Nestled amongst pine-covered mountains, with log cabin shops and restaurants that sit peacefully between autumnally changing trees and babbling brooks, one could quite easily imagine themselves, if only for a moment, in the American mid-west on a sunny October day. But this is Pai, so far north in Thailand that we’re almost waving at the Burmese. A self-confessed hippy town, Pai is filled with vespas, chai shops and tie-dye t-shirts, and dread-locked Thais playing acoustic guitars whilst wearing said tie-dye t-shirts. At the heart of this quirky little place is a music scene unlike any other in South East Asia (so I believe), which inevitably draws backpackers (also dread-locked) by the bus load. Yet whilst so unashamedly touristy and border-line cheesy, both of which would usually spoil my enjoyment of a place, Pai is so delightfully charming that you can’t help but forgive it. Tourists come to Pai and and end up becoming locals, finding so much enjoyment and comfort in the place and the people. We encountered one American traveller who had arrived in Pai in September and decided it was just too wonderful to leave. Though it seems there isn’t much in the way of “things to do”, one could quite easily while away the music-filled days and nights just being here; falling in love.
My family have always poked fun at my hippy tendencies. On one occasion, when in pirate fancy dress, my brother asked, “but isn’t that what you always wear?” Throughout my explorations in the world of fashion, the little hippy inside has been kept safely locked up. Over the past year, dressed head-to-toe in “Jigsaw”, there has not been even the slightest glimpse of her. But here, in Pai, she has finally been set free, escaping in a flurry of tie-dye and long skirts. Travelling the world, shoeless and carefree, she is given mostly free reign, but in Pai she is in her element.
Our days have, mostly, been whiled away enjoying steaming cups of chai, exploring the kooky shops and markets and with me trying to convince Phil to buy a tie-dye t-shirt (I’m pretty sure I got close with this, but to no avail). Our accommodation is essentially a wooden tee-pee with a mattress on the floor, but the setting is gorgeous and we feel wonderfully relaxed. Everyone here emits an incredibly chilled out vibe, and you can’t help but catch the bug.
On the third day, we rented a motorcycle to explore the surrounding area. The landscapes around Pai are mountainous and spectacular, although exploration is limited as there isn’t far you can go without ending up a) in Burma, or b) on the road headed back to Chiang Mai (which was great but not a patch on Pai!). What we did discover was a spa resort that charges the Thai equivalent of a pound to use their hot springs and swimming pool. We had heard about the famed hot springs and this is what we went in search of, but, disappointingly, they turned out to be too hot and unfiltered, with an overwhelming stench of sulphur (which, if have never smelt it, smells exactly like rotten eggs). But the swimming pool was a lush infinity pool surrounded by wooden decking and comfy loungers that looked out onto a picturesque view of clear blue sky and glorious green mountains. That morning I had been hormonally grouchy, but spending the afternoon in this tranquil paradise, I felt so at peace that I could quite easily gone back to our tee-pee and fallen straight to sleep.
Instead we went out for a delicious dinner and then headed, on our motorcycle, to an art exhibition opening on the outskirts of town. This can only really be described as the biggest gathering of hippies I have ever encountered together in one place. The exhibition itself was fairly small and very weird , but the event surrounding it had stalls selling handmade jewellery and textiles, tasty vegetarian fare, vegan cakes and steaming cups of chai and herbal tea. There was a huge fire pit around which you could sit, cross-legged, to enjoy the open-air acoustic concert, which we did and it was wonderful. Uncharacteristically peaceful, I slept very well that night.
These few days have shown me exactly why people come to Pai and never leave (not, obviously, in a morbid way!) Everyone, it seems, is relaxed and happy and enjoying this new life that they have discovered here. We spent four days enjoying its delights, and, though there is nothing to really do, per say, it felt like such an inadequate amount of time. However, as is inevitable with travel, our visas are fast nearing their expiry, and so we are forced to leave Pai, with all its bohemian loveliness. Though heading for a new place, and all the excitement and cultural changes that come with that, we feel that this time in South East Asia is fast running out. Reaching Laos, our fifth country of the seven that we are visiting in this part of the world, reminds us how quickly the time is passing, and the desire to slow it down is rife within us.
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