Pai, Thailand: The Hidden Shangri-La of Northern Thailand

Driving from Chiang Mai to Pai requires navigating over a thousand turns. Most travelers who opt for the bus face a four-hour journey and might want to take motion sickness medication beforehand. However, we rented a mountain bike in Chiang Mai, which got us there an hour faster than the bus. Despite a turn almost every 100 meters, neither my companion nor I felt carsick. About an hour after leaving the city, the changing scenery outside the window made us feel we had truly entered the mountains. The crowds thinned from “few” to “none.” Along the way, we stopped at a rest area (where nearly all vehicles heading to Pai pause briefly). Though small, it offered snacks and drinks. As we lingered, gazing at the endless rolling hills around us, our anticipation for the vastness of Pai grew even stronger.

On the map, Pai and Mae Hong Son appear almost parallel, but in reality, Mae Hong Son’s route feels as if it lies above Pai. Riding a motorcycle from Pai to Mae Hong Son takes about three hours. Before entering Pai, you’ll first see an “iron bridge” standing beside the highway. Originally the only link between the two areas during World War II, it was later replaced by a new bridge built nearby, allowing the iron bridge to retire gracefully and become a historical site for future generations to remember.

The serene and peaceful atmosphere of Pai made us pause and breathe in the view time and again — endless rice fields stretching toward distant mountains and the sky, with farmers carrying tools often passing through. Even the town’s only bustling “downtown” area is a flat valley surrounded by mountains. We picked up a map at the tourist police center and first drove to the more remote “Nan Lu Shan Di Village” (Chinese Village) in the north, as well as the “LISU Village” just across a stream from it. It’s surprising how this humble village of just 200 households is so unassuming that it’s almost invisible. Shop signs in the village often feature friendly Chinese characters. It turns out this was once a settlement for remnants of the Kuomintang army, and most villagers are of Yunnanese descent or their descendants. Wandering through the village, we saw almost no tourists, just a few local youths gathered in front of a teahouse, chatting and sipping tea. They seemed shy when talking to us. Though every one of these young people under twenty spoke Chinese, none had ever been to China. Most families here make a living through farming, living in harmony with nature every day. For them, this northern Thai mountain town is a small paradise where their families have thrived for generations.

Before heading to Mor Paeng Waterfall from the mountain village, we had a meal at a noodle stall by the creek at the village entrance. A middle-aged local woman served us authentic Yunnan rice noodles. A little girl darted in and out of the house playing, carefree and happy. She seemed a bit shy at first when she saw strangers, but soon returned to her joyful laughter, making us want to play with her too.

 

Apart from hot springs and elephant camps, Pai is home to many waterfalls — four in total, located between two and twenty-eight kilometers from the city center. We chose Mor Paeng Waterfall, about a ten-minute drive uphill from the mountain village. The stunning scenery along the way made us ask the driver to stop several times. There were almost no people here, only scattered houses hidden in the valley and rural resorts. The waterfall entrance felt like the end of the road. The powerful sound of rushing water echoed through the dense forest — we heard it before we saw it. Descending down the slope, the cascading waterfall came fully into view, bringing a sense of joy in discovering such a hidden gem. Surprisingly, we found a group of American and New Zealand travelers who had arrived even earlier than us. They had taken off their shirts and were preparing to jump into the water, having a great time. A female friend in a stylish bikini sat resting on a rock by the stream below, perhaps mustering the courage for her own grand leap.