Pai

Hippie village in beautiful mountains

General Facts

Population: 3000

Arrival:

• By Bus from/To Mae Hong Son or Chiang Mai, each 3.5h
• By Motobike with “aYa Service” as the road is super beautiful – “aYa” will return the bike and bring your luggage to Pai as it is about 6h ride – with a big travel backpack it is just a pain to drive the bike up to Pai

Location: Mae Hong Son Province, North Thailand, close to the Myanmar Border

Weather: Similar to Chiang Mai, but a bit colder as it is in the mountains

My To-Do Tip: Get lost on a Scooter

My personal experience

Finn who was in the travel group since Kuala Lumpur ended his travel in Chiang Mai. Max, Frieda and I continued and decided to go by bus to Pai, as it is the cheaper option. The one-way scooter service should cost 500 Baht, the bus is at 80 Baht.

In the bus we met Johannes, a tall guy from South Tirol in Italy. We had some drinks all together later the day and decided to rent scooters next day and explore the area. Renting a scooter is not really an option in Pai – it’s a must do. The Village itself is basically 5×5 streets having mainly Seven-Elevens, Restaurants, Scooter-Rentals, Bars and Beach-Bars full of Hippies and Alternative people and doesn’t offer anything to do or see during the day, but a lot in the night. So, we took our scooters and a map they gave us and started with a temple, then Pai Canyon, some waterfalls and ended up on some random dirt roads that should lead to the top of a mountain.

 

Tip: If you are at one of the waterfalls in the area and there is a sign saying restaurant 12km and 1.5h – You won’t ever make it with a scooter to that restaurant – You need a Motocross-Bike, trust me. 😊

Please share your experiences, tips and tricks about Pai in the comment section to help others!