http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Asia , Thailand , North-West Thailand , Pai en-us Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:07:57 +0000 Sat, 02 Jan 2010 00:07:57 +0000 Nestled in the mountains of North West Thailand is an adorable little town called Pai. The first thing to day about our favourite place yet is that it is definately best to get the local bus from the Arcade bus station. We decided to do this to save money and sweated our arses off walking half an hour in the midday sun with our backpacks to the bus station. It was the most gorgeous bus journe http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-461642.html Chiang Mai Chiang Rai PaiOK so we organised our trekking trip. Twas awesome. Met an elephant did the bamboo rafting thing which got a bit boring after a while coz you have to stand up the whole time. We were a group of 6 a Czech couple another American and a Dutch guy. We stayed in a village next to the river and just after we arrived some of us hopped in to wash off the sweat from the s http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-460528.html Hallo Ihr LiebenWir mchten heute auch etwas in euren Stiefel packen und zwar eine Nachricht von uns.Nach 25 Monaten in Australien sind wir vor 2 Wochen zurck aufs Festland nach Thailand geflogen. Damit sind wir jetzt wieder auf demselben Stck Land wie ihr. Whrend sich Australien ganz viel Mhe gibt europisch zu sein versuchen das die Thailnder noch nicht einmal. Hier tickt die Zeit http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-458320.html After staying another night in Chiang Mai I went to Pai which is a small and laid back backpacker hide out. There are several hotels and resorts as well as restaurants bars and clubs. My Dutch friends were already there and they stayed in a small resort just outside of town. It consisted of several small huts around a pool and two artificial lakes. Very picturesque. The place was run by a Dutch http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-455431.html Been in pai since yesterday afternoon seems like a real nice chilled out place more like a holiday destination than a town of thailand. I guess it must be judging by the amount of thais we watched buying the usual crap at the night markets. I was having dinner with my new Dutch friend Annelien who I met on the bus out here from chiang mai. She has just finished her law studies and is due to sta http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-454032.html Thanks for reminding me to do this JossieWe ended up staying in Chiang Mai for about a week and a half we met up with Alan and Amelia again and also met an Irish guy called Brian. We all went on a trek together over the mountains in Chiang Mai whcih was amazing It was real jungle and trekking conditions The climbs up and down were so steep and in the sun it was horrible but 5hours later we g http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-451573.html After brousing around Pai's undercover market which seems to only sell candy floss and pyjamas we took a trip on Nelson our honda 125cc beast 11km out of Pai to see Pai's Canyon. Wow what a view you get from up thereRik was brave and venture out onto the thin ridge which had sheer hundred foot drops on either side. I on the other hand stayed FIRMLY on land...Heights Not my friendE http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-446300.html Went out last night sat to the TING TONG bar in Pai with our canadian friend Andrew ... yeah we definalty suffering the conserquences today lol It went Samsun Bucket Whiskey and coke after Samsun Bucket after Samsun Bucket ... ect ... and involved rick falling asleep in the middle of the road and thinking he could walk through fire He of course tried this and then realised he seriously co http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-446031.html Well here we are...still in Pai and LOVING it And what an amazing couples of days we've hadWe've now experianced the amazing Thai Foot massage which was so relaxing and sent us both straight to sleep will definatley be having anotherAnd today we have spent the whole morning deep in the mountains of Pai in their hotsprings which was fantastic. We had the whole place to ourselves and co http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-445145.html As expected I got used to the Western life in Chiang Mai already after a couple of days. I just avoided all chains like Mc Donaldrsquos and Starbucks and concentrated on the other advantages that the city has to offer. Of course some shopping on the night market and some visits at temples had been part of it. Together with Adam and Alex I also decided to take part in another cooking class sin http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-432661.html 6531465345653586535165355653596535512288653316535265357653456535865351653556535965355122886535365363122886534565356653561228865353122886535265345653666534912288653646535912288653636534565369652946532165350122886536965359653651228865367653456535865364 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-431622.html There are 762 curves on the road to Paihellipitrsquos a dizzying journey but worth it Pai is a quiet hillside town very laid back and chilled out. Once wersquod found our accommodation though we were straight on it and heading to see the elephants We went to Thomrsquos elephant camp which had been recommended to us for looking after their elephants well. Transport was provided and B http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-431588.html As the bus wound its way around the mountains on its journey to Pai we were both trying to hold off the feeling of wanting to throw up. When we did finally arrive in Pai we quickly found somewhere to stay that was really cheap really clean and really friendly. Perfecto The people that we saw in Pai all seemed really cool and there was a relaxed hippy feel about the place. We decided to en http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-427234.html Day 7It seems that despite there being a 12 hour gap between taking the travel sickness tablets and going to bed there were still traces of them floating about in our systems. After hitting the sack at about 10.30pm last night the tablets continued to work their magic and we didn't awake until gone 11am this morning. Worried that our day was rushing by we headed for breakfast at the resort. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-424566.html Day 6After an early 7.45am start we showered and headed down for breakfastat in the hotel. Our lift was to collect us from the hotel at just after 9am so we had a little time to check hotel reservations for Pai on the Internet. The truck to take us to the bus station eventually arrived at 9.30am a little later than planned on account of collecting other passaengers from various other hotels a http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-424561.html Pai Although we actually left Pai nearly a week ago we thought you might like to hear what we got up to whilst we were there... if i can remember We spent about five days in Pai and used the time to relax enjoy the breathtaking scenery of Northern Thailand and get to grips with riding a motorbike... and an elephantSo day one we arrived in the pouring rain it really dampens my mood http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-419433.html The sunday market in Chaing Mai is really amazing it doesn't really get going until 5pm but when it does it takes over a massive part of the old city. All the roads are closed and every bit of pavement and road is used by stalls and shoppers. To get around and see the whole thing will take hours especially if you are buying things or stopping to look at items in stalls. We looked arond for 2 hou http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-414650.html Hello Sorry i have been so terribly slack writing on here. I will write briefly and hopefully the photos will fill you in on the restI spent three nights in Bankok and stayed on koh san road. I went to an arts market to the grand palace so beautiful i had tears in my eyes saw some thai dancing some markets and Tung's university where he used to study. Then Tung and i got a bus to his homet http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-414399.html I can hear my dad sing that same song every time we pull out of the driveway ....on the road again... and that's exactly what I was thinking when I took off for Pai this past weekend. I left Friday afternoon with two friends 128 kilometers80 miles and probably about 431 twists and turns we finally arrived in the small somewhat hippie town called Pai. Friday We arrived late in the afternoo http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-413281.html High up in the mountains of Northern Thailand along a twisting road that has more hairpins than a Winehouse beehive there is a paradise called Pai. As our bus pulls onto the main street I spot a group of old hippies with beaded beards deep in conversation outside a cake shop and know this is going to be a very different expat scene. The sleepy pretty streets radiating off the river are fille http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Thailand/North-West-Thailand/Pai/blog-405768.html