Ein bisschen China in Thailand

Yesterday we went to a small Chinese village near the border with Myanmar. First you take a minibus from Chiang Rai to Ban Basang, which takes about half an hour. From there, you can take a shared taxi (60 Baht per person with 8 passengers). The road winds up the mountains, offering beautiful views of the landscape. The higher you go, the more tea plantations you see. The majority of the people here work in tea production. After about 1.5 hours, we finally reach Mae Salong. The village is not very impressive, with some cafes, restaurants, and hotels. Most of them sell tea from their own plantations. It is typical to taste different natural Oolong varieties during a tea tasting. Above the village, the Wat Santikhiri temple is perched. After climbing countless steps, you reach a viewing platform. The views are breathtaking. You don't come across many tourists here. Most of them are day trippers who want to discover Yunnan cuisine. The locals look at you with excitement and are happy when you greet them. Our hotel is located in the middle of the village, and from our room, we have a great view of the tea plantations.

The next morning, after a Chinese breakfast, we set off to explore the plantations. Steep paths and trails lead us through the fragrant fields. Except for a few locals, there is no one around. The tea monument is not particularly spectacular.

A visit to the Chinese village doesn't offer much apart from the temple and tea production, but the landscape is truly worth seeing.

The journey back home was quite exciting. The hotel recommended the best time and place to catch a shared taxi. After 4 taxis passed by and said they would come back, one driver finally took us. With 3 Thais in the back seat, we hoped to get to Chiang Rai. One of the women offered us green fruits that tasted terrible. The driver stopped and all 4 Thai women started discussing something with him, while they instructed us to stay seated. They stopped again and one of them got out, more discussion followed. We were dropped off with the rest somewhere 25km before Chiang Rai, and they pointed to a bus stop sign. 5 minutes later, the bus arrived. It was overcrowded, without doors, and equipped with fans. There were no seats available. The ride took over an hour, mainly because the driver stopped wherever someone wanted, regardless of whether there was a bus stop or not (So he braked abruptly as well)!