💎 Hidden gems remaining: 16
A small town with idyllic nature, surrounded with jungle, but not far from tourists. In fact, it was even more swarmed than Bangkok! This, however, does not make it any less appealing to spend some quaity time in a bungalow by yourself (and a few mosquitoes).
After a 3-hour drive with a big, comfortable GreenBus bus from Chiang Rai to Chiang Mai, we embarked a small Prempracha minibus towards Pai. We recommend booking your seats in advance as the minivan tends to fill up quickly.
The second part was terrible. Although the route was scenic, it turned to a nightmare with the dusk. Turns and curves everywhere. And the local drivers chasing their ducks!!! Fun fact: we drove the sharp curves that twist and turn up and down faster than on the highway (because the highway has traffic lights) 😱. Not recommended if you tend to get motion sick quickly.
Marko lying in the hammock in front of our bungalow
Finding our accommodation was not easy: the bamboo bridge recommended by Google Maps had collapsed a few months before our arrival. Luckily, there was a larger concrete bridge (built for vehicles) "only a slight detour" away. This one was in its almost pristine condition. Still, it was almost a 30-minute walk in complete darkness uphill. When we finally opened our bungalow, the heat burst into us 🥵.
Apart from the bathroom, our accommodation was far from spacious. A double bed with a net which shielded us from shredded mosquitoes in the slight wind produced by the fan.
One more thing. Thai electricity sockets. They support all world-wide plugs (US, UK, European, Chinese ...). In theory. But is that worth anything if the plug doesn't stay inside? We had to invent special contraptions
Normally we would not dare to interfere with traffic in Thailand - not only is it chaotic by itself, the driving is done on the left lanes as well. But we made an exception in Pai as traffic here is almost non-existant and all activities were a driving distance away, which would cost a handful of money just to reach them - let alone getting through all the hassle of finding them. So we rented a scooter. As Žan was not skilled in driving it, we decided to only rent a more powerful one and ride togehter. And what an experience this was.
We opted for Vespai rent provider - the best rated on the TripAdvisor app. The process was very straightforward, the owner made sure the bike was in good condition and asked about our driving experience, conducting a simple test to see for himself. As Marko had some experience riding a motorbike and held a licence for A1 category, things went smoothly. We took pictures of the bike to make sure not to miss any scratch upon return, and the owner filled out the form and made us check for authenticity. We were then asked for a deposit and payment. It was 150 Baht/day - what we consider really cheap for the kind of service and bike we got. It was so cheap in fact that we decided to extend the rent for one more day.
Our scooter
Pai offers two majestic waterfalls, but we decided to visit only one due to our "limited" time in Pai. The other reason was the road, which was in much better condition than the road leading to the other waterfall, which was advised against by our rental man. The path led us far from city into unspoiled nature of surrounding rural area. There was an entrance fee of 100 Baht/person. We parked our ride and got ready to explore.
The main attraction of this waterfall is a natural slide to the pond below. You may take a bath there to refresh after a long journey (although you are pretty when riding). Other that that you can walk the beaten tracks up- and downhill near the water drop. Offering shade, lower temperatures and a unique experience, it is a must stop in your Pai itinerary.
Who wonders, discovers!
Marching over the bridge
Surrounding rice fields
Don't look at me, look at the unwise humans behind me!
Best to be seen during sunrise, assuming your alarm clock works.
Just a 20-minute ride from Pai and about 50 stairs will separate you from gorgeous views of the Pai Canyon. Unlike the Soča Canyon, there's no river here. And it is waaaay hotter. If you are afraid of heights, then this may not be the best place for you. Please wear appropriate shoes.
If you decide to visit it during sunset, prepare to see huge crowds at easy-accessible platforms of the canyon ... and a cloudy sky. Yeah, no sunset for you. Make sure to head back to city before the dusk, unless you want to drive in complete darkness.
Gorgeous colours. Naturally beautiful.
Sunset over the colourful canyon
Marko posing in the hot sun
Žan exploring narrow paths of the canyon
Surreal rice terraces and a bridge made of bamboo hanging over them.
We have to admit that we almost missed it - and what a loss that would be! The Bamboo Bridge has to be a single most beautiful place in Pai. It was everything we had always pictured about Pai - vast green fields of rice. But it wasn't all roses. The access to this place can be quite tricky, especially during monsoon season. It is located quite a few kilometers from town and the route quickly separates from spacious main road to bumpy and drity small concrete path. During monsoon season, it tends to get muddy or flooded as well, making it quite challenging to reach the bridge. But it is well worth the hassle, belive us.
Endless rice fields
Pavilion among rice
Marko posing in the cloudy moist
Lovely
Although full of tourists, take a walk through the city centre. Maybe you may want to try the Mango Sticky Rice dessert or grab a beer at one of the thousand bars. There's live music at almost every bar as well. You can also get a tatoo or get massaged.
When you decide to do so, don't forget your poncho and mosquito repellent.
Mango Sticky Rice || Those lanterns are getting me through the night
To avoid hunger, we decided to order 3 dishes each time instead of 2. This way, we could extend our cuisine knowledge while still getting something safer to fill our stomachs. When the 3rd dish was in a form of some unexpected (yes, we didn't check it before ordering) Thai soup, we were fairly happy it wasn't our main dish. But the gained tasting experience was of some help as the basis for our spoiler: cooking class in Chiang Mai.
We have to admit that we were a bit lazy this time and opted to eat our dinner at the same place every night. Yes we know ... boring ... but the food was delicious and priced so reasonably that a 3rd dish was of no question. As for the launch, at least there we made some research (or not) and ate at different places. Often it was on our way from attractions when we spotted a nice-looking place and stopped the bike.
Lunch on our way from Mo Pang Waterfall
Lunch at Bamboo Bridge restaurant
Delicious fried rice at dinner place
Unfortunately we didn't have breakfast included at our accommodation, so we had to provide for ourselves. We had toast bread that we could eat along with some jam. But we were hesitant to live only from that so we searched for some breakfast dinning places.
The first day we went to Two sisters where we ordered scrambled eggs and smoothies. And the other day Žan wanted to try some vegan* options, namely organic granola bowls (restaurant was just across the street). They looked and tasted amazing, but we were hungry shortly afterwards, unfortunately. Just so you know: these bowls are cold as ice-cream.
* Žan didn't know this was vegan. It just looked incredibly tasty – and it was!
Scrambled eggs
Granola bowls