So continuing from the last post,I was dead set on staying in Pai for two nights and as much as I wanted to keep moving, riding every day and not seeing things was eating my soul inside and Pai was one of those places where there was so much to do.
Two night in Pai. The day was spend going around the town, visiting places like the Pai Land split, Pai Canyon, Eleplant Camp, memorial bridge, temples, sunset, night market, massage and just enjoying Pai. I can understand the allure of Pai to the Falangs. They stay here for a month singing praise of Pai and it's because Pai is the perfect blend made for a backpacker’s long stays.
Its a relaxing town, cheap with all the needs of a westerners and yet blended in with local’s touch that makes Pai so attractive. I would say to all the travel haters out there that spit nonsense of a town ruin by foreigners trying to prevent more tourism from going to Pai by mindf*cking them into boycotting visiting Pai, they will never win for Pai does not need any promotion initially, and if a word of mouth can make this small little northern village a falang heaven then it is definitely here to stay as a hot tourist spot.
I could easily stay here for a week or a month ... but maybe not in a hostel where young hyper western backpackers roam the area drinking and partying nearly everyday. A small cottage in a family guesthouse would be the best for a long stay in Pai in my view.
Two nights were really short but alas I had not much time left before the visa run out and Bluey needed to get out of Thailand into Laos. By now I have come to understand Thailand a little bit better, there are the main tourism spots where hoards of travelers and tourist go through and spots like Pai where the more dedicated travelers pass by, yet still a fair number of them and then there is these places close to the hot-spots that is almost untouched, preserved in pristine local experience by the lack of tour operators or public transportation.
This is when having one own wheels makes the journey and exploration so much enriching.
Anyway, the few things to do in Pai
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| I AM PAI |
Its a relaxing town, cheap with all the needs of a westerners and yet blended in with local’s touch that makes Pai so attractive. I would say to all the travel haters out there that spit nonsense of a town ruin by foreigners trying to prevent more tourism from going to Pai by mindf*cking them into boycotting visiting Pai, they will never win for Pai does not need any promotion initially, and if a word of mouth can make this small little northern village a falang heaven then it is definitely here to stay as a hot tourist spot.
I could easily stay here for a week or a month ... but maybe not in a hostel where young hyper western backpackers roam the area drinking and partying nearly everyday. A small cottage in a family guesthouse would be the best for a long stay in Pai in my view.
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| Pai is Falling in Love ^^ |
This is when having one own wheels makes the journey and exploration so much enriching.
Anyway, the few things to do in Pai
( and by this I mean IN Pai and not the surrounding vicinity which would be too much to count )
1. Land Split
(Entrance Fee – FREE, just drop any courtesy amount into the Tips box for the free drinks and snacks provided)
Welcome to the Land Split.
1. Land Split
(Entrance Fee – FREE, just drop any courtesy amount into the Tips box for the free drinks and snacks provided)
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| The Landsplit - Pai |
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| The Landsplit - Pai |
(Narrative below taken from the Guidepost at the entrance to the land split)
The land spilt is a geological feature caused by seismic activity, an earthquake in 2008. The severe separations in the ground can be seen on the hillside 100m from here. Meanwhile, here at the Landsplit we serve our visitors a country variety of fruits and drinks that are grown and produce right here on our land. Our papaya, sweet potato, banana, tamarind and rosell a hibiscus are raised the traditional way which is free from any chemical fertilizer or pesticide. We kindly encourage you to take time exploring the mystery of our land then enjoy the taste of our country treats and hospitality.
2. Pai Canyon (Entrance- FREE)
Its hard to capture the captivating beauty of Pai Canyon as there was no way to include a good photo. The walk on the ridge of the little Pay Canyon is quite a sight although albeit small in size.
3. Elephant Camp
There is a lot of mixed feeling on elephant camp when I talk to other tourist. Some might say animal cruelty since the elephant is tied to a barn and ride an elephant to the river is sold as a tourist attraction but when talking to the local, owning an elephant is like owning a farm animal to them no different than a cow or a sheep.
Apparently only the young strong elephant is used for tourist riding since they have the back strenght and the older ones are used for farming, clearing logs, pulling things that are too heavy for a normal person. There is a long history in Thailand of elephants being cultivated by civilization and when observing the Mahout attending to their elephant it was like a bond between a warhorse and a soldier.
4. Pai Memorial Bridge
The old memorial bridge is actually a new bridge at the same site. During WWII the Japanese constructed the bridge for their supply chain line but was later destroyed by flood. The village people of Pai grew accustom to having a bridge after WWII hence when the bridge was destroyed by flood it was replaced by an Iron bridge.
5. Chedi Phra That Mae Yen Temple
The white Buddha temple on a little hill mount at the edge of Pai is a beautiful place where locals and tourist alike visit especially during sunset to see the natural light-show as the sun goes down behind the mountains.
6. Tourist Night Market
This very large and long night market is the best place to get food. Walk walk walk .... buy some food and snack eat along the way.
Traveled on : Dec 2018
#Pai #painightmarket #iampai #paicanyon #pailandsplit #paimemorialbridge
The land spilt is a geological feature caused by seismic activity, an earthquake in 2008. The severe separations in the ground can be seen on the hillside 100m from here. Meanwhile, here at the Landsplit we serve our visitors a country variety of fruits and drinks that are grown and produce right here on our land. Our papaya, sweet potato, banana, tamarind and rosell a hibiscus are raised the traditional way which is free from any chemical fertilizer or pesticide. We kindly encourage you to take time exploring the mystery of our land then enjoy the taste of our country treats and hospitality.
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| Tip Base Tourism - The Land Split - Pai |
2. Pai Canyon (Entrance- FREE)
Its hard to capture the captivating beauty of Pai Canyon as there was no way to include a good photo. The walk on the ridge of the little Pay Canyon is quite a sight although albeit small in size.
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| Pai Canyon ... Free Attraction hence no safety rails ... Safety is your own responsibility |
There is a lot of mixed feeling on elephant camp when I talk to other tourist. Some might say animal cruelty since the elephant is tied to a barn and ride an elephant to the river is sold as a tourist attraction but when talking to the local, owning an elephant is like owning a farm animal to them no different than a cow or a sheep.
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| Elephant Riding - Pai |
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| Elephant Camp - Pai |
The old memorial bridge is actually a new bridge at the same site. During WWII the Japanese constructed the bridge for their supply chain line but was later destroyed by flood. The village people of Pai grew accustom to having a bridge after WWII hence when the bridge was destroyed by flood it was replaced by an Iron bridge.
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| Pai Memorial Bridge |
The white Buddha temple on a little hill mount at the edge of Pai is a beautiful place where locals and tourist alike visit especially during sunset to see the natural light-show as the sun goes down behind the mountains.
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| Chedi Phra That Mae Yen Temple - Pai (Or as the tourist call it, the white Buddha) |
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| Sunset behind the mountain overlooking Pai |
This very large and long night market is the best place to get food. Walk walk walk .... buy some food and snack eat along the way.
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| Night Market - Pai |
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| Night Market - Pai |
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| Night Market - Pai |
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| Night Market - Pai |
#Pai #painightmarket #iampai #paicanyon #pailandsplit #paimemorialbridge
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