There is a common saying and theme here in Pai and that is a ‘Pai Hole’. Unlike the familiar sounding ‘pie hole’ as a replacement term for mouth. A Pai Hole is the term to describe the town as a Venus flytrap and tourists the flies. People come here for 2 days and end up staying 2 weeks. We even overheard someone who ended up staying 7 months and counting! Pai is a laid back place with lots to see and do, and drink and smoke if you are into that. It is easy to get drawn in to the hippy clothes shops, jewelry stores and the many sights of Pai.

We began the day by hiring a bike and heading to Yun Lai viewpoint. The panoramic view displayed the valley and little Pai town nestled below. The cafe served teas and coffees and a small gift shop lay adjacent to the cafe. After some time taking in the view we hopped on the bikes and headed for Bamboo Bridge.

This peaceful area had a not so peaceful road leading to it. The amount of potholes and dislodged concrete made the British roads look as smooth as a baby’s bottom! We were jolting and turning and bouncing and vibrating and shuddering all the way to Bamboo Bridge. We passed a waterfall on the way which made the dreadful drive at least a little scenic.

Bamboo bridge is a walkway built above farm plantations of various herbs and vegetables. It is made out of bamboo (no shit Sherlock) interwoven together creating a walkable mesh. We sauntered along taking photos on the various attractions as we went round; swings, bamboo heart seats, ladders. Feeling peckish we had some fried rice and a pad Thai for only 80 baht total- that’s less than £1.50!

Next stop was the thermal springs. Due to the flooding they were shut but fingers crossed they are open tomorrow. Instead we head back, put on long clothes and went to Big Buddah. The Buddah of Pai is white with a large number of stairs leading up to it. We got way too hot.

Our final stop of the day was Pai Canyon. A central jungle is boarders by red rocks with some jutting out to form catwalks perfect for viewing sunsets. We chilled and cooled off as we watched the sun set over the mountains.

Dinner was back in Pai in the night market. The food was amazing and we finished the night with blueberry filled doughnuts.

-M