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Chiangmai - Chiang Dao Cave - Golden Triangle

Hi Lisa Sydney:

Chiangmai to Golden Triangle and to Chiangrai Airport - I think 6500 for your 4+1 children should be accompanied with others which is so so price but if it is private trip then it is reasonable for tourist, actually I think I could arrange for your group around 5000 baht approx. as I am not a tourist guide or company but just a travel fever and I am a local here.


Golden Triangle on above picture, Left is Thailand - middle is Myanmar or Burma - right is Laos

Your schedule should be a bit change as Doi Suthep and Doi Pui, Mung Hill tribe is very close by so should in same route and same day so please consider my itinerary:

3 Day trip in

• Chiangmai - Nimanhemin Soi 1 New Shopping Road - Doi Suthep, never -to-miss Famous Temple in chiangmai as some said if you are not there, you are not arrive Chiangmai - Pu Ping Winter Royal Palace - Doi Pui, Mong Hill Tribe - Kun Tong Dinner with Thai Northern Classical Dancing Show - Night Market, Bazaar and Waow Lai & Thra Prae Walking Street

• Elephant Training Centre - Chiang Dao Cave (see picture aside) - Wat Tham Pla Plong - Night Market in Chiangmai or Chiangrai

• Golden Triangle, Doi Tung -Doi Tung is also home to the Doi Tung Development Project, an initiative of Her Royal Highness Srinakarindra the Princess Mother (mother of Thailand’s current monarch) who passed away in 1995...
  

• 1st day

0900 Hotel Pick up
1000 Nimanhamin Soi 1, on the way to Doi Suthep
1200 Gasalong - Local romantic restaurant located on reservoir of down hill to Doi Suthep, not so crowded with tourist and reasonable price
1330 Pu Ping Winter Royal Palace - 45 minutes drive up hill about 15 kgs or 9.3 miles
1500 Doi Pui, Mong village - 30 minutes drive
1630 Doi Suthep - 30 minutes drive
1900 Kun Tong Dinner with Thai Northern Classic Dacing Show 2 hours
2130 Night Bazaar
2330 Hotel

• 2nd day

0700 Hotel Pick Up
1000 Elephant Training Centre Show
1200 Tham Chiang Dao - Lunch
1300 Tham Chiang Dao Cave and Tham Pla Plong
1530 Back to Chiangmai or Chiangrai, if to Chiangmai then we have to come same way (Chiangmai to Chiang Dao the further to Golden Triangle) so if we change to stay one night in Chiangrai then we could have time to Visit Doi Tung Palace, Switzerland in Thailand but would missing one more night market in Chiangmai. Check my travel hotel online booking I used be their representative for your more alternative for Chiangrai and Chiangmai Hotels, Compare to yours, why less alternative!

(See the Map beside) or if only Tham Chiang Dao then back to Chiangmai then you could have Temple city tour before night market, hope your group are in Saturday, a walking street called Waow Lai Walking Street but the highlighted for Chiangmai night market nowaday is on Sunday a walking street market on Thra Prae Road with lots of amateur musical show or thai dancing show and more fun on bargain than Night Bazaar which is more commercial as all the merchants selling without any rental fees also good bargain on Waow Lai Walking Street on Saturday too, there is lot of food stoll which clean guaranteed with lots of tourist dining there very cheap...even sell Sushi!

Of course, before a night market, a good dinner like Jia Tong Heng, a very famous Chinese and Thai Restuarant mainly for local Thai and Chinese - price is pretty average - fairly cheap for tourist but better dinner.

• 3rd day

0700 From Chiangmai to Golden Triangle or Sop Ruak - The typical sights on a golden triangle tour are the town of Mai Sai, where you can even cross into Myanmar or Burma for some shopping;
the small village of Sop Ruak, where the Ruak and Mekhong rivers meet, forming the borders of three countries; and finallythe ancient city of Chiang Saen.
Sop Ruak is little more than a tourist spot. The riverside road is lined with souvenir stalls.
The small Opium Museum in the center of the village is purely commercial, but interesting nonetheless (admission 20 Baht - 0.63 USD).
A lookout at the top of a hill next to the museum affords 'the view' of three countries. The lookout is adjacent to the 1,200 year old temple of Wat Phrathat Phu Khao (literally, 'temple on the hill').

or it time allow to visit Doi Tung Mom's King Palace!

If you need a private tour but I am not a tourist guide, I could offer you the Van to wandering around 3 days for 10,000 Baht including gasoline . I think all the cost for 3 days tour including transportation with driver, gasoline, lunch X3, dinner X2

One thing for you to remember, when traveling for some shopping place - not a walking street or night bazaar but some souvenir shop etc., tourist guide would get a commission - for me you gonna get refund as they are not gonna give any discount to you even no one come for commission.

*Nimanhemin Road Shopping

West of the city walls, heading towards Suthep Mountain, is a relatively new shopping area where many small designer shops can be found.
It's difficult to say exactly why this area has turned into such a popular shopping district.
It's not easy to get to for tourists, but is quite accessible to locals.

The focus for shops along Nimanhemin Road is home furnishings and art. You'll find several shops selling fabrics, candles, boxes of every shape and size, and more. Of special note is Gong Dee, on Soi 1. The shop is an art gallery near the end of the soi that also doubles as a theater.

*Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre (Center)

Chiang Dao Elephant Training Centre is about 20 mins drive from Chiang Dao Nest.
An elephant show (they start at 9.00am and 10.00am).
The show involves watching elephants bathing and being cleaned by their mahoots in the Ping River, followed by a demonstration of some of the traditional skills used by the elephants for logging purposes. At the end of the show it is possible to have a ride on an elephant, and to go bamboo rafting.

Pongsak (phuket-beaches for TA),
a webmaster of www.phuket-beaches-family-vacation-guide.com
a Phuket Beaches lover but stay in Chiangmai
Write me if you need any help or call my mobile +66 (0) 81 617 2116
e-mail: neomart@gmail.com