In the heart of the Golden Triangle, the road winds up and down the slopes of Doi Mae Salong, the highest point of which is at 1,708m/5,604ft. Leaving Chiang Rai, the drive goes past several yao villages with pretty thatched cottages. The village of Mae Salong is one such, the temples of which hug the mountain's ridge before reaching Ban Phu Dua, where Akha women come to sell their handicrafts. The road as far as the foot of Khunnam Nang Nong has no lack of stunning landscapes.