The town itself did not seem to offer much in the way of interest to me, though it can be a good base from which to explore the Golden Triangle region. For those who enjoy meeting local people when traveling, the mountains around the town are home to members of the Yao and Akha tribes, who farm the slopes of the hills, where the poppies that have traditionally been grown are gradually being replaced by plantations of an excellent kind of tea: Oolong.
So it seemed pointless to me to spend too long in this town: better to hit the road again quickly and head off to explore and discover the various wonders to be found inthe region. As I arrived at Chiang Rai, not long before entering Mae Chan, I really liked the perspective you get of the Nang Non mountain, also know as the "mountain of the sleeping lady". The view really is worth seeing.