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Pai, Thailand, a Well Discovered Gem   by Jaxon Toh

Pai is just a 4-hours bus ride away from Chiang Mai, Thailand. Relatively unknown just a few decades ago, this sleepy, laid-back town within a valley has quickly become a favourite among both Thai and foreign travellers alike. There are many lovely traditional buildings in this town and there a few guesthouses that are just bamboo huts - great for those who are sick of concrete walls.

The first time I stepped foot onto Pai, one of the guesthouse owners shared with me that many travellers come and stay longer than they had planned. Some even stayed behind for years! They just fell in love with Pai.

Getting Here and Around You can either take the orange public bus or the private mini-van from Arcade Bus Station in Chiang Mai. Careful about the mini-vans though: many of these drivers think they are rally racers. Not good to have a heavy meal before your journey! But this journey will take you through many winding and twisting roads, passing through breathtaking views of the mountains. In and around Pai town, you can walk, cycle or rent a motorbike.

Activities and Sights Wat Mae Yen is an easy walk from the centre of town. From this temple located on top of a small hill, you can get a good view of the sleepy town and rice paddy fields below and the misty mountains.

Further away are Mo Pang Falls where you can swim or even water slide during the dry season. Worth a visit too is the Pai Canyon, located on the road approaching Pai from Chiang Mai. A short climb up the hill and you’ll get a panoramic view of the Pai valley and mountains. This is a good place to catch the sunset as it sinks below the mountains. Both places are best reached by motorbike.

Elephant rides and river rafting are other popular tourist activities in Pai. Most of the elephant camps offer riding bare back on the elephants either through the river or jungle or both. If you’re heading to the river, be careful to get wet as part of the program is a rodeo ride on the elephant! For rafting, you can join a two day expedition on the Pai River rapids.

Or just do nothing, sip Chai tea, relax and watch the day go by. That is also a favourite tourist activity in this charming town.

Urban development in recent years has seen Pai losing its small town charms somewhat. During your travel in Chiang Mai or Thailand, be sure to see Pai before it becomes yet another over-developed tourist spot.

Motorbiking Pai, Thailand

Thailand - Chiang Mai to Pai - Motorbike trip

 Pai Thailand - Waterslides (Waterfall)

Elephant Ride in Pai Thailand

Pai Thailand - 2008 Guide   by simon ramsden

Prepare to postpone any planned adventure activities, as this town 120 kilometres north of Chiang Mai has a relaxing effect on most people’s minds that often puts paid to planned itineraries. Activities available are river rafting (on bamboo rafts for a slow ride or on rubber rafts for the real-deal white-water thrill), elephant riding, yoga, rock climbing, off-road motor-biking, reiki and meditation. Due to the remoteness of the surrounding tribal villages a trek from Pai still offers an unspoiled experience of the subtropical rainforest and its colourfully-clad inhabitants.

The leeches are a significant nuisance - like we travel journalists, they are always after a free meal.

If you can’t be bothered to trek then maybe just hire a motorbike and go wandering around the country lanes surrounding Pai, which are edged by wild orchids and, in the green season, pretty deserted. If you feel a bit guilty about being too lazy to go trekking then hire a manual, rather than an automatic, bike - at least your left foot will get a bit more exercise that way. You don’t need to plan your motorbike meander too carefully, just wait and see what happens, but don’t forget your camera. Maybe the setting sun reflected in the rie terraces will take your breath away, or maybe it will take the sight of your beloved, posing as if to hold up a rainbow, to make you realise how lucky you are to be right here, right now.

A major activity in Pai, and one well-practiced by locals and tourists alike, is simply doing nothing at all. Somewhat surprisingly for a little town in the middle of nowhere, there is a thriving live music scene, with DJ’s, buskers and bands from all over Thailand and the world contributing everything from jazz to the blues and from reggae to rock’n'roll. If you like to shake your bits to different music every night and under a cool, starry night sky then this is the place for you.

Many male tourists in other parts of the country rapidly sicken of scantily-clad females calling out “welcome, handsome man, young man” as they hurry past a bar looking the other way, not least as they either know or suspect that the ‘ladies’ in question really mean “your money is welcome, so we’ll put up with your ugly, old face”. If you are one such then you will enjoy the absence of any girly bars in Pai. Whilst the town also lacks any 5-star resorts and gastronomes will bore quickly, for most people the town’s cooler climate and lovely atmosphere more than make up for the lack of truly luxurious establishments. Pai does have several resorts which are more than comfortable as well as having more informal atmospheres than many of the 5-star resorts elsewhere in the country.

Bob Marley - Is This Love? cover at Bee Bop in Pai, Thailand

Honeymoon seat TV Program - Pai Thailand

Mae Hong Son Hotels: A treat for the guests   by amit pandey

Thailand has always been an eye-candy for the travelers all over the world. Apart from the beaches and islands, beauty of the small towns of Thailand has also fascinated the travelers. Mae Hong Son is one among them which has drawn the attention of the real nature lovers. This small town in Northern Thailand shares the border with Myanmar. The presence of a satisfying range of Mae Hong Son hotels tempts the visitors to have an extended stay.
 

Mae Hong Son Hotels are scattered all over the town. Whether you are planning to stay near the city center or the riverside, you always have plenty of option to choose from. Since the town is frequently visited by different category of travelers, you can find both the luxury and budget hotels in Mae Hong Son.

Accommodation

For those eager to stay in a luxurious hotel of Mae Hong Son can select from a number of 4-star hotels near the city center like, Golden Pai & Suite Resort, Imperial Tara Hotel and Rooks Holiday Hotel. If you are looking for some more luxury hotels you can come to Pai, a small town between Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son. Belle Villa Hotel, Muang Pai Resort and Phu Pai Art Resort are among the popular luxury hotels.

These luxury hotels pamper you with their host of modern facilities and amenities. The exclusivity of the guestrooms and perfection in business and other facilities make you feel relaxed. The guests get the privilege of venturing out on an organized trip to Phasua Waterfall National Park, the Fish Cave near the village of Huay Pha and Pha Sua waterfall.

Like other 3-star hotels in Thailand there are some mid-range hotels in Mae Hong Son. To suit the taste and needs of the travelers various Mae Hong Son hotels have been developed which are little less than luxurious. Some of the popular Mae Hong Son hotels like, Riverhouse Resort and Riverside Hotel are very close to the river.

Pura Vida Resort and Baan Krating Pai Hotel are among the other mid-range hotels which has a satisfying range of facilities to please the guests. Staying in any of these Mae Hong Son hotels offer you the scope to go for trekking in the surrounding mountains, arranged by the hotel staff.

There is no dearth of budget hotels in Mae Hong Son, especially near the city center. Mountain Inn & Resort and Fern Resort are the well-maintained economy class Mae Hong Son hotels which meet the needs of the budget travelers. Transportation around the town is not a problem as you can always hire a private tuk-tuk or opt for a horse cart ride to reach any of the hotels.