The small town of Pai, in north-western
Thailand, is very popular among backpackers who visit Thailand. Lured
by their ravishing tales, I decided to give it a go.
There is nothing special about Pai
itself. There are no amazing temples, the food is mediocre and as in
the infamous Khao San Road in Bangkok, the place lost its
authenticity long ago. There are more guesthouses, souvenir shops and
trekking agencies than private houses, not to mention more Western
food that in any other parts of northern Thailand. On top of the
that, the 4-hour minibus drive from Chiang Mai is a nightmare of 700
turns where you'd better not look out of the window.
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| Relaxing in Pai |
Yet tourists keep flocking to Pai for
the laid-back atmosphere: hippies, yoga enthusiasts and 20-somethings
devoted to smoke weed, but also some hiking enthusiasts decide to
visit this relatively remote corner of Thailand close to the border
with Burma. Oh, and tons of Chinese tourists, to the point that some
of the accommodation especially caters for them.
