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).