Thailand's Golden Triangle was once the opium capital of Asia and can offer travellers both history and trekking, says Chris Coplans.
You have to travel a long way to find an opium museum. And then, when you do, there's another one almost next door. These two idiosyncratic tourist attractions – the only opium museums in the world – are to be found in the Thai town of Sop Ruak, at the confluence of the Nam Ruak and Mekong rivers, where Thailand, Burma and Laos collide. At one time, Sop Ruak was a key player in a trade in opium that earned this strikingly beautiful part of the world the name "Golden Triangle".
Now it is a bustling tourist centre where Western backpackers and coachloads of Asian visitors enjoy the sight of dazzling golden Buddhas and pop into the plethora of shops and restaurants that now line the promenade – before setting off on jungle treks.
When I visited earlier this year, I found it hard to imagine that just over 20 years ago this was one of the most volatile and dangerous places in Asia. Below the now frenetic promenade, boats laden with opium would unload their deadly cargo under cover of darkness, while in the nearby jungles and mountains, warlords fought bloody battles.
Rather than trying to cover up that past, local authorities are now promoting Sop Ruak as the "official Golden Triangle village".
The Golden Triangle covered more than 370,000 square miles and was home to several hill tribes whose members cultivated the opium.
The area's history revolves around two very different men. The first, Khun Sa, was a much-vilified opium warlord and sometime freedom fighter who turned much of northern Thailand, Laos and Burma into his personal fiefdom and a giant heroin production facility.
The second is the much-revered and long-serving King of Thailand, Bhumibol Adulyadej, who initiated a number of programmes aimed at providing locals with a viable alternative to opium cultivation.
With its two museums, Sop Ruak is a good place to learn about the area's history. The original museum is the House of Opium, crammed full of opium-related artefacts and paraphernalia, including some exquisitely crafted silver pipes. I was captivated by an unnervingly realistic – and wasted-looking – life-size mannequin enjoying a relaxing pipe of the sticky stuff.
A poppy field away in the Golden Triangle Park is the impressive Halls of Opium. The 60,000-square-foot building is both a museum and a research and educational facility. It is part of the Mae Fah Luang Foundation, set up under royal patronage to help the disfranchised ethnic minorities of northern Thailand. A touch of levity, among the serious business of drug trafficking, can be found in the interactive Hide Out Hall's "Where's the Stash" and the rather surreal Gallery of Excuses – a bizarre attempt at "naming and shaming" celebrity junkies.
The museum chronicles the history of the opium trade and includes a section on the infamous opium wars between Britain and China in the 19th century.
I was first attracted by the intrigue of the Golden Triangle back in the early Nineties, when it conjured up for me images of opium caravans hacking their way through the dense, steamy jungles of northern Thailand and Burma. Tourists were warned to keep away from the lawless border areas, but we viewed the warnings more as an invitation, and set off to explore on rented Honda Dream motorbikes.
We seldom encountered anything more threatening than villagers returning from the fields with baskets full of bananas. Not an opium caravan in sight, as Khun Sa was long gone and the king's eradication project had curtailed all large-scale opium production in Thailand.
Today, luxury hotels, resorts and spas are sprouting along the old opium routes of the Triangle, and the hill tribes, especially, have become more than savvy in their dealings with tourists and their deep pockets. But the mountain air is still intoxicating, the pace of life is slow, and there are constant reminders of the region's murky past.
For my return visit, I set off from Sop Ruak and followed in the footsteps of Khun Sa, travelling 50 miles west to the once notorious village of Mae Salong, now renamed Santikhiri. The village has a Chinese feel: it was first settled by members of Chiang Kai-shek's largely Yunnanese nationalist army fleeing the Chinese communists in 1949.
The poppy fields that once covered the fertile mountainsides are long gone, replaced by terraced tea plantations that cascade down the steep slopes to the valleys below. Santikhiri has retained much of its scruffy Yunnanese-influenced charm, with its rickety wooden shops and numerous tea-houses. I spent a gloriously lazy sun-drenched afternoon, ambling from teahouse to teahouse, sampling a range of delicious Yunnan teas. The restaurants are authentically Chinese, which means that when you order crispy duck web, you get deep-fried duck's feet – a somewhat chewy, flavourless experience.
It was a short but spectacular drive along twisted mountain ridges from Santikhiri to Khun Sa's old camp at Ban Hin Taek (Village of the Broken Stone). In order to distance the village from the past, the Thai government has renamed it Ban Thoet Thai (Village to Honour Thailand). It was once so remote that Khun Sa and his feared Muang Tai army kept the Thai authorities at bay for several years in the late Seventies. The Thai Air Force even bombed his base in 1980 but failed to dislodge him. It was another two years before the Thai Army launched a large-scale assault and Khun Sa was forced to retreat into Burma, where he continued his operation until he surrendered to the Burmese government in 1996.
