The world-famous Golden Triangle refers to the point where theborders of three countries -- Laos, Thailand and Myanmar meet. It islocated about 8 to 9 kilometers north of the old town of Chiang Saen andlies along the road which runs parallel to the Mae Khong River. This areais locally referred to as Sop Ruak. Tourists can actually stand here and watch the Mae Khong River meetingthe Ruak River flowing in from Burma, creating the widely popular‘Golden Triangle’. They can just relax and enjoy the view of the lushgreen rice fields, pristine natural beauty and the distant mountains fromthis point. The view of the Golden Triangle becomes all the more clearand distinct when one climbs over the Doi Chiang Miang by the side of theMekong River. Accommodation, in the form of hotel rooms and huts, is available fortourists who want to stay here overnight. Tourists can hire boats forupstream trips along the Khong River to view the Golden Triangle. Theentire trip takes only 40 minutes. Alternatively, boats can also be rented tocruise downstream from Sop Ruak along the Mae Khong River to ChiangSaen and Chiang Khong. The entire trip takes approximately an hour. Theduration of these boat rides can vary widely depending on the level of thewater during that season, flow of the river and on the water currents.