Blogs from Pai, North-West Thailand, Thailand, Asia - page 13

Louise's Section So Wednesday we moved onto Pai to chill out. I asked Chris what we had been doing in Chiang Mai as except for the odd Wat or two and the tigers we chilled out there. So what's the difference here from chilling there? Answer: we have a pool and lots and lots of bars and live bands and hippy stalls. Today we have been on a cooking course which was ace. I have a new found love of Thai curries, whatever the colour and had great fun making them. Seems like we left the receipes behind in the pub though, doh!! Apart from relaxing we haven't done much at all, but despite feeling guilty about this I am assured by Chris this is what travelling is about. Most people here go trekking which neither ... read more

May 3 Board a bus made in 1952 with leg room for 12-year-olds and cross a mountain range go to Pai, which has a reputation as a hippy, New Agey kind of place. There's nothing to see there especially, but if you want to shuffle around looking for a guru or an organic farm, it's a friendly, relaxed spot to do it. There are bamboo bungalows by the river, but our room is concrete with hot water and fans and good beds. Ellie wants to move to the mosquitofest that will be riverside living, but our room is so comfortable and pleasant we end up staying there. Anyway, by then we've already met a bunch of people, including Martin, the 'living Buddha' from Sweden, his Chilean paramour Claudia, and Zee, an Australian who wants to be ... read more

Pai ist ein weiterer Ort auf dem Banana Pancake Trail, einer jener Orte, die durch eine Erwähnung im Lonely Planet sich an einen hohen Zustrom von Backpackern erfreuen bzw. daran leiden. Auf den ersten Blick ist das bei Pai nicht ganz verständlich, da es zwar in einer schönen Ugebung liegt, diese aber bei weitem nicht so spektakulär ist, wie beispielsweise in Yangshuo oder Vang Vieng. Dennoch strahlt dieser Ort eine wesentlich angenehmere Atmosphäre aus als das vor allem im letztgenannten der Fall ist. Natürlich mag das auch daran liegen, dass hier momentan die absolute Nebensaison herrscht. Es ist die heißeste Zeit des Jahres und bis zur Regenzeit, die weiter südlich bereits Mitte Mai beginnen soll, dauert es hier noch einen Monat. Zwar kommt abends häufig ein leichtes Lüftchen auf und es regnet auch regelmäßig nachts für ... read more

Checked out, got some grub and wasted time on internet. Got mini bus to Chiang Mai and then on a big double decker VIP bus to Bangkok. Talked to an English couple sat behind us for a bit. Managed to get some sleep though Rob was very fidgety and squished.... read more

After lunch we booked ourselves on a 1 1/2hr elephant trek. We were both a little apprehensive esp when the guide only looked 17! First thing I though when I caught sight of the elephants was 'oh crap, they're big'. Once on them you feel so far off the ground, very unnerving. We trundled along the road and through the forest (both of us were on the back of the same elephant and the guide was kinda on it's head) down to the river Pai where the guy took great delight in getting the elephant to blow water at us and chuck us off into the skanky river :p Being chucked off was a laugh though I wasn't so keen on the 6 ton of water that got up my nose. On the way back I ... read more