When I arrived in Chiang Mai, a number of people in my
hostel were talking about Pai. I literally had to look it up on the map. I had
never heard of it. But after a week of being in a hostel of people raving about
it, I found myself traveling there. I
found it incredibly odd that everyone and I mean everyone would review
something so positively all around. It just doesn’t happen. There is usually at
least one person who isn’t psyched about a place. The hostel I was in, in
Chiang Mai, Spicy Thai, had a sister hostel in Pai so the transition was
relatively easy.
A three and a half hour winding, mountain road mini bus ride
later I found myself in the center of a kitschy, hippie town. (They say there are 762 turns between Chiang Mai and Pai.) The ride is
incredibly beautiful as it wraps through the mountains of Northern Thailand but
as we started to enter Pai, I thought to myself…really? There were cafes with
giant strawberries and huge gaudy signs that seemed more fit for Disney Land
than a place in Thailand. Once we actually got into town my attitude changed.
There were cool little shops with clothes and artisan wares. People with dreds were all around and no one was wearing anything
that didn’t look like they went from bed to the town. Let’s just say it is
hyper relaxed, pajamas encouraged.
The hostel was just out of town but with my pack it felt
like a million miles. I kept thinking this can’t be right but it was. I was
happy I arrived in the daytime as I was walking down a strange road with
motorbikes whipping by and I was only about 50% sure I was going the right way.
When I did arrive at “Spicy Pai,” I was pleasantly surprised. The hostel was
made up of a hut/ almost tree house looking system of buildings surrounding a
large fire pit. Mountains surrounded the whole area and a white Buddha statue
could be seen on one of the hills. I
thought this can’t be real. The lounge is also one of these buildings, raised
up off the ground, open air and dotted with hammocks. I was excited.
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| Spicy Pai Hostel (Note the Buddha on the hill, it is white because it is still under construction. It will eventually be gold. ) |
One of my favorite things about Pai, besides the uber
relaxed nature of it, was the night market. The main street, trust me, you ‘ll
know which one, sets up a night market each night. It was an olfactory delight.
There were the odd trinkets, jewelry, hand made leather boots, scarves and
travelers pants but the real reason to go was the food. Just like in Chiang Mai
you can get a really cheap dinner in the night market. Hot drinks served in
partial bamboo stalks can be found dotting the market and they put on a show
while you wait. After your walking dinner you can easily stop by one of the
many bars, some even have fire pits in their indoor/outdoor sections. The bars
tend to close on the earlier side but one is always willing to stay open late
for the hardier partiers. The Buffalo Bar plays European football games and a
number of the bars have live music.
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| Bamboo stalk hot teas. |
I liked Pai but I don’t think I liked it as much as everyone
who came back that first week I was in Chiang Mai. It reminded me a lot of the
sleepy, east coast Carribean towns of Costa Rica. There is a drug scene in Pai
even though it is quite illegal. Pai leans in favor of the partiers, the
hippies and the people who want to relax and do nothing. The sites themselves
are so-so except for the natural beauty. So if you head to Pai be prepared with
a book, an empty belly and good friends.
