Northern Thailand and Laos: A Whirlwind Journey through the Golden Triangle

Destination Decision

A lot of thought and research went into determining where exactly we would go. Given our relatively short trip duration (2.5 weeks) and the time of the year (Holiday season) we determined that Northern Thailand and Laos made the most sense. We rather quickly ruled out the Thailand beach destinations, as the holiday pricing was unreasonable. Hotels were literally three times as expensive, not due to any increased value from weather or beach conditions, but exclusively due to the time of year.

We wanted to keep things relatively simple, so ruled out any country that required obtaining a visa before departure (China, Vietnam). Finally, we focused on easy of travel. We knew we needed to end out trip in Bangkok for a friends wedding, and didn’t want to waste anymore time than we needed to traveling, so Northern Thailand and Laos seemed like a great option. While the beaches of Thailand are crowded and expensive during the holiday season, the northern temple towns of Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai had plenty of cheap deals. I also jumped at the opportunity to see Laos now, before it becomes any more commercialized/opened up.

Accommodations

One thing I love about hotel reward programs with a wide reach in Asia is that the hotel category level for Asian hotels tends to be much lower than the equivalent level of service in the United States. For example, we were able to book the Le Meridian in Chiang Rai and the Le Meridian in Chiang Mai for only 3,000 and 4,000 Starwood points per night. To put that in context, if you value a “Starpoint” at $.03 that’s $90 and $120 per night for luxury service and super comfortable accommodations. The Royal Orchard Sheraton Hotel and Towers in Bangkok would have cost 12,000 in points ($360), so we paid the cash rate of $140/night instead.

Fruity cocktails at the Chiang Mai Le Meridian

Complimentary water transport in Bangkok

Booking places to stay for Laos required research that extended beyond the Starwood Preferred Guest website. Tripadvisor proved to be the most accessible, reliable resource, and Agoda.com a great reservation platform. Our plan was, after leaving Chiang Rai, spend a night at the Thailand border town of Chiang Khong (River House), and then board a river boat to the Laos city of Luang Prabang via the riverside town of Pak Beng (Pak Beng Lodge).

Warm welcome at the River House

Balcony view from Pak Beng Lodge

Wanting to get the widest variety of experiences possible, we booked two nights in a bungalow in Luang Prabang (Thongbay Guesthouse), and then spent two nights in an eco-lodge (Lao Spirit Resort) in the jungle right outside of town.

Bungalow balcony at Thongbay

Table with a view at Lao Spirit Resort

Food and Beverage

When I travel, food is often my number on concern. I think the best way to experience a new culture is through their food. We ate like kings on this trip. Northern Thai food is different than the curries and noodle dishes you see in Thai restaurants in the U.S. The northern food is similar to Laotian food, often referred to as Isan.

Kao Soi – Famous northern Thailand curry chicken noodle soup

Luxurious pomelo, mango pudding

Laotian food is spicier, does not use coconut milk and is often eaten with the hands, along side sticky rice. The National dish of Laos is larb, a minced meat salad that is often made from raw meat but can come in many varieties.

Larb: National dish of Laos

Laotian sticky rice

Beer was the most prevalent alcohol, and I’ll admit that the rumors are true, Beer Lao (not exported outside of the country) is one of the best $1 beers around.

Activities

Our time was filled with a variety of activities. In Chiang Rai we visited the White Temple (Wat Rong Khun), the Black house (Baan Si Dum) and had our first Thai massage experience! Highly recommend Thamma Da Day Spa by Chivit Thamma Da, walking distance from the Le Meridian, where you can have a lovely relaxing massage and afterwards, enjoy a tasty dessert!

Eccentric bathroom at the Black House

Banana chocolate cream pie at Chivit Thamma Da

The boat ride down the Mekong was definitely a highlight. The scenery was out of this world, and the stops at a local village and the Buddha cave made for nice cultural/historical context.

Boats preparing to set sail down the Mekong

View of the Mekong through Buddha heads

In Luang Prabang there were temples and croissants as far as the eye can see. Our cooking class with Tamarind and the nearby Kuang Si Waterfalls were both definite musts.

Surreal waterfalls

Tamarind cooking class creation!

Our jungle adventure was my personal favorite as we hiked 8 kms with our local guide and got to visit with villagers from both the Khmer and the high-altitude Miao ethnic minorities. The hike started and ended in an Elephant sanctuary; we had fun dodging the gigantic piles of Elephant poop on the way home.

Miao house high in the mountains

Post hike massage

Chiang Mai provided even more temples, an insane night market, and another cooking class. Renting a bicycle was a nice way to get a street-level view of the city.

chopping board and ingredients

Bicycle parked outside temple

Bangkok is a truly global city with a vast transportation network, amazing seafood and hilarious shopping malls.

Priority Monk seating on skytrain

San Francisco themed level of Terminal 21 shopping mall

Wrap Up

The trip was certainly efficient, we saw, ate, and experienced a ton! For others planning to go to Laos, I definitely recommend taking the time to read about the historical and cultural context of the country. Northern Thailand is a great, economical alternative to the Thailand beaches. The area is brimming with culture, natural beauty and amazing food.