Hey guys, Timon here with my second blog post about our stay in Pai:
While staying in Chiang Mai, we planned a trip to Pai. Initially, we intended to take the bus, but after doing some research, we discovered that the road to Pai has about 700 curves, making it perfect for a motorbike ride!
We found a bike rental that offered to transport our backpacks by car to Pai, which was really nice. The road was in good condition, and the views were amazing, with all the beautiful nature. We also took a short break at a beautiful waterfall to recharge our energy. We both highly recommend to go up this way.
During our week in Pai, we had a lot of places to visit and explore:
Hot Springs
Our first stop was the hot springs. We rode our motorbikes there, which took about 20 minutes from our hotel. The entrance fee was about 300 baht (7.5 CHF), and the springs were located in a forest. It was a very peaceful place with not many tourists, so we spent the whole afternoon relaxing in the hot springs and ended it with a cold shower.
Canyon in Pai
The canyon was very nice and also very close to our hotel. We enjoyed the sunset there and took some beautiful drone shots!
The only downside was that I (Timon) am afraid of heights, so I struggled a bit with the hights, but overall, it was a good and free experience.
Big Buddha
In Pai, there is a big Buddha located in the mountains. We saw it from our hotel and really wanted to visit. Getting there was a bit exhausting because of the long stairs we had to climb, but the view from the top was really nice. After the sunset, we went for dinner nearby to finish our day trip.
Caves in the North of Pai
Some other tourists we met recommended that we visit the caves. So, we took our bikes and rode there for about 1 hour. The entrance fee was 300 baht for our group, and a local guide showed us around and looked after us so we wouldn’t get lost in the massive cave. It was really impressive to see all the stone sculptures that had been formed over the years just from dripping water from the ceiling. There were a lot of bats in the cave, and there was also a river filled with fish, which we followed in a bamboo boat.
Bars and Parties
In Pai, there are a lot of really nice bars with live music, so we enjoyed some evenings in the middle of the city. Pai is a really calm and chill spot, so there were a lot of reggae bars, which we both like. We met a lot of nice people there and played a lot of darts and billiards.
Another highlight was our hotel, were we stayed. Another hotel were we stayed longer than planed. We had a own little cottage with one of the best pools so far and breakfast service. We also met 2 girls from Germany there and spent 2 of our 7 days in Pai. All in all a very nice place to stay with a very chill and lovely vibe. Pai – we can recommend 🙂
