the White Temple, hire a driver for a day, or ride a scooter.
But since the best things to do cover such a wide area, if you really want to fit in all of the top things to do in Chiang Rai in just a couple of days, this is one destination where joining a group tour really does make sense. Apart from hill tribe trekking and visiting a homestay in the mountains, which can take a few days and needs to be arranged separately, most of the other attractions work well as part of a very busy!
Chiang Rai (Thai: เมืองเชียงราย, pronounced [mɯəŋ tɕʰiəŋ raːj]; Lanna: ᩮᨾᩥᩬᨦᨩ᩠ᨿᨦᩁᩣ᩠ᨿ: Mueang Jiang Hai; (Lao: ເມືອງຊຽງຮາຍ,Lao pronunciation. Chiang Rai City remains a sleepy provincial town with a pleasant atmosphere. Compared to its sister town Chiang Mai, it has a more relaxed and down-to-earth .
If you choose to book a day tour with a group in a shared minibus, this is also the cheapest way to get around Chiang Rai and see its main sights in a short time. These whistle-stop tours are really easy to find and book, and great value. Most of the ones I saw included transport, pick up and drop off at your hotel, plus lunch. And unfortunately, many companies still offer elephant rides as well. And I especially enjoyed the way these surreal artworks stood next to amazing, historic monuments.
For such a small place, there are numerous fun things to do in Chiang Rai. Some links in this article are affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through them, we receive a small commission. This will never cost you extra and in many cases you receive a special discount. We appreciate your support! Maire is the South African travel blogger behind Temples and Treehouses , a solo travel blog about quirky attractions and unusual places to stay.
She loves motorbike tours, rooftop bars, cobbled streets and afternoon tea. Traveling is something that to me is addictive and incredible. But I only find it interesting when you have a cash income that does not depend on physical means to win. And I also really prefer to travel by car on the roads than by plane. You miss a lot of incredible things like amazing landscapes and places. But unforeseen events can happen and something unexpected happens. It will be great to be able to read and learn new tips and experiences on nomadism.
This is an interesting list from Thailand. The cool thing about traveling around the world is that we try out many different cultures, as well as being able to try different cuisines and visit beautiful places such as beaches and tourist places. I also like the food of Italy and always try to take a quick stroll in the area just to enjoy the local restaurants.
Start Here About Us Destinations. I think this is a mistake! A new bus service, started on October , is now connecting the airport to central city. An airconditioned bus runs every minutes and costs 20 baht per ride. At a desk in the airport you can hire a pre-paid taxi. It costs baht to the city centre and more to other places the prices are on display.
It will take you to your hotel, or the driver will find you one if you give him the price range you want to pay. Metered taxis are no cheaper than the pre-paid taxis. The meter-taxis refuse to use the meter, covering it up with tape, so the pre-paid taxis are the best option. There are two bus stations in Chiang Rai. The old bus station and new bus station. There is a songthaew officially a "minibus" connecting the two bus terminals.
It costs 15 baht per person and takes 15 minutes. Some drivers ask you to pay more if there are fewer than 10 passengers, despite what the official price list posted inside the songthaew says.
You can just wait for the next one and pay 15 baht. Local red buses leave every hour or so and have the destination clearly marked. Green bus stops at both Chiang Rai terminals. As May , there are three types of bus:. Different class buses leave at different times. Make sure to check the timetable. Public transport consists mainly of tuk-tuks and songthaews , plus a smaller number of taxis.
The city itself can be explored on foot, but for trips into the province consider renting a car or a motorbike. Budget and Avis have offices in Chiang Rai and there are several local agencies. If you don't feel up to driving in what may be a very different environment, then consider hiring a car with driver. It doesn't cost much more. Rental bicycles are difficult to find. Chiang Rai has a few cyclo-rickshaws, which can be a pleasant way to see the main sights if you want a fairly quick tour. A motorbike is a good way to see these parts; there are several trails and a cc dirt bike is a great way to see the countryside.
For a suggested itinerary, see Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai in 3 days.