It’s true what they say about this gorgeous little town called Pai in Northern Thailand, which lies on the banks of the Pai river…. you arrive for a stay of 3 or 4 days and you end up wanting to stay for months!….unfortunately for Mick and I this wasn’t possible but we would have easily stayed had it been an option as it is for many.

We caught the Prem Pracha bus service from Chiang Mai main bus station, having booked online a few days earlier in order to guarantee our seats as we didn’t want to miss out…these buses get full very quickly indeed! Tickets cost 150 Baht (€4) per person each way. The whole journey took just over 3 hours with a stop for a quick snack and toilet break. The road is curvy and is famous for having 762 turns….fact!!… luckily we didn’t suffer any road sickness as the driver was a master.

Where we stayed.

We chose the Otium Boutique Hotel, which is one of the most stunning and exceptional little hotels we’ve had the pleasure of staying at. The staff, room, and location were top notch. The room was spotless, spacious and included everything that one requires while on holiday. We were given vouchers worth 200 Baht each (€5.50) for the two days as a gift for use in the hotel’s restaurant, the Witching Well, on the ground floor of the property. The brekkie was yummy and there were quite a few options to choose from not to mention the great coffee they serve. The star of the hotel is the owner Jinithan, he was one of the friendliest people we met and the day we left he gave us two homemade cookies as a parting gift along with a little note. This was such a lovely gesture and a classy touch…..it’s the little things after-all is it not?!

We rented a motorbike…. as every other traveller does in Pai it seems…. and managed to see so much beautiful scenery during our stay. The fee was roughly 150 Baht (€4) per day with either a 5000 Baht (€140) deposit or they would keep your passport, I know that sounds quite scary but Mick and I take so many pics of the bike prior to renting it out just to be covered. This is always a good policy in case some unscrupulous owner tries to blame some damage on you. So one of us left our passports and hoped for the best. Always better to head to one of the bigger rental agents as there is less chance of being ripped off or of them taking advantage as they’ll have a steady flow of business and a reputation to uphold. 

Places we visited:

Pai Walking Street 

Pai’s main street is the point of reference for everyone travelling to or through the area, every night from about 6 till the early hours there is an abundance of street food to try, markets stalls, shops for souvenirs, shoes, art, jewellery, bags and all sorts. During the evening we would not eat anywhere else. There is something for everyone, Thai, Vegetarian, Vegan, Western food, and so many yummy desserts to choose from….and it was super cheap!! There were a few places that really stood out for us, including the aptly named Pad Thai master…..and he was indeed a master !!…..the lovely lady that made the best vegan rolls you have ever had and the cute grandma that made scrumptious mini pancakes. Honestly, this street is fantastic if only for the quality of the food. The evening continues as there are plenty of bars and clubs on Walking Street and on parallel and adjacent streets if you want to have a few drinks afterwards. 

Pai Canyon

The Pai Canyon is known for its gorgeous sunrise and spectacular sunsets, it was recommended to us by Jinithan so we decided to take the 10-minute bike ride….. as expected everyone else who was within a 50-mile radius had the same idea….it was brimming with like-minded travellers. Regardless, we took the short walk up to the summit where you get the opportunity to take in a stunning sunset view. This isn’t ideal for those of you with a fear of heights as there are no handrails or indeed safety nets while crossing the narrow ledge above the canyon. I would suggest that you be extra careful and wear appropriate footwear. We watched the sunset disappear over the horizon and the husky pink hue and haze in the atmosphere over the canyon made for absolutely stunning scenery. You have the option to hike in this area, something we didn’t have enough time for but be warned, it is not for the faint-hearted.

Tham Lod Caves 

Thad Lod caves were phenomenal, the journey was quite long from Pai town, approximately 35 kilometres. Be careful if you decide to make this journey on a moped….the journey is longer than you may think and the return is uphill!! You can quite easily get stuck, as happened to us as our moped decided to stop working, however, we were lucky as we got it up and running again after Mick tinkered with it……ssshhhh don’t tell the owner… I really don’t know how, but he did… if we weren’t that lucky I am sure we would have paid a few thousand Baht to have the dam thing repaired:))) We managed to find the caves after a few wrong turns. You need to hire a guide to enter, ours being a cute little Thai lady carrying her trusted lantern which was required to light our way through what is a pitch black cave. She spoke a little English and was pointing out the differences…and also every stalagmite and stalactite that resembled either a car…..or an elephant…..even a frog…..she was very sweet. We paid 200 Baht (€5.50) for the guided tour and also an extra 20 baht (€0.50) to buy a bag of feed for the fish as the flowing water from the caves were filled with heaps of different species that fought for every mouthful tossed in for them. We are fascinated by nature and caves such as Tham Lod are wonderful places to visit in order to witness some of our planets many hidden gems.

River: Pang Mapha

Pang Mapha was a little off the beaten track, we found this place as we took a wrong turn while navigating our way to the caves. We decided to park the bike and continue on foot, following the trail as it took us down towards the sound of flowing water. A few hundred meters of track later and we found ourselves all alone in the wilderness, not a sound to be heard apart from what was, in fact, a stream, birds chirping away and various insects in the trees. Mick and I sat there for an hour or so admiring nature, the water flowing gently and the peaceful surroundings. It was a chance find as there were no signs or markings, we just got a bit lucky and managed to find such untouched beauty. There was not a soul in sight and we both felt at peace as we just sat and took it all in

Coffee Stains Cafe 

A small mention must go to this little place. I read great reviews on this place so we needed to visit and we are glad we did. It was situated close to our hotel, off the main street so very convenient to find. We enjoyed two refreshing lime juices along with Vietnamese spring rolls and some scrambled eggs for Mick, all served up in a very relaxing and chilled-out little cafe. It is a day cafe and specializes in healthy eating options and is big on organic, vegetarian and vegan dishes offering a mixture of Asian and Western tastes, we highly recommend this place.

It’s in our future plans to go back to Pai and stay for at least another week, there were a few places that we didn’t get to see, however, we were lucky enough to see some of this amazing town and it’s an excuse to go back soon…..so stay tuned for part two of this blog….. 

Honestly, if Pai is not part of your travel plans while travelling in Thailand you may well want to rethink and make it part of your trip…..book it! You won’t regret it. 

Love Andria and Mick 

xx