Thailand

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Travel Guide and Tips: Pai

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As a small town in the countryside, there's tons of adventurous activities to do in Pai. 

Things to do

1) Pai Canyon

Located 8km south of Pai, the canyon is accessible by scooter, biking or by hiring a taxi for the day. The canyon offers picturesque views of the mountains. Be careful, as it has steep 50 metre drops on either side. The best time to visit is at sunset! 

2) The Land Split

The Land Split is a unique spot, not because of the attraction itself, but for the hospitality you'll receive from the owners. The moment you walk in, they shower you with fruit, snacks and drinks all for free. You can just leave a donation in the box for them! 

 The tourist attraction was created in 2008 and 2011, when the land split 11 metres deep, making it unsustainable for farming. 

3) Waterfalls

There are two main waterfalls in Pai.

Pam Bok Waterfall: You can ride a bike, rent a scooter or hire a taxi to get there. Many go to swim the falls. Just note that it does dry up if there hasn't been too much rain. Also, the Land Split is along the way to this waterfall.

Mae Yen Waterfall: Take a 4-5 hour hike (round-trip) to this waterfall. The hike should take you up the river to the falls. 

4) Natural Hot Springs

Located south of Pai, the hot springs are great on a cool morning or evening. There is a 200 baht entrance fee. 

5) Wat Pra Tat Mae Yen (Temple on the hill)

East of Pai is the Temple on the Hill. Climb up the 300 or so steps to the top to see the big white Buddha. You can get a great view of Pai from the top! 

6) Other Activities

There are other activities like fishing at Pai Pirahna Fishing Park, visiting the Memorial Bridge or taking cooking lessons. 

Where to eat

Night Market

Every night, there's a night market along the main street in Pai. It's really hard to miss. There's a ton of carts that offer different foods, snacks and drinks. Try the cart with the tea in a bamboo cup!

Where to stay

Happy House Pai

We stayed at Happy House in a private room which was fine. Just know that roosters will caw in the morning. The washroom is not great. It's better to use the one that's upstairs. The common has couches and a pool table. 

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Exploring the Land Split in Pai

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The Land Split is a unique spot, not because of the split itself, but for the hospitality you'll receive from the owners. The tourist attraction was created in 2008 and 2011, when the land split 11 metres deep, making it unsustainable for farming. It's just a short walk up the stairs to see it. 

I didn't find the Land Split to be that fascinating, however, owner's kindness to you is amazing. The moment you step onto the farm, he and his wife welcome you by offering you fruits, peanuts, banana chips, sweet potatoes, tamarind, roselle juice, wine and jam. They don't charge you for anything, but there's a donation box where you can offer a little something. 

How to get here:

It's not too difficult to get here. Head south down Highway 1095 from Pai. Look out for this the "Land Split" sign and turn right. From here, it's another 2km to the Land Split. 

Look out for this sign on highway 1095. It's on a hill! 

This is the front of the farm. Park your bike and head inside! 

Happy Eating! 

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Cute Cafes on Highway 1095 in Pai

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If you're riding along Highway 1095 in Pai, you'll notice a bunch of cafes along the way. There were a few that caught our attention as we made our way to Pai Canyon. 

Coffee in Love

Stop here for a quick break to check out the view. The coffee shop is a yellow house with white picket fence. There is a pathway leading down to the countryside. 

The Container in Pai

This colourful cafe has unique hanging eggshell chairs. Stop here for an iced coffee and relax a bit before you head back out. 

Love Strawberry Pai

This strawberry farm sells a variety of strawberry products from dried strawberries to strawberry pop. There are large strawberries around the sign, which is great for photos (as you can tell from ours). There's also a giant swing and zip-line here. 

Fun fact: Thailand used to farm opium poppies, but the government eliminated its cultivation and imported non-narcotics crops to farm. Strawberries were one of the crops. 

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Biking to Pai Canyon

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Situated in the picturesque countryside of Northern Thailand is Pai Canyon. It is located 8km south of Pai and can be reached by scooter, bike or taxi (you would need to hire one for the day). The views it offers makes it worth a visit if you're already in Pai. Although, I don't think it's worth it to venture out to Pai just to see the canyon. 

How to get there

It's quite easy to get there. From Pai, follow highway 1095 south for 8km. Along the way, you'll see Coffee in Love, The Container in Pai and Love Strawberry. The canyon is located on the right side of the road. You can park your bike there and head up the stairs to the canyon. 

We rented a mountain bike for 100 baht/24 hours and took about 1 hour to get there. Granted, we took a few stops along the way and walked the bike up most of the hills. Just note that there is a lot of uphill, downhill and winding curves on this road. It's quite the workout, but definitely doable. 

The Canyon

At the top of the stairs lies Pai Canyon.  The reddish hue of the canyon along with the backdrop of the mountains makes it a unique site to see. There are dangerous 50 metre steep drops on either side of the canyon, so be careful when exploring. There are a lot of paths to wander on if you're daring enough. 

Happy Adventuring!

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Transit Guide: Chiang Mai to Pai

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Located in Northern Thailand, Pai is a small town in the countryside. It's only a 3-4 hour ride from Chiang Mai, but it's quite a nauseating one. There are 762 turns along the way, so make sure to take some anti-nausea medication beforehand. 

Mini-Bus

We booked a mini-bus from our hostel for 200 baht each. You can also book a mini-bus at the station, however they cost 150 baht and it's also another 40 baht red truck ride to get to Arcade Bus Station. So, it's about 190 total if you do it on your own. They leave hourly and it takes about 3 hours to get to Pai. You'll get a short break halfway through to use the washroom (3 baht) or grab some grub. 

This was on the side of our bus. 

Public Transit

If you have a really strict budget, you can take public transit to get there. You can book a bus ticket for 78 baht + the 40 baht red truck ride to the station. Although these buses don't offer AC. The bus leaves at 7 a.m. and it takes 4 hours to get there. 

Other options

If you're feeling luxurious, you can book a flight to get to Pai.

If you're feeling adventurous, you can ride a motorbike there, although I wouldn't recommend it unless you are a skilled rider. The curves make it a very dangerous trip. We saw someone fall after a curve. 

Good Luck!