Nestled in the heart of the Golden Triangle region, which encompasses the mountains of Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, Chiang Rai is a land of tropical hills and lush mountainsides. Both the province and city of Chiang Rai have rapidly become one of Thailand’s tourist hotspots. Highlights include the famous Burma Road straddling the Thailand-Myanmar border, high-mountain tea plantations, and the ancient Lanna capital of Chiang Saen. Visitors should note that the demographics of the area are much more ethnically diverse than elsewhere in Thailand, offering an interesting cultural contrast to the rest of the nation. A significant minority of the population is composed of members of the so-called “hill tribes”, among them the Karen, Lisu, and Akha, as well as ethnic Chinese settlers.