Golden Triangle

The Golden Triangle marks the point where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet, at the confluence of the Mekong and Ruak rivers. There is a small viewpoint right at the river junction, but the better view is above it: a staircase beside the town’s opium museum climbs a tree-lined hill to a hilltop lookout over all three countries at once. It is a quiet, slightly strange place to stand, given how much history has passed along these two rivers.