Lazy days in a hammock are a favorite in Pai....

.."Lazy days in a hammock are a favorite in Pai, along with just staring at the mountains and rivers... "
pronounced as "bai" or "bye"

The sleepy hippy town of Pai is situated 135kms northwest of ChiangMai, halfway to MaeHongSon. As you enter Pai area, the mountain road makes a meandering decline into a large green valley of padi fields and fruit groves. Pai is a tiny place with 4 main roads but offers a rich bohemian atmosphere where you can collect your thoughts and commune with nature. Trendy cafes and boutique B&B, slow pace of life and lots of cyclists and motorcyclists..

A decade ago, Pai was virtually unknown and today it has developed into a thriving, multi cultural town. Fortunately it has retained its down-to-earth feel and prices are still reasonable, making it especially popular with backpackers and free-spirits...who sometimes stay for months. Recent consciousness of health and environment has largely reduced the open consumption of opium or marijuana and even normal cigarettes are a rare scene !

Pai can be reached by bus, 3 - 4 hrs from ChiangMai and less from MaeHongSon. We rented a little car (we would recomend a 4wheeldrive) and it takes less than 2 hrs fr ChiangMai ..very good roads on highway. However off highway, watch out for the thousands of pot holes. Contrary to the many write-ups in the Net regarding the weather & road conditions on this "MaeHongSon loop" , we assure you it is totally safe even in our normal city wheeler ! thanks to our Asian upbringing, we are much "toughened up" and can eat practically everything!

so Peterpatterpot takes to the road ... 1180km road trip, 1864 curves or even more..

The loop



















....THE ADVENTURE HAS BEGUN.....OCT 19 - 27TH 2010 ...
"YOU'LL FORGET ABOUT TIME AND WIND"

Our Road Trip - "The ChiangMai - Mae Hon San Loop has a spectacular view"

..anticipation of Pai with its therapeutic natural hot springs, sounds of birds in their scantuary and spectacular view of lush plant life..

..soaking in the natural mud bath ..

and of course , looking forward to lazy hours on the hammock













map of MaeHongSon loop

















With no plans nor any fixed itiniary, just only a night booking at The Small Boutique Hotel, Chiang Mai, our road trip takes us with the wind and our spirits from ChiangMai up northwest to the quaint village of Pai, thru rice fields to the southwest to Mae Hon San, southbound to Mae Sariang, remote refugee camps at Selewin River at Border of Burma and Thailand and then head eastwind back to ChiangMai thru the mountains of Doi Ithanon (2,565m).

in the littliest and timid looking smallest car they have a 1.5l engine Toyota-Yaris, amazing feat and destinations we achieved ..drove a total of 1180kms, used up 3000baht of petrol91 (abt 32c per litr)...and even recolored the white car to a yellow brown ! 2 main local rent-car companies in ChiangMai we found, Journey and Pop. After checking rates we decided on Pop for a small Auto Yaris for 950baht per day...good deal.

a choice of this, this or that ....










and we got this ! strong and tough













Maps are easily available but you'd need a good navigator, thanks to ours, we always manage to get there miraculously!!!
Thanks to our angels who are definitely on overtime, have lead and taken good care of us thru out the whole road trip.. check out the curves ! 1864 of those..


























when in Pai eat local - noodles at sidewalk ! yummy, yummy...
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