The beautiful little town untouched by tourists that’s one of the prettiest in the world
This town in Thailand is consistently branded as one of the best in the world but gets next to no tourists.
A beautiful little town untouched by tourists is considered one of the prettiest in the world.
Ban Rak Thai, Thailand, sits on the country’s border with Myanmar. Surrounded by mountains, a reservoir, and several tea plantations, it is imbued with immense levels of natural beauty.
What’s more, despite its beauty, it is remarkably tourist-free and has remained untouched by the floods of people who flock to the country each year.
According to Conde Nast Traveller, it is a great place to spend time with friendly locals and ride boats on the local lake.
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As well as being near the Myanmar border, Ban Rak Thai, known locally as Mae Aw, is filled with Chinese culture and provides those who do make the journey with the opportunity to explore Asian culture at its finest.
The Tourism Authority of Thailand said: “Most of the villagers here escaped from southern China during the emergence of the communist regime.
“Apart from a beautiful lake, tourists can explore the way of life and Chinese culture, which still exhibits many traditions in terms of both spoken and written language.
“The distinguishing feature of the Ban Rak Thai village houses is the old-style materials that were used in construction: namely clay mixed with rice straw.”
The reason for the strong Chinese influence in Ban Rak Thai is that the residents of the town are related to China's Lost Army, which formed part of the Kuomintang Nationalist Army that lost to Mae Zedong in the 1940s.
The New York Times reported that despite officially being Thai, many of the locals prefer to speak in Chinese. Former Kuomintang soldier Huang Jiada told the publication that the locals couldn't forget their past.
He explained: "We can't forget the history. We can't throw our forebears away. Regardless of what happens with China and Taiwan in the future, we are all Chinese people. We can't forget our Chinese routes."
For those who do make the journey to Ban Rak Thai, the journey is worth it as they delve into a town whose culture straddles multiple nations.
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User wun_sirivan wrote on TripAdvisor: “In addition to chilling and sipping tea in the good weather, there are also many activities here, including trekking, studying the paths by little guides.
“Take a bike ride around the village, take a boat ride on the lake. and riding a horse across the border on the Myanmar side as well.
“The highlight of visiting Ban Rak Thai is learning Thai-Chinese culture that blends together perfectly and original identity.”
Alongside the town itself, tourists who have made the journey have also praised the wider areas. Traveller Parkerilla said: “This is an extraordinary area to visit and relax some 40 kilometres from Mae Hong Song city in the Myanmar boarder area.