Just go, C!
I'm Charity, a proud auntie, wine lover, semi-nerd, and dreamer who can't stay in one place for too long.
Holy moly, I am way overdue for a blog post! I know everyone's been chomping at the bit wondering when I was going to get another one of these things out there. Yeah, because the holidays haven't consumed your lives the last couple of months or anything. Not long after my last post, I had to have an emergency appendectomy which put me on the bed and out of commission for a while. But that's another story for another time, kids. Fortunately, it had a happy ending which means more blog posts are sure to come. Please, hold your applause. I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday season! My current school gave us teachers a week off for Christmas and New Year's, which was unexpected but ecstatically welcomed. I decided to hang around Northern Thailand and visit a place that's been on my radar for a while: Pai! Tourists seem to have a "love it" or "hate it" opinion of Pai. Either people love it because it's beautiful and quaint with much cooler temps than the rest of Thailand, or they hate it because it's become a hot spot on the tourist trail (ironic, yeah?) which means hordes of backpackers and all their dreadlocks, man buns, elephant pants, B.O., Chang beer, bro tanks paired with scarves, and Havaianas. It also attracts a lot of the new agey, "woo woo" hippie types who come to eat cleansing herbs and drink detoxing beverages of all sorts to nourish the auras of their chakras and such. Luckily, I was able to get past all of that and just appreciate Pai for what it was - a beautiful country town surrounded by some of the most lush, vibrant, soul-stirring scenery that I've ever experienced. Day 1 - 762 curves, Mae Yen Temple, Walking Street Market Mkay, let me just say this - if you ever happen to go to Pai from Chiang Mai (which is how most people get there), do NOT think your stomach is too cool for school and dismiss the idea of taking any kind of motion sickness medicine. You will absolutely need it. There are exactly 762 curves on the road from Chiang Mai to Pai (someone was kind enough to count them for all of us) and you will feel every damn one of them, especially if your van driver is the Mario Andretti of Thailand like mine was. The gods happened to be smiling on Thai Mario that day and I arrived safely in Pai. First order of business was to rent a motorbike. This TRULY is the best way to see Pai in all its glory if you can manage it. BUT - big disclaimer here - and you'll hear this from everyone else who travels to Thailand and you'll hear it again from me - do not take road safety in Thailand lightly. This past year, Thailand was voted as the #1 country in road fatalities. And if you ever come here, you'll see why. Wearing a helmet is non-negotiable. You'll find a few motorbike rental shops that will give you lessons before handing you the keys, and I strongly encourage you to take advantage of that if you've never been on a motorbike. Bikes cost around 150-200 baht per day to rent and you may have to pay some kind of deposit for the helmet and you'll generally be asked to leave your passport at the shop. After finding a bike and checking in to my hostel, I headed along a short drive to the Mae Yen Temple. Wat Phra That Mae Yen features a giant white Buddha, and the location is ideal for a view of the sunset which attracts both tourists and locals alike each evening. I arrived early enough to walk around the complex for a while and make my ascent up the stairs (insert heavy breathing here). I was also able to enjoy the view of a few backpackers who were dressed not-so-conservatively, holding their Chang beer bottles, leisurely moseying up the stairs. (Please, everyone, don't be THAT d-bag and respect the Thai culture. It's still a religious site, for crying out loud.) The sunset was definitely worth the climb and it was a great introduction to Pai. After sunset, I made my way back down to the Pai town center for the walking street market. For such a small town, I was pleasantly surprised at the number of options for food and shopping. There was something there for every craving, from traditional Thai dishes to pizza, lasagna, falafel, burritos, samosas, and tons of dessert options. What a great way to sample while still eating fairly cheaply. I feasted on a couple of curry puffs and a delicious Burmese tea leaf salad. I would honestly go back to Pai for that salad alone, it was so good. Day 2 - Coffee in Love, Wat Toong Pong, Land Split, Love Strawberry Pai, Memorial Bridge, Pai Canyon, Yun Lai Viewpoint After a hearty breakfast, I hopped on the motorbike and headed south on the 1095 to do some exploring. My first stop was at Coffee In Love, which is one of many roadside coffee shops. I wasn't there for the coffee, but for the views. It was early enough in the day that not all the fog and mist had burned off the mountains so it was a really lovely view. A great way to start off my full day of exploring. Further down 1095 was a temple complex I think could be best described as "quirky" - Wat Toong Pong. The rainbow-colored nagas were pretty cool but they definitely constructed this place with a "more is more" approach! Still, a fun stop-off on the way to the other sites along 1095. Probably my 2nd most favorite attraction behind the Tham Lod Caves was the Land Split. I had read about this place on another traveler's blog and decided to check it out. Thankfully I found out about it ahead of time, because it wasn't on the map I got from my hostel. The "split" can be found on a farmer's