01/12/2022 - Hippie feeling in Pai

Barefoot people, lots of colorful clothing, and the scent of cannabis - Pai is somewhat of a paradise for backpackers, especially those with a slight inclination towards hippie living. Nestled in a beautiful mountain scenery, this small town is located about 130 kilometers north of Chiang Mai, near the border with Myanmar. Although the journey takes only three hours, it is quite challenging and not suitable for people with a nervous stomach. A total of 762 curves and just as many risky overtaking maneuvers by the bus driver must be endured before being rewarded with a great view of the mountains.

Pai itself is quite small, and a walk through the town takes no longer than one or two hours. Every evening, a night market takes place on the only real main street, where you can buy not only Thai delicacies, but also a variety of western street food. Presumably, this, along with the large selection of cannabis, is why Pai is so popular among backpackers. Not that you're wondering, the consumption of cannabis has been legal in Thailand since this summer - and to clear up any possible speculations, no, I did not try it! :)

Upon my arrival, the first thing I did was walk to my hostel, and for a brief moment, I thought I was sleeping in a commune. Colorfully dressed people, all with a wide grin on their faces, and an outdoor shower with a view of the mountains. Luckily, I only booked for three nights...

Since Pai itself, as I said, does not offer much, on the first day, I ventured out of town. Using the outdoor app Komoot, I had previously selected a track to a remote waterfall. It took almost two hours to reach my destination. Along the way, there were several spots that seemed to indicate that the trail - or rather, the dirt path - ended. Additionally, I had to cross the river about ten times, as the path continued only on the other side. And the many small crawling insects on my arms and legs only slightly increased the comfort factor. Fortunately, I was eventually caught up by a British guy, otherwise I probably would have turned back. It's a strange feeling to walk completely alone, without cell phone reception, through the jungle and only hear the sounds of nature. By the way, the Brit was, of course, walking barefoot, what else. Upon arriving at the waterfall, we were rewarded with a fantastic jungle panorama. Only the loud rushing of the water and the many birds could be heard. After about an hour, we made our way back. It was then that we finally encountered other hikers for the first time, apart from a local person, we hadn't seen anyone on the track. After another three hours, I was back at the hostel and first took a shower to get rid of the creepy feeling. In the evening, I quickly went to the night market before falling exhausted into bed.

I used the second and last day in Pai for a tourist tour. Generally, I'm not a big fan of these excursions - and I was once again confirmed - but since I didn't want to drive a scooter myself, this was the only way to visit the region's main attractions. And at only nine Euros, you can't complain. In total, there were six stops on the program: the white Buddha, a Chinese village, the Bamboo Bridge, a viewpoint, a waterfall, and the Pai Canyon. Apart from the white Buddha and the Pai Canyon, the other points, from my point of view, can be skipped. The Chinese village more resembles a theater set with a few stalls selling things to tourists. The bamboo bridge leads over rice fields, which are not particularly interesting after the harvest. And the waterfall is also nothing special. But well, I've seen it all. The Pai Canyon was truly beautiful, where we watched the sunset and enjoyed the last rays of sunlight. For this view, the tour was worth it, even though everything before that was rather so-so.

After two and a half days in Pai, it was time to return to Chiang Mai, where I will spend the last few days until my departure to the next country with something special. But more on that in the next entry.