For our epic time in Pai we thought we would set out our top tips in two lists, our must Dos & maybe Do nots. 

We hope you enjoy and please ask any questions / let us know if you have anything to add.

Dos

• Do get to the bus station early when arriving & leaving Pai, so you can nab a good seat. We found the majority of people don’t stick to their seat allocation. The front seat next to the driver is also available, so I would ask to sit upfront if you get car sick. Also, make sure the bus driver ties your bag down properly.  The bus company we used were bang on time but mental drivers. Link below for the website we used:

Bus from Chiang Mai to Pai

• Do make sure you visit bars with live music and request a song (mine was the Lighthouse family). 

• Do visit the night market and try a Pad Thai at a stall where they make it in front of you or try one of the wrap stalls (our personal favourite).

• Do try Jikko bar for a few drinks. They provide cute games like jenga and connect four as well as snooker and have live music.

• Do visit the canyon for sunset, it’s just beautiful.

• Do think about when you visit the hot springs as they may be closed if there has been recent heavy rain. The water overflows and makes it unsafe for visitors. 

• Do try a smoothie on the second floor of the cafe by the bamboo bridge. It was so peaceful just sitting and watching everyone walk up and down the bamboo bridge.

• Do compare the prices for the tours on the strip for day activities. Ask the tour if their price includes entry to the attractions as ours didn’t and the price of the tour basically doubled.

• Do head to the Love with Pai restaurant and grab a swinging chair overlooking the beautiful hills below.

• Do hire a moped to get around, we didn’t see any police and it seems 99% of the tourists were riding mopeds. Although if you have read our Chiang Mai post you will know we are too scared to ever rent a moped again!

• Do try a grilled cheese sandwich after a night out, it’s the best thing since, well, sliced bread.

Don'ts

• Don’t forget your anti sickness tablets if you struggle with motion sickness. If you haven’t yet heard of the awful route from Chiang Mai to Pai, just Google Maps it 🤢 (below is an example of a section).

• Don’t hire a push bike if you are going to see the canyon, waterfalls or WW2 Memorial Bridge. The roads are incredibly hilly and we almost gave up.

• Don’t stick to one bar on the strip, try as many as possible for happy hour and take advantage of all the sweet deals.

• Don’t order a large pizza from Pai Siam Bar & Bistro unless you are sharing. They are huge and Maggie had serious stomach issues after demolishing the entire thing.

• Don’t dismiss the free bar vouchers or deals handed out on the street. Some of them offer crazy discounts!

• Don’t be scared of the tiny lizards that appear everywhere, they just want to have a look at you and will then run away.

• Don’t forget your swimsuit or GoPro (if you have one) when visiting the waterfalls. Our favourite was Pam Bok Waterfall.

• Don’t forget to modestly cover yourself when visiting Chedi Phra That Mae Yen (giant hill Buddha) as you will have to rent a bit of material before climbing the stairs. One girl thought renting the shawl cover up meant she owned it lol, that was an awkward conversation to overhear!

• Don’t bother with the ganja tea as it’s just tea lol.

• Don’t go to the first restaurant you see on the strip, do a loop first and then pick. Each restaurant looks so nice when you first arrive but some of the gems are in the middle of the strip.

• Don’t visit the many elephant ‘camps’ where they chain elephants to the side of the road. It’s awful to see them rock back and forward in distress.

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