Ferry from Koh Chang
In 2009 my wife and I did two weeks holidays at Pai in north Thailand. From Koh Chang we traveled by ferry and VIP bus to Bangkok‘s Hualampong Train Station. From there we took the Train up to Phitsanulok where we arrived at 1:30 at night. Moun and I slept one night in a small guest house close to the bus terminal. On the next morning we took a public bus to Sukhothai where we watch the old temple ruins. Here at this historical destination in Thailand we checked in the “Old City” guest house as well just for one night because we took the bus to Chiang Mai in Southeast Asia on the next morning. From Chiang Mai we had a minivan connection to Pai in the Mae Hong Son province. We stayed around 10 days in this cozy village in the north of Thailand.
Train Station in Bangkok
One day we rent a Motor scooter to explore the Mae Hong Son province. First we went to the capital of the province where we watch some Asian temples. After we drive to a Longneck Karen Village where we meet the hill tribes. Our last destination on this travel day was the Tham Pla Fish Cave on the way back to Stone Free Bungalows in Pai. After the Songkran festival we traveled back to Koh Chang. We took the public mini bus to Chiang Mai at 08:00am. From there we had a good travel connection to Thailand’s capital Bangkok. We arrived at the Mochid Bus Terminal. From there we took a first class bus back to the pier. The first ferry at 06:30 we took back to Koh Chang Island and we arrived at about 9:00 am on the next day at or bungalow at Big Elk.
Click here for Mae Hong Son Hotels and accommodation deals.
Temple in Mae Hong Son
At the beginning of April 2009 my wife and I was traveling by Motor scooter from Pai to Mae Hong Son in north Thailand. We started at 6:00 am because the trip to the province capital need about three hours and we wanted being back before the Sun leaves behind the Mountains. On the way are many Scenic Areas which offer a great panoramic view over the Asian Highlands. We arrived at about 9:15 at central Mae Hong Son. Our first destination was the Crossroads Restaurant where we did a stop for good breakfast and a delicious fruit shake. After we went to Jong Kum Lake to watch the Wat Jong Kum and the Jong Klang Temple. On the way out of town we stopped at Wat Pha Ang to make some pictures of the beautiful Buddhist Temple. The Temples look a bit different than in other regions like Bangkok in Central Thailand. The Province Capital have many other Temples which you can visit: Wat Hua Wiang, Wat Muay Tor, Wat Phra That Doi Kong on a hill and Wat Phra Non where you can watch a Reclining Buddha Statue.
Temple Drum
If you want to stay at this Asian City you will find a Guest House or Hotel around the Jong Kum Lake, or read the Lonely Planet Guide. On the way back we was traveling to a Longneck Karen village named Ban Nai Soi which is 15 km out of the city. This was the highlight on this day for me. Before we went back, we drive to the Tham Pla Fish Cave which is on the way from Mae Hongson to Pai. The landscapes here in this Southeast Asian Mountains are amazing, take a look in your Travel Guide and don’t miss this beautiful destination in Thailand.
River near the Fish Cave
The Tham Pla National Park is around 18 km out of Mae Hong Son City and easy to reach by Motorbike. After arrival you will walk over a nice bridge through a beautiful park with old trees. The way at long a river is about 500 meters to the Fish Cave with a holy Hindu Nara statue which should protect the carps. The rare carps can be up to one meter huge. The tables and chairs at the Tham Pla park invite for a break to relax under the shadow of the high trees of Thailand‘s highlands. Between October and Mai you can recognize some rare birds who singing a song of the nature. For more informations about the Fish Cave at Mae Hong Son ask at a TAT office or look in your South East Asian Travel Guide. We visited the cave on a day trip from Pai to Mae Hong Son by Scooter on the way back to Stone Free. Before we went to Baan Nai Sai Village. It’s a perfect combination of culture and nature for a nice Travel day in North Thailand.
Longneck Karen
The minority village Ban Nai Soi is about 15 km out of the state capital of Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province in the north. It’s easy to reach by Motorbike. Just follow the signs to the Longneck Karen Village. In the 18th century the Burmese-tibeto origin come to the north of the Kingdom. The woman’s of this “type” of Karen minorities wear metal rings around her neck’s which let them look as a longer neck than other people. Nobody knows really why they do that, but they wear it since generations. Some people believe that they wearing the rings to protect them self from tiger bites. Other ones think the Longneck woman in Thailand’s Mountain wear the metal because than they are not attractive for men from other hill tribe minorities. Some travelers or backpacker don’t visit the Karen villages in North Thailand because they think that they destroy the culture. I think it’s ok to visit them when you follow some rules. For me it’s important to know something about the people and the art of living before I visit the village. Just in this way it’s possible to respect the lifestyle and the culture of the Karen. Inform yourself is it ok for them that tourists come into the Thai villages in Asia. Some Minorities don’t like that the travelers make pictures because of religious aspects. Don’t touch statues or sth. like that, maybe it’s holy for the hill tribes. My point of view is: if you know something’s about their life, you can respect that and if you want to visit the Longneck Karen its ok so long you leave nothing instead of used air and footsteps at the village. No waste and no inspirations for a different life so far it is possible.
