By Water to Chiang Rai

Starting in Tha Thong you can a morning's or afternoon's journey from Tha Ton in Chiang Mai to Chiang Rai on the Mae Kok River. This trip is only done by tourists. So, if you are the type that only wants to rub shoulders with the locals, this is not the trip for you. You can rent the boat for yourself, however, if you do not want to share with others. Of course, travel time down the river will depend on the water levels with higher levels bring faster speeds. For those you want to linger on the river. You can make the trip in parts. You stop first at the Lahu village of Mae Salak or Ban Ruammit, a karen village. Both are well touristed villages with homestays and elephant rides. It is also possible to trek beyond these villages to Shan, Thai and othe rtribal villages. You can trek to the largest Akha village in Thailand called Ban Saen Charoen. In any event traveling the Mae Kok River all the way down or getting off an trekking out offers a interesting alternative to riding the bus.