Northern Thailand Travel Guide
Northern Thailand is quite distinct from the Central Plains. Beyond Tak and Sukhothai the lowlands give way to a region of rolling hills and fertile valleys. Teak forests and work elephants are more characteristic than paddy fields and water buffalo. Fruit and vegetables more common to temperate climes are cultivated in addition to rice, while perhaps, hidden on mountain slopes, there are opium poppies. Art, architecture and handicrafts are also distinctive, with the unique styles of the North tinged with Burmese influences. The people, too, are different, proud of their separate heritage and distinguished especially by a greater adherence to traditional values and a natural exuberance, readily seen at festivals.
For the traveller the North's attractions are essentially twofold: upland scenery populated by hill tribes, ethnic minorities who more or less maintain traditional lifestyles, and cultural sights attesting to the rich heritage of the former Lanna kingdom.
Hub of the North is Chiang Mai, nearly 700km (440 miles) north of Bangkok. This was the ancient Lanna capital, founded in the 13th century, and is today a burgeoning regional centre offering excellent accommodation and other modern facilities amid the well preserved attractions of a historic town. In the far north is Chiang Ray, set amid rugged hill country, the famous Golden Triangle and the ancient settlement Chiang Saen on the banks of the Mekong River. To the west is Mae Hong Son, an enchanting Shangri-La, and to the east is Nan, of great interest though rarely visited.