Pai (6-9 Sep 13)

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And so it was with some melancholy that I said goodbye to my home away from home that is Bangkok, and took the long (but it must be said, very comfortable) 16h overnight train ride up to Northern Thailand. This would be my second time in the region - the first was just over a year ago, barely months into the beginning of my travels, when I entered the country in the north from Myanmar. I'd originally planned on spending time there before I headed down towards Bangkok, but an unexpected visit to the capital by my grandma saw me zooming down by plane to meet her there for the few days she was going to be in town. And with it went my original plans of exploring the much talked-about northern loop of Pai-Mae Hong Son-Chiang Rai etc earlier.

But now I'm back, and after a quick overnighter at the regional capital of Chiang Mai (which I did manage to explore for several days last year), I headed straight to Pai, yes that of the drug-induced hipster notoriety. And it was thus with some satisfaction when I arrived, feeling somewhat accomplished at continuing a mission that had effectively been over a year in the making.

And Pai sure didn't disappoint. A welcome relief from the brashness of the capital, Pai is indeed, as LP describes, "a state of mind". It certainly deserves its reputation as the hippy enclave of Thailand, with tie-dyes, dreadlocks, reggae music and slow movements the norm here, with an additional bonus of a conspicuous lack of over-zealous tuk-tuk touts. Time definitely slows down here in Pai, and even though the town centre itself can be explored in less than a day, the environs of the northern highlands beckon any motorcycle warrior. The place even seems to have lost some of its narcotic edge, as apart from signs in my guest-house prohibiting its use, I didn't really observe much overt consumption, though I certainly wouldn't bet against it still being a preferred activity amongst the town's denizens. High or not, languid Pai certainly provided a nice contrast after months in bustling Bangkok, and made for a nice start to my time on the road again.

Stayed at Baan Sang Heaun.

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Photos

Falling in Love in Pai
More rainbow-hippy-esque feel good vibes. Interestingly, Pai is one of the few places in Thailand where there are more Caucasian woman-Thai man couples than the other way round.

Mae Nam Pai
Budget bungalows flank both sides of the river. THB150 a night and up on low season.

Pai Police Station
But no, that's not really why I took this pic. It's the framed rainbow between the trees. Perfect for psychedelically hippy Pai.

Coffee in Love
Yes, that's what this place is called, and it's a bona-fide tourist attraction on its own, with breathtaking panoramic views of the Northern Thai highlands.

Pai Canyon
Rather treacherous-looking steep ridges.

WWII Memorial Bridge
The history behind it is sombre, but that's not stopping the Asian tourists from taking cutesy-pie photos. And yes, that IS Jack Sparrow helping out!

Picture Perfect in Pai
This place is called The Treehouse.

Picture Perfect in Pai
I've seen my fair share of the rolling hills-verdant padi combi landscape on my travels, but Pai still ranks up there.

Even the locals can't get enough of the view...
At what is known as the Chinese Village.