Pai
Ages before we even started our journey in Thailand, we were constantly told from other travelers, “you need to go to Pai!”. Unsure if it would live up to all the hype, we booked a short few days there. Needless to say, the “Paihole” is a real thing, and our few days turned in to two weeks. To be honest, we weren’t even sure if we should write a post on it, because we don’t want to see this beautiful little town fall victim to mass-tourism as other places we’ve travelled to have. Pai is a nature-lovers hippie paradise. We kept referring to it as our little “utopia”. Whether you want to watch the sunrise over Pai Canyon, trek up waterfalls, find the meaning of life with a “happy shake”, or walk alongside monks in the morning on the Bamboo Bridge, there is something for everyone here.
How to get to Pai?
We drove motorbikes from Chiang Mai, but there are also shuttle services that drive to and from Pai leaving multiple times a day. They can either be booked online (we typically use 12GoAsia or BookAway), or in person at your hostel or guest house. If you do travel by car, we recommend taking travel sickness tablets. Neither of us ever really get sick in cars, but there’s 762 turns in the road so it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Where to stay in Pai?
We stayed at Slow Life Homestay, which is about a 15 minute walk to the walking street and the main center of Pai. The rooms are clean, the vibes are good, and their swimming pool was bliss during the hot, humid days. They have private rooms and dorms (breakfast included for both), and we can say first-hand they are both great. For dog lovers, they have two “hostel dogs” that roam around. They’re super cute but beware – they were notorious for chewing and stealing guests shoes that were left outside the rooms at night time.
Budget: Slow Life Homestay. We’d consider SlowLife budget/mid-range (dorms were about $4/night and private rooms were about $20/night)
Luxury: Reverie Siam Resort
Where to eat In Pai?
Pai is paradise for vegetarians and vegans. We just had made the switch before coming to Pai, and the plant-based/veggie options were endless. (Some of our meat-eating friends even came to plant-based restaurants because the food was so good, to give you an idea.) Check out our blog post on where to eat in Pai here
Walking Street Night Market: This was basically our dinner spot every night. There are TONS of stalls lining up and down both sides of the street, with cheap and delicious worldy cuisines.
Ganita Café: Vegetarian/vegan restaurant that offers a variety of cuisines from all over the world. Also sells vegan cookies, pastries, and different nut butters.
Blossom Café: One of our favorite lunch spots in Pai. Blossom had the best quality food and was the most flavorful out of all the similar cafes in Pai. The restaurant is small, but it was never too crowded whenever we were there.
Earth Tone: Another vegetarian/vegan restaurant that serves coffee, kombucha, smoothies, and delicious meals. They are only open for lunch, and close at 5PM, so make sure to get there early. They also have a holistic shop with all natural products, remedies, and medicines which is very cool and worth a look.
Art in Chai: Cute little café in town that we grabbed coffee at. Great if you need to do some laptop work, or want a chilled out place to read a book. They have a live music/talent night a few nights a week which draws in big crowds.
A few of our favorite things In Pai:
Pai Canyon: A smaller version of America’s Grand Canyon, this was a really cool place to explore, and also a beautiful place to watch the sunrise (or sunset). We went during both and definitely preferred the sunrise, as it was a lot less crowded.
Bamboo Bridge: 800 meter long bamboo bridge that runs through a beautiful rice paddy field. If you get there early in the morning, you can witness the monks doing their morning walk to the temple in the forest. Entrance fee is about 30baht (US$1).
The Land Split: A huge split in a farmer’s field that was caused from an earthquake. You can walk at the top and THROUGH the actual land split which is a cool experience. At the end, the farmer offers all organic snacks and a delicious rosella hibiscus juice. The tour and snacks are completely free, but donations are appreciated and encouraged.
White Buddha: Located up in the hills about a 15 minute drive outside of the main center of Pai, the White Buddha is one of the closest and easiest attractions to get to. We climbed up twice (once in the afternoon and once for sunset) it was extremely crowded for the sunset, but the views were still beautiful. Make sure to dress respectfully as it is still a religious place.
Mor Paeng Waterfall: A nature-made waterslide/waterfall that you can slide down into a natural pool! Such a fun experience and way more fun than your average waterfall. Not too popular with tourists, we spent most of our time there with Thai locals.
Night Market (Walking Street): We basically had dinner on the walking street every night. Whether you’re going to eat, shop, or to have a few drinks, it’s a lively street with good vibes and even better food. For more information on our Night market favorites, and other Pai restaurants, check out our full post here.