The surprisingly modest camp, little more than a ramshackle collection of nondescript buildings that once housed the world's most powerful opium warlord, was deserted. An elegant old Shan woman, Ma, came scuttling over and unlocked the doors, and I finally came face to face with Khun Sa – albeit a life-size mannequin of the wily old fox, in one of the rooms that have been converted into an intriguing small museum.
In the museum I learned why so many regard Khun Sa as a freedom fighter rather than an opium warlord. In one of the dimly lit rooms hung a copy of the Panglong Agreement of 1947, which promised the Shan people autonomy once British colonial rule would come to an end. The Burmese junta never honoured the agreement, and Khun Sa claimed the only reason he was involved in the heroin and opium trade – largely supplying markets in the West – was to finance his efforts to win freedom for the Shan people. I left the compound with a quote from Khun Sa ringing in my ears: "If I can get back my country, eight million of my people will rejoice, but if I can stop the narcotics problem then the whole world will rejoice."
I was not entirely convinced, and decided it was time to head into the hills. Trekking has become a major industry in northern Thailand, and as a result many of the paths are perhaps a little too well-worn. I opted to join what sounded like a highly adventurous Golden Triangle "Hills of Mae Salong" tour offered by the British-based company All Points East and led by its Chiang Mai-based co-owner Mark Ord and his Thai wife, Wi.
One of the highlights of the tour was a leisurely boat trip down the scenic river Kok to the Karen village of Ban Ruam Mit. From there it was an uphill climb to the little-visited and remote Red Lahu village of Yafu, perched on the mountainside. Elephants were provided for part of the climb – a welcome relief.
Yafu hasn't quite embraced the new millennium. Most visitors bring a gift of materials for the village school, and many volunteer to give English lessons. Yafu is also a great place to snap that iconic mountain sunrise – complete with morning mist, if you're lucky.
We stopped off at a roadside Akha village on the drive down to Chiang Mai, and I remembered one of the many legends from the Akha hill tribe about the origins of opium.
A beautiful Akha girl had such bad body odour that no man would come near her. She died lonely and broken-hearted. A beautiful flower grew up from her grave, and when anyone tried its sap, they would want more and more. The sap gave great pleasure but also caused terrible suffering. After all I had seen, that rang very true.
Other highlights in the region
Chiang Saen
On the banks of the Mekong, 5½ miles south of Sop Ruak, Chiang Sean is a sleepy river town that makes a pleasant base as it is much less commercialised. There are some excellent historical ruins dotted around town and the surrounding country, some dating from the 12th century. Huge Chinese river barges dock at the pier, and Sop Ruak is easily reached by car or speedboat.
Doi Angkhang
Lying in a bucolic valley up in some of Thailand's most mountainous and rugged terrain, Doi Angkhang was the first of the King's royal projects aimed at eradicating opium cultivation. Dubbed Little Switzerland, it boasts some of Thailand's most spectacular scenery, but is one of the north's least-visited areas. It's relatively cool year-round and ideally suited for walking and biking, with wonderful vistas. There are fast-running rivers, the sharp mountain air is invigorating, and there are plenty of ethnic villages within easy reach.
Doi Tung
High in the mountains (the summit of Doi Tung is 5,900ft), the former royal villa of the late Princess Mother is now a museum, part of the Mae Fah Luang Art and Cultural Park. The Princess Mother was instrumental in the opium eradication programme. There are some fascinating hill-tribe and Lanna artefacts, exhibitions, gardens, an arboretum and stunning views.
Mai Sai
A bustling border town and the only legal land crossing into Burma for foreigners. Most visitors buy a day visa and visit Tachileik on the other side. The only real "attraction" is the market crammed full of cheap Chinese goods.
Chiang Dao
Thailand's highest limestone mountain (7,200ft) is about half-way between Tha Ton (a good base for boat trips on the Kok) and Chiang Mai. The hike to the top takes two days. It is also a twitcher's paradise: tours and overnight treks can be arranged locally. The Chiang Dao Cave (1,180ft) is one of Thailand's best and can be explored on one's own (bring torch). Other caves in the area need a guide.
Getting there
All Points East (023 9225 8859 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 023 9225 8859 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; www.allpointseast.com) offers a tailor-made 10-night private escorted tour from £1,450, based on two people travelling. The price includes international and domestic flights on Thai Airways, two nights in Bangkok and seven nights in the Golden Triangle, with car, driver and guide. The company also offers a guided 10-day group tour of the Golden Triangle called 'Hills of Mae Salong': from £1,765 full-board, including all flights and transport.
Further information
Tourism Authority of Thailand (0870 900 2007 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 0870 900 2007 end_of_the_skype_highlighting; www.tourismthailand.co.uk)
Suggested guidebook
Thailand, Lonely Planet (£16.99)
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