Day 322: Pai

North Thailand is dotted by mountain ranges, rivers, and deep valley villages to explore. On advice from Toby from Germany, we rented a car and drove 3 hours through Daen Lao mountain range to get to Pai. Hilariously enough, we went to the wrong car rental place and the rental ladies drove us to the airport 🤣

The road curved and tilted up the mountain; there were remnants of past land slides that tore up the road and partially blocked sections. In a few cases, the road was crumbling on the cliff. With single lanes we ebbed and flowed with traffic, occasionally passing a really big truck struggling up the hill.

Pai itself is nestled in a geothermal valley. We began with the Kong Laen Canyon which was shaped by rainwater and wind. The cliff’s erosions resulted in collapses or landslides that created deep gullies and channels. We scrambled between crevices to reach certain viewpoints; the ground was sandy so carefully placed feet and hands were key to avoid slipping down. Well worth the bouldering.

Next we hit Mo Pang waterfall where young people swam, sun bathed, and slid down a natural slide. There was a local guide who showed where to jump off the rocks, slide down them, and even slid with them. Mary forgot her swimsuit so we elected to watch everyone else live dangerously. Eventually we climbed up higher into the waterfall.

Our final stop included Santichon Village. The village was settled by Chinese people who fled the Chinese revolution of Mao. The people are a mix of Yunanese, Thai hill-tribes people and former Chinese soldiers. Traditionally, opium was the village crop but has been replaced with tea fields; apparently old Chinese soldiers use to run around the streets in their old Republican uniforms, automatic rifles in hand.

We ate a delicious Yunanese meal and wished we dedicated more time to Pai. The drive home with the sunset was beautiful. If you do visit north Thailand, we insist to give more days to Pai and the surrounding villages in the north.

Food:
Yunanese noodles
Yunanese soup
Moo Pan Pee

Spots:
Pai
Kong Laen Canyon
Mo Pang Waterfall
Santichon Village
Yun Lai ViewpointRead more