Thailand's northernmost province is often overlooked by travellers assuming that Chiang Mai is the must-visit destination up north. Both are worth a visit, but Chiang Rai is hard to beat for vistas of layered mountains and one of Asia's grandest rivers, the Mekong.

Start with three of Thailand's most imaginative structures: Wat Rong Khun (White Temple), Wat Rang Suea Ten (Blue Temple) and Baan Dum (Black House). Designed by two Thai artists, they feature creative interpretations of the country’s spiritual themes in art and architecture.

Then there are great options in the countryside. Soak up Mekong River views in relaxing Chiang Khong; observe 700-year-old ruins in Chiang Saen, an early capital of the Lanna kingdom that predates Chiang Mai; gaze at the Golden Triangle, where Thailand meets Laos and Myanmar in an area that was once notorious for drug smuggling.

When you're ready to hit the mountains, enjoy the temperate flower gardens and tea farms perched at 1,100 to 1,700 metres at Phu Chee Fah, Doi Tung, and Mae Salong. It gets chilly up there so pack semi-warm clothes.

For travellers with older kids, there are several tour outfits offering jungle trekking to villages that are home to hill tribes, such as the Lahu. For a real adventure, take a bus to Tha Ton in northern Chiang Mai province and then catch a longtail boat down the Kok River to Chiang Rai.