Why You Should Visit Chiang Rai, Chiang Rai, Thailand

I absolutely loved Chiang Rai. Out of all the places I visited in Thailand, this was my favourite. A mountainous region with less tourists than other parts of Thailand and a laid-back vibe, I found the locals to be friendlier and more genuine than in other parts of the country. I’m not saying they weren’t friendly elsewhere in Thailand, I just found locals to be … well … really friendly!

Chiang Rai is often overlooked, and tends to be a place used as a stopover for Thailand to Laos or Myanmar border crossings. If you take the time to stay here, you will find it has so much more to offer than a city to just breeze through.

Apart from the people, why else did I love Chiang Rai? Let us show you why you should visit Chiang Rai.

Chiang Rai is a quiet rural town in the very north of Thailand surrounded by mountains. Its relaxed feel meant we never felt the urge to rush anywhere. The only time you will see lots of tourists is when you visit the number one tourist destination - the White Temple, other than that, you can wander around at a slower pace and really absorb what you see.

As it’s so far north, you will find many tour companies run day trips to the Golden Triangle, long neck village, Singha Park, White Temple, Black House and monkey cave so If you are short of time, you can certainly take your pick. We had a few days in Chiang Rai so were able to take our own sweet time and see everything we wanted to see on our own. For 250 baht a day (£5.68/US $7.56), we hired a little pink scooter from a man near to our homestay. We discovered it was really easy to get around; the roads are good and there wasn’t a lot of traffic. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).