Day 9 - Friday 23 December 2016

Haunneur Resort........When I wake at 7am, I get straight onto my blog but I’ve left too much to do. While I’m not sure where I will be at the end of the day there is a plan of sorts and it does not include staying in Mae Chan another night. After breakfast of coffee and toast, we’re ready to leave but it’s gone 10am.
Given that Haunneur Resort is somewhat different to most resorts I’ve used, I thought I’d briefly describe it. It is one of the older resorts built without modern prefabricated building materials or techniques. It utilises local materials and skills which gives it a sort of charm that is difficult to reproduce these days. The rooms are of brick which use a heavy bonding, the interior being covered with a lacquer while the exterior has a covering of curved edge planks giving the cabin effect. Hardwood pillars and beams tie the structure together. The interior has brown furniture except the bed which is of bamboo. The bathroom is interesting. Three walls are finished with large pebbles set in render with a waterproof lacquer although the top third is of plank wood. The last wall is a dry stone wall using cut stone in three colours randomly set in relief. Cut stones are up to 2 inches thick but can be two foot long. The floor is a combination of concrete edged with brick while water runs off a pebble in mortar floor into a tank below: Interesting that I should mention it though.

Choui Fong Tea Plantation........Perhaps the most well-known tourist attraction around Mae Chan is the Choui Fong Tea Plantation located along Highway 1130 west from Mai Chan. The Choui Fong Tea Farm is regarded as one of the leading producers in the tea farm industry. Managed under the corporation of Chui Fong Tea Co., Ltd., it is the biggest tea producer in Chiang Rai and tea exporter shipping to various countries, mainly to Europe, USA, Taiwan and Japan. Located 1,200 meters above sea level, Chui Fong Tea Farm’s vast area of over 600 rai spans over three districts, namely Therdtai, Mae Fah Luang and Mae Chan. The view of tea trees that are planted on mountain ridges in descending steps is most impressive.

Mae Salong........Local Highway 1130 continues west into a vast mountainous region bordering Myanmar and towards the settlement of Mae Salong. This location was only added to my tour list by instinct and consequently I had done little research. All I really knew was that the 30 or so kilometres from Choui Fong would be demanding but as the climb became steeper and switch-back bends more frequent the 2.5 litre Triton managed it with ease. As the destination grows closer frequents stops are made at more tea plantations or simply to admire the view. When we reach Mae Salong, much to my surprise there is a substantial community here which is large enough to support a tourist base. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Mae Salong is it’s location along mountain ridges at such altitude and the quantity and variety of produce that you rarely seen in most other parts of Thailand It really is a booming economy no doubt due to tourism. But it wasn’t tourism that brought this settlement into being.

Mae Salong's early history centred on the the opium trade of the Golden Triangle. Its recent history was shaped by the 93rd Division of the Chinese Nationalist Army that refused to surrender to Chinese communists after the Nationalist Kuomintang government was routed in 1949. Unlike most of the unrelenting nationalists that fled to Taiwan in 1949, a force of 12,000 escaped from Yunnan to Burma and continued an insurgency against the Peoples' Republic. When this failed many found themselves in this region of Thailand.
While the growing of opium has played an enormous part in the creation of Mae Salong, today cash crops, particularly tea play and important part in the economy with important local producers such as 101 Tea Company adding to the attraction for tourists.
Staying a while in this area is a fantastic experience and we manage to visit 101 on the way to the town. In the town there is a good opportunity to purchase locally produced items or produce from China or Taiwan. Before we head back we take in one more site.
Santikiri Pagoda........The Santikiri Pagoda is currently under construction and is sited on a mountain peak above the town of Mae Salong. Access to the pagoda is via a steep twisting road as challenging as anything so far but with breathtaking views it’s not to be missed. As we make our way down the valley I’m well aware that Mae Salong would have made and excellent stopover. There is really too much here to waste the travelling time up and down the valley.

As a consequence of this excursion lasting nearly three hours it’s into late afternoon before we make it back to Highway 1. I didn’t think I’d set my sights too high today as it were, but it now means we cannot take in the magnificent Doi Tung today and that leaves me with a problem of how to manage the rest of this tour with time running out. We’ve no option but to find accommodation now. Moving further along Highway 1 we see the turning for Doi Tung and start enquiring about a room. This takes time as we reject several, either due to cost or lack of the right facilities. Carrying on we find ourselves just 10 kilometres from the border at Mae Sai when we see a sign advertising rooms that would be very easy on the pocket. Amazingly when we check, they tick all the boxes even down to the proximity to local food outlets which are within walking distance. The evening has worked out well as I start on my notes. Next Page.