Short detour to the hippie village Pai

The journey to Pai was already adventurous. In a fully loaded minivan, we drove for 3 hours on a very winding road to the hippie village in northern Thailand. This is not for the faint-hearted or weak-stomached. Thank goodness I am always well prepared for such cases. At this point, a heartfelt thank you to my dear mother, who equips me with the best stuff before every trip (she is a pharmacist, to avoid any misunderstandings).

The Walking Street in Pai has a very special atmosphere. Here you can find street food, colorful bars, even more colorful graffiti, and the most colorful people. Rastafarian braids, barefoot contemporaries adorned with some artistic tattoos. You can see that cannabis has been legalized in Thailand at every corner here. The smell (or scent?) of freshly lit joints wafts up your nose in waves as you stroll through Pai. Mushrooms and hash brownies are also very popular here. (I'll stick to my love for hop tea...)

Absolute recommendation: Café de Pai. Here you can find everything your heart desires. Delicious pancakes, colorful smoothie bowls, and hearty meals as well.

I spent a few nights at Pai River Jam Hostel. There was also a very special hippie atmosphere there. I got into conversations with some Europeans who originally only wanted to come to Pai for a few days. But then they just stayed there and now live and work in the hostel. I rented a small bungalow with a hammock in front of the door.

The air quality in Pai was and still is extremely poor. And this is not only due to the grass-smoking hippies, but also to the season. Currently, it is the 'burning season' in Thailand, and this is especially noticeable in the north.