It seemed that the further north we went, the better we liked what we found. We really enjoyed Chiang Mai, which made us want to go even further. Popular choices were Chiang Rai and Pai, and the latter won due to a recommendation from one of my best friends. He said it was his favorite place in all of Thailand, which was enough of a reason for us to go.

And what a go it was: Although it’s only 84 kilometers north of Chiang Mai on the map, the street actually stretches for 128 kilometers, and includes a staggering 762 curves! Even being used to Swiss mountain roads, that’s quite a number. The curves are so numerous and narrow, large coaches don’t even go to Pai. You’ll have to catch a small mini-bus for 16 or so people – and even in that, it’s quite a ride. We like to think of ourselves as pretty much immune to curves, heck, we even love them (depending on the ride we’re on). But we really had to focus and look out the front windshield in order not to throw up – which the lady behind me did, repeatedly.

After a rough 3 hours, you’re rewarded by somewhat of a gem: Although tourism obviously has reached (and changed) Pai, somehow the town managed to keep that sleepy, a bit remote image we were looking for. Just north of 2000 permanent inhabitants, its center is easy accessible by foot. The outskirts, where many of the (nature) attractions lay, are a bit further away, but since you can get a scooter for as low as 100 baht (less than CHF 3) per day, everything is pretty much within a 15-minute reach.

Most of the action takes place on the so-called Walking Street, which closes for traffic of any kind every night from 6 to 10 pm. Countless restaurants, small shops, street musicians and stalls with amazing street food make this an ideal place for an evening stroll.

So many things to try…

Not only did the town really appeal to us, we also found one of the best accommodations we’ve had so far on our trip. 3 km outside the town center, the owners Park and Noom created what felt like an oasis of beauty and peacefulness:

Yes, we actually slept on top of a pond.

Called Ban Nam Hoo, it’s a handful of small but very lovely decorated bungalows, in the midst of a really nicely kept green area. In the main area, there are many different hangouts, little square spaces with cushions, low tables, hammocks and reclining chairs.

Early morning beauty.

There are 12 cats and 2 dogs, all of which were found on the street and taken in by the owners. There’s a fireplace, which we used every night to make a campfire (it does get pretty chilly at night…), and to top it all off, Park and Noom are really good cooks! Since Pai offers endless amounts of food options, we had to limit ourselves to breakfast and fruit juices at Ban Nam Hoo, but that was something we won’t forget so easily.

One of the nicest rides we’ve seen so far can be found going north, by the way: The street up to the Cave Lodge and the surrounding caves near Tham Lod is a feast for the eye – and the wheels. Endless sweet curves, surrounded by a thick, green flora…just sweet.

Me wife – quite the bike rider!

Another highlight was the cooking class we took: We were fortunate to find BeBe Spice, and Thom, the owner. She’s way cool, used to work in the UK, and has a great sense of humour. We caught her on a slow day, meaning the two of us had her all to ourselves. The day started with a breakfast at her place, after which we spent almost two hours on the local market shopping ingredients. We had chosen 4 menus each beforehand, and she indicated to us what to look for. Upon returning to her place, she started out by explaining some basics of the Thai kitchen to us, and off we went. We spent a large part of the day cooking Stir Fry, Thai soups and curries, invited a friend over for dinner, and finished off the night with drinks at her bar. We were handed a little booklet with popular menus, and indications on how to reproduce them even with missing ingredients back home. We loved it – thanks Thom!

Hard to believe I actually made that, right?

Yes, Pai is a keeper. It’s the first place we felt we could have stayed for a longer period of time. Touristy, yes – but not overly so, and in no way bothersome. Agreeable climate, impressive landscape, awesome food and very relaxed people – we could get used to that.