A piece of Pai

From Chiang Mai a mini van will take you to Pai within 3 hours. Be prepared, these might feel like the 3 longest hours of your life as the bus will drive up a mountain containing a mere 762 curves. Motion sickness pills may help you survive the ride. If you’re feeling adventurous, there are several companies that rent out scooters for your ride from Chiang Mai to Pai and deliver your luggage for you for a reasonable price. This however is at your own risk. Along the way we encountered a transport van that lost some mattresses along the way and our own driver almost hit some tourists driving on the wrong side of the road.

But the view up to Pai is beautiful. Along the way you will see deep valleys, large trees and blue skies. Like everything outside the major cities, it is quiet and picture perfect.

Though Pai isn’t as big a tourist attraction as Chiang Mai, it is crowded with foreigners ‘finding themselves’ over a long period of time. Colourful dreads and clothes, tattoos and nose piercings seem to be all the rage. You will encounter people that ‘just want to be themselves’, but in the end all start to look alike. This however makes for a very laid back atmosphere. The crowded streets of Chiang Mai seem like a world away.

Pai itself isn’t very big, you can get by in the town center on foot. But to visit the main tourist attractions, you will need another method of transportation. Scooters are easily accessible and though a driver’s license is required by law, you will not need one to rent one. This if course is at your own risk. You will have to leave your passport or pay a deposit as insurance (I opted for option number two, as leaving your passport in the hand of strangers is never a good idea).

Get up early and drive up to the Ta Pai Hot Springs. Though a bit overpriced (300 baht, which makes about 9 euros), it is something special. These natural springs have a temperature up to 80 degrees Celsius. The higher you go up the springs, the warmer it gets. After showering with cold water for days, it is really nice to jump in a warm bath. There is a special part of the park reserved to cook a hardboiled egg, but as the water isn't suitable for drinking, this is at your own risk. It seems to be very popular among mostly Chinese tourists nevertheless.

After this relaxing bath, drive up to the Pambook waterfall (entrance free). As I visited Pai during the dry season the waterfall wasn’t as spectacular as I expected but it is beautiful. The benefit of visiting during this season is that you can get very close. Visitors tend to pile up as many rocks as possible, just for the fun of it. Of course I couldn’t stay behind.

After visiting the waterfall, drive up to the Bamboo Bridge (entrance 30 baht/0,90 euro). This is a very steep, narrow and rocky road, so be careful. It is easy to get distracted by the view along the way. It’s beauty can simply not be captured within a photo, though I’ve tried! The Bamboo Bridge itself was an existing bridge, partly transformed to a tourist attraction. At the beginning of the bridge you will see straw huts and a fake cow, indicating that this is how farmers used to live, though there is no explanation anywhere. Walking further you will see the enormous fields where rice and other crops are grown. It is a bit awkward walking along the path, while there are farmers really working hard, in the hot sun, preparing the land for the coming rain season. But as Thai people are naturally friendly, you will be greeted kindly by most.

After this visit, the only way back is down the hill again. After a few kilometers, you will encounter Pambook café, serving coffee, tea and fresh fruit shakes. Take a rest and indulge in a fresh strawberry shake (these are grown in the area) and enjoy the view.

After this quick stop, visit the land split. This seismic curiosity arised in 2008, when a farmer woke up to find a giant split on his hillside. Instead of dwelling in misery because of his misfortune (part of his crops were affected), he decided to make this force of nature available to everyone. Entrance is therefore free, though donations are welcome. When arriving, you will be greeted by one of the friendliest people you will ever meet and offered a cold glass of homemade roselle lemonade. Besides that you will get to taste his banana chips with homemade roselle jam and freshly roasted peanuts. Everything is made from the products grown on the land and is a 100% organic. If you’d like to purchase some of the products, that's possibly in return for a donation.

The land split itself is something special. After 2008 several more earthquakes visited the hillside, leaving their own mark. But inside the split, nature has miraculously recovered itself in only a short amount of time. At the foot of the hillside, you will encounter the farm were papaya trees, lime trees, kaffir limes, (Thai) basil and many more fruit, vegetables and herbs are grown.

Around 5 o’clock, make your way to Pai Canyon. Though it is nothing like the grand canyon, the panoramic view is amazing. Sit quietly and watch the sun set behind the mountain tops.

Now you must be feeling hungry. No worries, Pai has a lot to offer for everyone. At 6 o’ clock the night market starts in the town’s main street. Small food carts will offer a variety of dishes. Several stalls will sell locally farmed fruit, with strawberries being the main attraction. These are among the sweetest I’ve ever tasted. If you fancy spring rolls, this is the place to be. With meat or vegetarian, sweet or savory. Anything I possible. But as more foreigners are discovering Pai, you will see a lot of carts selling western style dishes. The Thai banana pancakes have been replaced with French crepes, often served with Nutella. Hamburgers, hotdogs, pizza, bruschetta, sushi. Any popular hipster dish you will find at western food festivals is available here. Inbetween bites, shop for locally produced souveniers, jewelry, soap and other cosmetics.

If you’re you looking for good quality Thai food, then stay of the main street and walk into any restaurant serving purely Thai food. You will be amazed at the hospitality and the time and effort these entrepreneurs take to make you feel welcome. A free glass of cool water, a fan turning your way and the imaculate presentation of the dishes. Restaurant 'Two sisters' is a bit out the way, but it is well worth paying a visit to. Among other things it serves a lovely coconut soup.

If you’re a vegetarian or vegan, Pai is the perfect place for you. Restaurants like Kome Maun serve a variety of dishes which are vegetable and/or tofu based. Though meatlovers aren’t excluded, for an additional price you can order any dish with a side of chicken or beef.