Ban Nai Sai Village
For us it was the second time that we visit Karen Minorities in North Thailand but the first time that we meet the Longneck woman. Our first time was at Chiang Mai’s Doi Internon National park. We traveled by motorbike from Pai to Ban Nai Soi village near Mae Hong Son town. It was a nice trip at long the beautiful landscapes of the highlands in Asia. The village is about 500 meter long and on every side of the path are simple bamboo huts where the Karen lives. One Longneck Girl give me a neck ring, I think it was about five kilogram heavy. I read before the metal on their body’s can be up to 25 kg. The people are friendly and it’s nice to see how happy people can be without commercial thinks far away from shopping malls and other civilization thinks here on this quiet spot in South East Asia.
Bungalows in Pai
Around 1,2 km out of town on the way to the Mo Paeng Waterfall you will recognize small and peaceful Bungalows next to a cozy river. It called Stone Free Bar and Bungalows. Here you can find accommodation to relax, chill out, read a good book or think about your last and next Travel destinations on your South East Asia trip. The friendly owners are helpful for Travel tips and make your time here in Pai in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son Province to a highlight on your Travel Tour. This is the perfect place for Backpackers who just want to hang around, make some party and listen to good music. Jimi Hendrix, Dire Straits, old blues from the early 60´s, Job 2 Do (Thai Reggae) or Bob Marley singing here from the morning to the evening from CD.
Our Bungalow @ Stone Free Bungalows
From while to while the Sticky Rice Blues Band will entertain you with world-class Live Music. The cheap prices are perfect for travelers who travel on budget tour. The price for a beautiful Bungalow for two people was in April 2009 200 Thai Baht. The food at the Restaurant is as well good, cheap and very fresh here at Stone Free at Pai. You have the choice between traditional Thai or Western food at the wooden bamboo Restaurant. Around the grass ground are a lot of flowers and huge trees which spent you shadow from the tropical Sun of Asia. The small river next to the rooms cools down the temperatures as well. The short way to the center of Pai in North Thailand is easy to handle by foot, motorbike or by the free shuttle service of the Stone Free Thale / Mhog Bar. The bamboo huts at this Guest House are one of my favorites in Thailand and Southeast Asia. Good price, good food, good friends, good music and much more are landmarks of the beautiful Guest House Stone Free in North Thailand‘s highlands. When you see the cozy huts on the small river the question: where to stay at Pai is gone! Maybe you stay longer as your plan was to relax and spent some time with the friendly locals here in Pai at Mae Hong Son. The best way to come here is by Motorbike which you can rent next to the Bus Terminal in the center or by the free pick up service of the Guest House. Call +66 819 010 364 for the free service and more information about accommodation at this small village at the north of the Kingdom. The surrounded Mountains will frame this place to a highlight on your Travel Tour. Try it; you don’t will forget your holidays at Stone Free in Asia’s Mae Hong Son.
Thale Mhog
The Restaurant of the Stone Free Bungalows in Pai runs under the name Thale Mhog as a tribute to Thale Bungalows on Koh Chang. The Thale Mhog Bar offer good Thai and International food for a fair price. The owners who run the Bungalow Park are very friendly and helpful with all questions around Pai and north Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province. In the evening you will find time to relax by a beer or Sangsom soda and you can forget your all day life in a nice atmosphere. Come and find new good friends here at Thale Mhog which can be the highlight on your Travel Tour through Thailand.
Butterfly at Thale Mhog
Breeze of Pai
The Breeze of Pai Guest House is direct in the center of the small village Pai in north Thailand. The Bungalows are surrounded of a tropical garden with big banana trees and other exotic flowers. The Huts with Air Condition was 500 Thai Baht and the Rooms with fan 350 at August 2008. All rooms have a comfortable King size bed, a hot water bathroom and a balcony. Next to the River of Pai are a wooden chill out lounge with hangmooks for relax from the travel stress or read a good book under huge trees which spent shadow. Breeze of Pai is a family management guest house. The friendly owners are always open for travel questions for Thailand and Southeast Asia. A good Restaurant is just next door. The Family House serves delicious food; fresh fruit shakes and have a laundry service. It was a nice holiday at the Breeze of Pai accommodation in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province. It’s the right choice for all travelers who like a quiet and peaceful place on their way through Asia.