land a few km west of 1095. Back in 2008, this farmer found out the hard way that his land was directly over an active fault line. The earthquake split his territory almost literally in half, and subsequent quakes in 2009 and 2011 deepened the rifts that were created on his hillside. I've gotta hand it to this farmer because instead of throwing his hands up in the air and saying F this, he figured out a way to make some money off of this geological "misfortune". He turned it into a tourist attraction and now grows some other crops that don't mind the occasional rumble and shuffle. The split itself is cool to look at, sure, but nothing really to write home about. What was really amazing was the farmer/owner himself and his wife who greet you immediately when you arrive and tell you to either go do the tour and come back and have snacks, or vice versa. They serve you a variety of delicious snacks and beverages which included banana chips with homemade roselle jam, boiled sweet potatoes, peanuts, fresh fruit, roselle juice, and roselle wine. They grow roselle as well as hibiscus on their property, as well as a variety of trees and vegetables. You eat and drink to your heart's content, and they don't charge you for any of it. But, you are asked to kindly give some sort of donation, the amount being up to you based on how much you think is deserved for the experience. The hospitality from the hosts is well worth the trip by itself! Afterwards, I tried unsuccessfully to find a particular waterfall I was looking for so I headed back south on 1095 to yet another kitschy roadside coffee shop called Love Strawberry Pai. If you have a special affinity for strawberries, this is the place for you. It was fun to look around and take some photos, and you can also sample some strawberry-flavored food products and wines while you're there. Don't forget to get a couple of souvenirs for your weirdo friends back home while you're at it! The next stop was Memorial Bridge which straddles the Pai River alongside the 1095 highway. The bridge has more historical value than visual appeal. It was supposedly constructed during WWII under Japanese orders, which entailed using the labor of POWs as well as local Thais for construction. However, other sources I've read indicate that no one really knows how or where the Japanese crossed over. But, either way, it's interesting to walk over the wooden planks and get a couple photos while crossing the river. Pai Canyon was my next stop, which is probably in the top 3 most visited attractions of Pai. It's often advertised, rather humorously so, as the "Grand Canyon of Thailand" - definitely a stretch but as long as you make no comparisons whatsoever to the real deal, it's worth checking out! It would be beautiful at sunset, but expect crowds since most local tour companies offer the "Pai Canyon Sunset" as the grand finale of their day tours. While staying in Pai, you can never really tire of the spectacular views and scenery that surround you. Another popular stop for tourists is the Yun Lai Viewpoint, just a few km west of Pai town. It's a steep ride up to it, and once you've nearly summited, you're immediately rewarded with panoramic views of pure beauty. You climb up another steep path (a common occurrence around these parts) to access the viewpoint and the small café and shop at the top. It costs 20 baht to enter, but the nice thing about that is that you are welcomed to enjoy green tea served out of a delicate little Chinese tea set for no extra charge. Day 3 - Tham Lod Cave It rained all day long on my 3rd day in Pai, and of course I'd booked a tour to see a few more of the remaining sites I hadn't quite gotten to yet. We visited more than just the cave, but to be honest none of it was really too impressive and/or it couldn't be fully enjoyed because of the weather (Kiu Lom Viewpoint, Sai Ngam hot springs, Mor Paeng Waterfall). I will say, though, that it would be worth booking a day tour that includes the cave because just going to the cave on your own and hiring a guide (which you HAVE to do, there's no option not to) would cost you at least 400 baht alone, and for 500 baht I was able to get the cave as well as the other sites, and someone else did the driving through those crazy mountain roads. Not a bad deal. Now I don't claim to know much (or anything) about stalactites and stalagmites, but I will tell you that this was definitely one of the coolest places I've ever visited! The tour guides lead you by lanterns through the dark depths of this magnificent cave, which was used at least 2000 years ago by early inhabitants of this region. There have been artifacts discovered here like tools and canoe-shaped burial coffins, a few of which are still on display (or, what remains of them, at least) for visitors. Another perk of the cave tour is being able to spend part of it on a bamboo raft floating along the Nam Lang River, which flows through the cave. It was definitely the highlight of my trip, and it saved an otherwise dreary day from being a total bummer! Pai was such a treat for me and I'm glad I had the chance to visit while staying in Thailand. I'd definitely recommend the trip if you'll be in the northern part of Thailand for any decent amount of time. Just remember to bring your motion sickness tablets, wear your helmet, and for god's sake, take a shower, will you?
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AuthorHi! I'm Charity. I'm from Omaha, Nebraska, USA. I quit my job in October 2016 to travel the world. Archives
June 2022
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