Pai, the backpackers haven of northern Thailand. This little slice of heaven in the jungle is about 3.5 hours north of Chiang Mai. It is only accessible by minibus or car through back-bending turns through the Thai Mountains. Through my entire stay in Thailand, this is where I met the most interesting travelers and friends.
The bus will drop you in the middle of town where there are essentially only two main walking streets and they are filled with tons of food stalls, shops, bars, and restaurants. Grab a town map at the transportation station in the middle of town so you can easily navigate your way around. Backpackers will surround you as they get settled in while absorbing the incredible setting. The town of Pai is very small and one can get around everywhere by walking; however, I recommend renting a moped for 200 baht a day (~6 US dollars) as this is the easiest mode of transportation.
There are multiple places to stay, but the best spots are a 10 min walk outside of town. Cross the bamboo bridge on the south side of the town across the river and you will start walking up into the jungle. Here you will begin to see small thatched huts, bungalows, and treehouse hotels to the left and right along the river and up into the jungle. They can all be rented for about 300 baht a night (~9 US dollars). These are the best places to stay as you get the rustic jungle feeling while still being close to town. Just pick one and get ready for the adventure!
Once you get settled, it’s time to explore. There are multiple waterfalls, caves, caverns, jungle treks, and hill tribe excursions no more than an hour away from the city. One of my favorite places to go were the hot springs about an hour north of the city. To get there on mopeds, just follow the main road to the top of town and take the highway west about 17km until you see a big sign on the righthand side that says National Park. Once you are there, it’s another 5km through steep roads and sharp turns to get to a little hidden spot that isn’t typically traversed. It’s a natural hot spring heated by geothermal energy from the river. An absolutely amazing destination!
On the north side of Pai, there are waterfalls and a few distinguished temples. While we were cruising around this area, several crazy things happened. We ended up cliff diving and meeting hill tribe people who invited us into their homes. We made our way down the northern mountainside and noticed a sign on the side of the road for a Jungle Goa Rave. Of course we had to check it out.
A Quick Side Story: The Jungle Rave
We followed the road and ended up in a large clearing that was being prepared for the party. There were bamboo shelfs with liquor, DJ speakers all around, and mobile power supplies. Lights were hung all around and three full wooden bars were being put together. A huge fire pit was in the center and there were pillars for people to climb up on and spin fire. They told us to come back at 10pm and take the jungle buggies from the center of town. This jungle rave happens once a month and we just happened to walk right into it… What a coincidence!
We arrived back in town and had a brief meal in the center square, where we happened to to run into people we had met before on the trip. Before you knew it, we went from a small group of 4 to an army of 25 people… Incredible.
I highly recommend attending a jungle party to anyone that has the guts to come to Pai. The locals in Pai will know when it occurs and can tell you where and when to head into jungle. Aside from the excursions and parties, Pai also has several interesting novelties. The magic mushroom shakes are what the town is famous for. They are grown here by the hill tribe people who take care of the elephants. If you go to the outskirts of town, you can find a special local bar called “Sunset Bar” where they serve mushroom shakes that will knock your socks off.
I also recommend an establishment called the “Spirit Bar”. We met the owner who was a local artist and he invited us in. There was glow in the dark paint all over the walls and we had a fantastic time there.
Lastly, there are many craftsman, artists, boutique bars, restaurants, and unique travelers all throughout Pai. It takes about 30 seconds to make new friends in this town as everyone is from around the world and has the same free spirit travel mentality. This is how we met our group and ended up staying for an extra three days. Several people we ran into had been staying in Pai for months because they had fallen in love with the town. By the end of our stay, our group consisted of two Dutch guys, three girls from Wales, a kid from Sri Lanka from Doctors Without Borders, two German girls, an Italian man, an American from California, three British girls, a French kid, three Australian guys, and me and my friend. What a hell of a team to have!
Pai is the last haven before you head to Chiang Rai or across the Thai border into Burma. It is a must if you have time while in Thailand. Pai is extremely easy to navigate and has so much to offer. I hope you enjoyed this guide and can use some of the information in your future travels. Safe journeys everyone!
