Impressions from PaiPai 
, December 2017
Thailand Backpacking Part IV: Pai, hip small town in the northwest
Two days in Pai, a small town located in a valley surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery. Excursions by scooter to Kho Ku So Bamboo Bridge, Pam Bok Waterfall, Pai Canyon (Kong Lan), Land Split, Big Buddha and the Buddhist temple Wat Sop Phaem.
Pai, hip small town in the northwest - Thailand Backpacking Part IV
Pai, once a quiet hippie village, now a trendy destination in the green northwest
We left Chiang Mai in a minivan and reached Pai, a small town in the northwest of Thailand, after 135 km and over 750 curves. In the past, Pai was a quiet small town, but today it is a popular destination especially for young and young-at-heart backpackers. Even before arriving, we had rented a small hut with veranda and hammock away from the city center for two nights, which we then reached in the late afternoon. After a shower, we walked into the city for our first exploration. On Walking Street in the center, the night market that is held every evening was just set up, a nice mix of delicious food stalls, handicrafts and more souvenir stalls. After some time and various culinary stops we went back to accommodation and spent the evening on the veranda. From the direction of the city, basses droned into the night, Pai is probably now also a destination for dance enthusiasts.
Excursion by moped
In the morning, we slept in and went to a few sights outside the city, which are best reached by scooter. So quickly rented a scooter from one of the numerous providers for 24 hours and off we went on our first own ride in left-hand traffic. After a stop at a viewpoint with a beautiful view into the valley including the river that gives it its name, we drove to the Land Split, a trench that was created as a result of two earthquakes in 2008 and 2011. We walked through the impressive, partly 5m deep, cracks and crevices and refreshed ourselves at the end with cold hibiscus tea, which the owner of the property offered to the guests for a small donation along with other products of his farm.
Next stop for us was the Pam Bok waterfall with its small natural pool. Afterwards we drove further along the road towards Kho Ku So Bamboo Bridge. This is an 800m long bridge made of a wooden frame and bamboo netting, which leads over rice fields. These were already harvested to our visit, which seemed to be of no further interest to a few water buffaloes including young animals.
On the way back to Pai we visited the Buddhist temple Wat Sop Phaem and climbed the 350 steps of the long white staircase to the Big Buddha Pai (Wat Phra That Mae Yen White Buddha). We were rewarded with a fantastic view into the valley and the surrounding mountain landscape.
Back in town, we satisfied our hunger again at the food stalls on the night market, bought our return ticket to Chiang Mai for the next day and took another small walk through the less touristy corners of Pai.
Pai Canyon, hotspot for sundowner
Since our minivan should leave already in the early afternoon to Chiang Mai, we use the morning to look at one of the highlights with the Pai Canyon (Kong Lan). The few kilometers there were quickly brought behind us with the scooter and so we had enough time to look at the canyon, a natural sandstone formation with partly steeply sloping rocks. The extremely narrow paths in some places were all unsecured, so surefootedness and a certain amount of caution were in order. Besides us, there were maybe a handful of other visitors on site, so it was very relaxed to walk around there. At sunset, it can be quite crowded and bustling there.
Back in Pai, we returned the scooter, he and we had remained unharmed and also from the controls of scooter-riding tourists on the part of local police we were spared. On the way to the minibus, we bought some provisions and "looked forward" to the winding return trip to Chiang Mai.