Chiang Saen City - Relax and Meditate

The road to Chiang Saen turned out to be much more colorful and richer in landscapes than the road from Chiang Mai to Bangkok. From the bus window, we observed mountainous terrain, a bit reminiscent of the Caucasian places in the Gelendzhik region, impenetrable jungle, with trees entangled in vines, flooded fields and strips of bright orange clay along the road.

Chiang Saen is located in the very north of Thailand, near the borders of Laos and Burma, on the banks of the sacred Mekong River. There's a place here called Golden Triangle, where the borders of all three countries converge at one point, and from where you can see them. There are excursions there, but we went on bicycles.

The content of the article

Walking in Chiang Saen

Our impressions

We arrived in Chiang Saen rather not for the sake of the Golden Triangle, but in order to simply wander around the city. Although it is difficult to call it a city, it is rather a town. Quiet, pleasant, calm, with little traffic, where life is slow and unhurried.

Chiang Saen locals

The seller of fruits and vegetables will also play and sing for you

Traffic on the roads is minimal

Chiang Saen city streets

Some sidewalks in Chiang Saen are already overgrown

Moreover, not only are there few moving elements on the road, but there are also sidewalks! That is why the town, where 1.5 pedestrians, sidewalks? But how pleasant it is to walk the streets. The first thought was that it would be nice to live here, especially after noisy and dirty Chiang Mai. We even found a house here by chance for 1500 baht per month, there really is nothing inside, except for the bed, but the prices are good. Perhaps we will do it next winter, since the second part of wintering this year, we still want to spend at sea.

House for 1500 baht in Chiang Saen

Chiang Saen locals

Chiang Saen locals

How locals live in Chiang Saen

Chiang Saen locals

How locals live in Chiang Saen

Bananas don't just grow on trees

Makashniki in Chiang Saen

AirAsia Chiang Saen Office

The elephants here are always unhappy with something

Rose bushes take over the city

They put seedlings in black pockets

The moat surrounding Chiang Saen

Hay Machine or Machine Hay

Mekong River in Chiang Saen

Cafe on the banks of the Mekong river

Mekong River in Chiang Saen

Chiang Saen New Year's Paper and Metal

Chiang Saen is an ancient city, it is about 1.5 thousand years old. This is felt by the large number of old dilapidated vats (Wat - temple), found at every step. Some are still with figures of Buddha, and from some there are only brick grounds chosen by our smaller brothers. The energy is also appropriate - pacifying and relaxation. Probably, this also left its mark on our impressions - we have a weakness for antiquities and places of power..

Ancient Wat in Chiang Saen Wat Pa Sak

Ancient Wat in Chiang Saen

Ancient Wat in Chiang Saen

Trees reclaim territory from the ancient Wat

Mekong river in Chiang Saen early in the morning

Video

The video about Chiang Saen and the Golden Triangle from the previous post, it is also relevant to this article. For those who have not seen))

Where to stay in Chiang Saen

There is not a lot of housing here. Therefore, it is better to look in advance for hotels in Chiang Saen, for example, on RoomGuru and book. By the way, this is the best service where you can compare prices in all existing booking systems at once. Plus the most complete database of hotels, which is relevant for a given location.

I'll tell you where we stayed. If you are an unassuming traveler and all you need from the hotel is a bed, as it was in our case, then Tankun Hostel, located just a 5-minute walk from the bus station on the waterfront, is for you. The location can be seen on the map below. UPDATE. It seems like this guesthouse is no longer there ((

Tankun Hostel has only a few rooms, with 4 beds in each, shower and toilet on the floor.
The cost is 100 baht per person. Free coffee, water, bananas. There is a computer with internet and free Wifi. Bicycle rentals 100 meters from the hostel, ask the owner, he knows where. The guests of the hostel are rented bikes without a deposit.
Phone - 084-150-2624. Receptionist from 9 am to 10 pm.

The owner is a friendly person, ready to tell you where to go and how, and speaks good English.

Pointer to Tankun Hostel

There is another guesthouse next to this sign, and I guess it is not much more expensive. The fact that he is there gives freedom of choice on the spot.

How to get to Chiang Saen and back

From Chiang Mai, buses run directly to Chiang Saen a couple of times a day, one of them in the morning. Better to find out on the spot, we left at 9.30 am. We know that the last bus from Chiang Saen to Chiang Mai leaves at 5pm. Travel time 5 hours.

You can go first to Chiang Rai, as it is a large city, and buses go there very often. Buses between Chiang Saen and Chiang Rai run from 5.30 am to 5 pm every half hour. Travel time is about one and a half hours.

Buses from Chiang Saen to Chiang Khong only run until 12 noon.

Bus Chiang Saen - Chiang Rai

Bus station in Chiang Saen

What to see in Chiang Saen

Chiang Saen card issued to us at the hostel. Image is clickable.

Sketch map of Chiang Saen

And another very good map of the city.

Detailed map of Chiang Saen

  • You should not expect something beyond the unusual from this town. Here it is good to just walk the streets, sit by the ancient Watts, admire the views of the Mekong River from the coastal cafe. Perhaps for many there will be no incentive to go here on purpose, so for them it will be the best option to see Chiang Saen passing through.
  • The most important attraction of Chiang Saen is the Golden Triangle, where the borders of three countries intersect in one place - Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar (Burma). In addition to the observation deck right next to the river, there is also a viewing point on the nearby hill, where several Buddhist temples are located. Nearby is the Opium Museum. All this is located 7 km from the city.
  • Another attraction is the Mekong River, along which you can float to the same Golden Triangle or even to China. Not far from the bus station there is a Boat Trip Service, where you can find out everything about this.
  • Chiang Saen Lake is just a beautiful place
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