Pai in Thailand: A travellers Area Guide

Pai is a large town found in Northern Thailand, close to Chiang Mai. We had heard from various people that Pai was one of their favourite places to go, so we decided to check it out. We got a sleeper bus up from Bangkok to Chiang Mai and first hung out there for around 4 days. We then hopped on one of the direct van transfers available, which can be booked online. The journey takes around 3.5 hours and isn’t the most comfortable, but at just 150 baht each, you can’t complain.

We decided to stay for two nights in Pai, which I think was a perfect amount. If we were to do it again, we would have left our big bags at the hotel we were at in Chiang Mai and just taken small rucksacks with us just to make travelling around easier. We heard of other travellers doing this and their hotels were happy to store their luggage as long as they were going to come back to stay another night. As Pai is quite isolated, most people need to make their way back to Chiang Mai in order to continue their journey anyway, so often it is worth it.

You can also quite easily take a motorbike over to Pai from Chiang Mai, however we will say, although the roads were in good condition, the roads were very windy and in bad weather this might be a difficult journey. We aren’t confident on bikes, so we opted for the transfer. I would say no matter how you travel, if you get car sick, take some sickness tablets!

First impressions

When we arrived in Pai it was raining, so the streets were pretty quiet, but we could already tell that Pai was a lot more chilled than Chiang Mai. The town itself isn’t too big, which makes it a great place to explore and find great restaurants and bars easily. At night the walking street comes alive with market stalls where you can buy cheap food, clothes and trinkets or visit one of the many bars that line the street.

Where to stay

As Pai is small, most accommodation is within walking distance to everything. However, we know that there is some nicer accommodation on the outskirts, which might require tuk tuks or a bike to get into the main town if you don’t want to walk over 20 minutes. We stayed In Payi Resort which is in the heart of Pai and was very comfortable. Other tourists we met mentioned that they stayed in Circus, which is a famous hostel in Pai and is probably a bit cheaper than where we stayed.

Things to do

The best tourist attractions are found on the outskirts of Pai or are just a short drive away. We suggest that hiring a motorbike is the cheapest and quickest way to get around them all. Pai is quite famous for its cycling, and you can hire push bikes, however we saw a lot of tourists struggling to get up the hills on the outskirts of Pai, so unless you are super fit we would advise against this.

You could get through most of the attractions in one day if you wanted to or if you are on a time constraint. This is what we did. Below is what we believe is the best things to do and the best route to take.

First make your way to The Big Buddha

Just on the outskirts of Pai you will find the Big Buddha. The Big Buddha can actually be seen from most parts of the town and you can even hike there if you please. If you have hired a bike it is just a 5 minute drive. When you reach the base of the Big Buddha you will need to walk up some steep steps to actually get to the statue. However it is all worth it for the amazing views of the town and to marvel at the large Buddha. They ask that you dress respectfully there so do keep that in mind!

Next drive to the Santichon Village

Santichon village is a Chinese Yunnan village that has beautiful architecture and fun activities such as pony riding. Unfortunately, we didn’t make our way here, mainly because the order we did the attractions that we did meant that we spent more time driving.

Then head to Yun Lai viewpoint

This can be reached by car or motorbike and offers some absolutely stunning views. Here there is also a café that sells some extravagant tea options, but also some other refreshments and snacks.

Go to the Namtok Mo Paeng waterfall

Next head to Namtok Mo Paeng which is a large waterfall that can be climbed up. We have seen some images of tourists there where it looked like they could swim in it, however when we visited the water was very low, so no swimming for us!

Bamboo Bridge

The Bamboo Bridge Pai is an 800-meter-long bridge that stretches over a field of lush rice fields in the Mae Hong Son region. There is a 30-baht entrance fee. As we walked around the bouncy bamboo bridge, we could see that there was a coffee shop in the middle of the bridge walks, however it was not open when we were there. As it was rainy season (July) we were lucky to see lush green rice fields around us. We believe if you go in the hotter months then you might just see brown fields. There are plenty of photo opportunities here with swings, seats and archways dotted throughout. If you walk all the way to the end of the walkway you can visit the temple they have there too.

Pam Bok Waterfall

On your way to the Bamboo Bridge you would have seen the Pam Bok Waterfall entrance. Stop off here if you want on the way back to take pictures. If you are in a more adventurous mood, you can even enter the park and hike around. I believe you can also do some cliff jumping and swimming here, depending on the season.

Stop off at the Land split (if open)

Unfortunately for us the land split wasn’t open, but in pictures it looks beautiful! If it is open, we reckon it is well worth a stop here. In reviews it says that the farm owner there is very friendly.

I love Pai café

On your way to the other side of Pai where the Hot spring and the Canyon our you can take a stop at the famous I Love Pai Café for lunch or just a drink. Here they have swinging egg chairs overlooking a stunning mountain backdrop as well as other quirky décor, which can make for a great insta backdrop.

Thai Pai Hot spring

Again unfortunately because of the way we went to each attraction we didn’t get time to visit the Thai Pai Hot Spring, but if you do it looks amazing! At the Tha Pai hot springs, the water has an average temperature of 80 degrees Celsius, and offers an excellent view especially in the morning,

End your day at Pai Canyon to watch the sunset

The canyon is so stunning and has narrow, ledgy hiking trails that offer sweeping valley views. You can easily spend hours here going down all the different rocky parts and getting different views each time. On clear days the sunset is said to be absolutely phenomenal. Unfortunately for us we saw the start of it, but then some clouds swept in front of the sun, which meant we didn’t get to witness all the beautiful colours that we have seen in other tourist’s pictures. It was still such an amazing view and so picturesque.

Conclusion

Pai is a beautiful town and was our favourite destination in North Thailand. There are chill vibes, plenty to do and great bars and restaurants to visit. We recommend you rent a moped whilst here to be able to see everything that Pai can offer.