Click here for Pai accommodation and hotels.
My wife and me was in august 2008 direct after Chiang Mai in Pai. Pai is a small village at Mae Hong Son province in north Thailand with 3000 habitats. Here is everything small and idyllic. Small Restaurants, Cafe’s (like: All about Coffee, Pai Now, Sincere Coffee…) and guesthouses with style and ambiance dominate Pai. We was staying at the Breeze of Pai guest house next to the River. Some other good accommodation in Pai are the Lisu Hotel and Baan Pai Village. The most famous tourist features are elephant riding, rafting, hot springs, three waterfalls and some minority villages not far from Pai.
Pai Mae Hongson
The main sight is Pai itself! Musicians, artists. spirituals and backpacker must be fans of Pai in mae hongson. The mix of all give a harmoniousness cityscape. The harmonies of mountain and woodland is amazing. Actually i come to Pai to visit a friend who have some small bungalows and the Stone Free Bar at this beautiful part in mae hong sorn. Before he was living on Ko Chang and was the owner of Thale Bungalows. I was living 1,5 years in his Bungalows direct on the beach.
Siri, owner of StoneFree Restaurant
Nearly every evening sounds live music out of the pubs. Blues, Reggae, Rock n roll, jazz and many more options You have. Some famous locations for nightlife in Pai are “Buffalo Hill” and “Mellow Yellow“. The Pai hot springs come out of earth in a evergreen forest and runs into a small river. The natural river pools have about 40-50C, perfect for a hot mineral bath in the nature. The river witch runs slowly and easy through the mountains can be a mirror of the lifestyle of the habitats here in northern Thailand.
The slow river in Pai
One of my favorite sights in Pai is the “Nam Tok Mo Paeng” waterfall. This Waterfall is easy to attain with a motorbike (scooter). Its about 7 km out of the center.
Nam Tok Mo Paeng waterfall
The Stonefree bungalow park offer some easy but beautiful possibilities to stay. In the evening you can see the sunset over the mountains on this spot. The restaurant of Stone Free offer good and cheap foot, many good friends and a amazing ambiance, in nighttime you can listen to the “Sticky Rice Blues Band” which play from while to while at Thale Mhog in Pai.
The beautie in Maehongson is surrounded of ever green mountains who catch the clouds. From the “Wat Phra That Mae Yen” temple You have a good viewpoint over the environment and over the mountains with neon green rice fields. At the Chinese minority village you can see a beautiful Chinese open air temple with a big golden Dragon statue.
Temple at the minority village
After one week it was time to say: see you again Pai! We was going with a bus back to Chiang Mai and from there we book plane tickets to Bangkok Suwannaphumi Airport. The AirAsia flight was cheap and good. From the capital we took a taxi to Leam Ngop to reach the last ferry to Koh Chang at seven pm. For this trip in the north of Siam i used the Lonely Planet travel guide for Thailand.
My result for Pai: Its beautiful, one of the most beautie villages in south east Asian i saw right now! Amazing! Visit this small village in Asia, You will enjoy if you like quiet and relax holidays.
PAI: Love in the mountains!
Our second time in Pai
In April 2009 we come the second time to Pai to make holidays. We stayed about two weeks over the Songkran Festival. Compared to our first time here in this cosy village we did nothing, just relax and hang around with some friends. Just one day we did a daytrip to Mae Hong Son, Tham Pla Fish Cave and to a Longneck Karen village. But actually our normal day was like: we woke up at the morning in our Bungalow next to a small river, had breakfast than we walked back to the hut where we chill on our balcony and listen to the sounds of the nature. After lunch we sit on grass, talked and drunk some beers with some friends. At the late afternoon we droved nearly everyday to the central market in Pai to buy something for dinner. After food we was sitting around a small fire and went back to bed early. Pai in north Thailand is the perfect place to do nothing! The highlands around the Bungalows are beautiful, especially at sunrise when the fog hang inside the Mountains.
A road through the Mountains
After sunsent you will reconize some forrest fires in dry season. The Rain are rare in this time and the Asian Forrest are realy dry, so becareful where you put your cigarette. We enjoyed our holiday’s here at this peaceful place in Thailand and we will come back if we find time. Pai at the Mae Hong Son province should be a “must see” destination for Backpacker in Southeast Asia!
