Hi everyone!
Welcome back to another travel post. This time i'll be taking you to Pai in Thailand. Pai is a small village in the Northern part of Thailand. It's known for it's relaxed atmosphere and it's a hotspot among backpackers. It's not a big town but there's enough to see outside of town as well. It's really a good place to relax and stay for a while. I give you 5 reasons why i really liked Pai!
First of all let me tell you how to get to Pai. I bought a ticket for a minivan that brought me from Chiang Mai to Pai in around 3 hours. The road to Chiang Mai is made out of many turns, so if you are easily car sick don't forget to bring a plastic bag ;-) There's also a bus going a few times a day and of course you can also go by motor or scooter. This way you probably get less car sick and you have more time to enjoy the beautiful view along the way! So now let me tell you about my 5 favorite places around Pai.
The Sai Ngam Hot Springs
First of all the hot springs in Pai. These warm waters really were my favorite place of all. Leave early in the morning, when it's still cold outside. The warm water and the damp coming off the water makes the place feel magical. If you go by scooter you will have to drive for about 30 minutes from Pai to get to the Sai Ngam hotsprings. The entrance fee is 20 bath and totally worth it. It can get crowded later in the morning, so another reason to get there early!
2. Hiking at Pai Canyon
Not far from Pai you can find Pai Canyon. A fine piece of nature that is compared to the Grand Canyon. I have never been to Grand Canyon, but I think it’s not really the same. Still, it’s a very nice place to walk around and take some pictures at the edge of the abyss. I was here at the end of the day so the colors were very nice and the shadows very long.
3. Chilling at the Fluid Swimming Pool
Another great place in Pai is the Fluid Swimming Pool. Not far from the centre of town you can find this nice place to chill all day. Good music, a great atmosphere, good food, a grass field and a clean pool are the ingredients for a relaxed day. If you bring a book you can easily stay here all day. The pool is opened from 9am till 6pm and the entrance fee was 60 bath when I was there.
4. Pai Walking Street
Every night the city centre of Pai is turned into a big market with many different shops. You can walk around town for a good meal, some western food and some original souvenirs. You can also find many nice restaurants and bars in this street. I went for this piece of pizza I found at one of the shops and also ate falafel the other day.
5. Visiting the waterfalls
When you’re in Pai you can take your scooter and visit the many waterfalls in the area. We only visited three waterfalls because we couldn’t find the fourth. Don’t forget your hiking shoes and swimming clothes! We first went to the Mor Paeng Waterfall because we heard some good stories about this one. The waterfall is found on a steep rock hill and turns into a big slide when it has rained enough. Unfortunately we arrived there to find out there was only a rock slide with no water. So we walked around a bit and found these cute guys!
We also visited the Pambok Waterfall and this was my favorite! There were quite a few people but most weren’t swimming because the water was really cold! Some local kids where jumping in the water from the rocks. Walking to the waterfall is also nice to do because you walk on a small wooden trail. When you arrive at the waterfall there is also a small trail further up the hill. If you walk along this path you arrive at another small waterfall where there is nobody to be found!
If you make it to Pai, i've heard Lod Cave is also a must see. Either way it's really a nice place to hangout for a few days and have some time to relax.
I hope you enjoyed reading!
Lots of love,
Marleen