Hotels in Pai

Pai is fun vibrant and a bit hippy... but the best bit of Pai for us was proximity to nature... Town was fun for a bit but a bit touristy so best to get a moped and hit the road... Waterfalls and natural hot springs lie just around the corner.. driving along and seeing first glimpse of an elephant was magical. Looking out across fields and seeing little huts and neat plantation fields, bright flowers, hills draped in mist, beautiful. The white buddha temple on the hill is beautiful and great to visit for sunset (although lots of other people are thinking the same thing!) Nong Beer cafe was THE best food I ate in my whole month of travel in Thailand. Wonderful female host. I tried the signature northern thailand soup, Khao soi (creamy curry soup with noodles), absolutely delicious.

I like Pai because it is really relax though it still have a lots of travellers around it. The sceneries are really beautiful especially sunrise at chinese village. You can hang up a whole day in any coffee shop or along riverside or just staying in your hotel without doing anything. You will feel calm. Massage is cheap and is a must do thing in Pai. Their night market is nice as well. Our time is winter time, it is cold in the night time and early morning. Have to wear a little more when you are out there. We just stay 3 days. I would suggest to stay in Pai for at least 4 days. One thing is not convenient to us that is transportation. We do not know how to ride motorcycle and the scenery point is quite far from town. But still can get a tour guide on this.

I would hire a scooter or a car for the entirety of the trip. It makes it so easy to get over to other places in and around Pai. Loads of hiking and trekking to do. Great bars with live music such as Spirit Bar, Why Not bar, Don't Cry bar and Sunset beach to name a few. Food is amazing you can get everything here... Place called Burger Queen do amazing burgers. Can get all different types of street food as well. Everyone is welcoming and friendly I think it is the mountain air... There are three hot springs to choose from I went to one 14 km from town in the Pai resort the scenery was stunning and it cost 100 baht for the whole day which is from 8:30am to 6:30pm. Still haven't done everything Pai has to offer

Despite being described as a hippy paradise, Pai is really a fairly commercial, touristy kind of town. However, you don't need to dig deep to find the hippy vibe alive and well. There are many alternatively minded "expats" around and there is a friendly, welcoming feel! The walking street at night is wonderful, with so many delicious things to try, both typical Thai/Asian streetfood as well as inventive adaptations of Western food that the locals have created for the travellers. The hot springs around town are amazing! We went to a small remote one, one of the best things experienced in two months of travel! The coolest thing was the Fermentation Workshop run by the owner of "Good Life" restaurant, learning to make Kombucha, kefir and fermented vegetables, such as Sauerkraut. Highly recommended!

We used our first day to get to grips with our surroundings, found a great little bar/restaurant. The second day we took a day trip with Pai Expert Travel, visited 12 different locations in and around Pai. The Buddha on the hill was the highlight for me, fantastic monument after a long climb, very rewarding. Pai canyon was really good, don't feel like you should stick to the main trail, we went right off route and found some fantastic viewpoints. Well worth a visit! The final stop was one of the many waterfalls around Pai, the locals were sliding down the entire face, we weren't quite as adventurous and just took a dip in the bottom pool, quite chilly but very refreshing after a hot day. All in all, Pai was amazing, we only spent two days there, maybe 3 would have been better but it was a last minute addition to our itinerary.

Pai is a brilliant hide out away from the hustle and bustle of Thailand. There are a great selection of places to eat and drink suitable for all budgets. The night market has a brilliant atmosphere and a good selection of food, drink and crafts. Most people use motorbikes to get around, but I recommend hiring a bicycle for a more fulfilling experience. As a vegetarian, my favourite place to eat was Earth Tone, especially for breakfast. Check out Spirit Bar if you want to listen to live music and drink great cocktails.