Despite waves of tourists in recent years, we’re still in love with Mae Hong Son’s hottest tourist destination.

While some contend that Pai was once a serene town that has since been destroyed by tourism, others continue to adore the place. Why else would they pile into a van and endure the thousands of curves along the mountainous roads from Chiang Mai? The truth is that if you avoid high-season (Dec-Jan), Pai can still be largely devoid of visitors and as beautiful as ever, with welcoming locals and affordable experiences.

Shop

Pai’s walking street is the center of everything and the go-to place for all visitors. No matter where you are during the day—up on the hills or at the hot springs outside of town—when the sun sets and street stalls start their business, all visitors converge here for food, shopping and drinks.

T-shirt crazes and more: Pai is a t-shirt crazy town. The 500-meter walking street has no less than 50 t-shirt retailers with more than 500 selections of prints and colors. The most popular places include Slow Shop Pai (slowshoppai.blogspot.com), Pai Republic (Facebook.com/pairepublic) and the very authentic Mit Thai (082-551-7007, facebook.com/mitthai.inpai) that’s been around for more than 10 years. There are also tie-dyed shirts from a group of vendors called Rasta Crazy (085-809-4258) which start from B100.

Sweet souvenirs: As far as shopping for bits and bobs goes, there’s something for everyone. If you’re into cute, pink piglets, you must make a stop at Pic @ Pai. The small stall offers piggies in all shapes, sizes and forms, from magnets to fluffy dolls. Feel Good (www.gaigukguk.com) stocks a variety of handmade sandals priced at B150 a pair, while the Secondhand Bookshop (next to Kanom Chine Nang Yong) is a heaven for bookworms. If you take some time you might even find recent titles at half price, not just old dusty tomes.

Local bargains: Travelers visiting Pai during weekdays will get a chance to experience local deals at Kad Chan on Mondays and Kad Phut on Wednesdays. These local flea markets are stocked with cheap sandals, super fresh vegetables and fruits, including the largest bananas and pumpkins we’d ever seen.

EAT AND DRINK

Street eats: When on the walking street don’t forget to try local snacks like khao puk, made of red rice, and khai paam, which is egg in banana leaf bowls.

Eat Out: Somtam Na Amphur (053-698-087) has been a longtime hot spot for lunch, with its intense somtam and other Isaan dishes. But if you crave Western tastes, head to Witching Well (082-451-5930), a small 10-seat eatery near the corner of Chaisongkram Rd. The Udon-born chef, Anon Rakkaew, who used to work as a cook at Wyndham Thai in Hong Kong, and his boyfriend serve up a wide range of Italian pastas with a touch of Thai hot and spiciness. For veggie lovers, Charlie and Lek (081-733-9055) do mainly Thai dishes, like gaeng liang and spicy salads, made with organic vegetables from nearby farms. Some meat dishes are also available, though. But one of Pai’s hidden highlights is the homemade bread from an Italian man, Pietro, who also owns Natural Mystic guesthouse. Every Tue and Thu he’ll bake three or four kinds of homemade Italian bread and push his small trolley along the street from around 2pm. Though a big bun can cost up to B100, they’re all so tasty and fresh that it’s more than worth it.

Café Society: Pai and coffee are synonymous. Coffee shops are everywhere from the outskirts to the town center. The infamous Coffee in Love on the way to Pai town might be too noisy with its photo-happy crowds, so we recommend a smaller place next to it for a quieter chill-out scene: Pai Na Pai Ta (085-037-7188, 084-805-9784, painahome.multiply.com) is actually a tiny resort whose rooms are made from mud and wood. The café is open to the public and features colorful mats and cushions to sit on and a selection of herbal teas and local desserts. They also boast a scenic view of the valley. At the town center, there are a multitude of cafes, but you haven’t traveled six hours to have Black Canyon coffee (though the shop is cute). The 14-year-old All About Coffee (053-699-429) is still the best place to get a cup of espresso. For a cooler vibe, try La Liead in Pai (laliead.blogspot.com) that’s tucked in a small alley and Café d’tists in front of Hotel des Artists.

BIKE AROUND

If you have more time, rent a motorbike and ride out to nearby attractions, such as the Yunnan Traditional Village or Santichon Village which is a success story in the fight against drug trafficking. Until recently, this community grew opium, but through the leadership of the community head, Santichon is now a tourist attraction, with traditional stewed pork knuckle and other Yunnan dishes as the highlights. The sudden success means the village now offers more than just food. You can also experience some traditional activities as well as buy some tea leaves grown here.

For something more relaxing, around 10km from town center there is Tha Pai Hot Springs for an afternoon dip. Tha Pai hot springs consists of four or five small ponds that are normally packed with tourists during the winter season. Have more time? Book a day trip from nearby tour operators to see the amazing pink flowers nang phaya sua krong at Khun Mae Ya Forest Park before they’re gone at the end of winter season (probably mid Mar).

Essentials

Best time to go

Pai is most popular in winter season when the weather is chilly. But if you ask the locals, they would recommend visiting during the rainy season when everything’s all lush, wet and humid, and you’ll see every tree turn a rich green.

Getting there

You have two choices, starting from Chiang Mai or from Mae Hong Son, but the first option is obviously more popular. Starting from Feb 1, Nok Air (www.nokair.com) operates six daily flights from Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport to Chiang Mai. From Chiang Mai you can choose between buses or vans. Too bad Nok Mini just suspended its Chiang Mai-Pai flights, though we expect these will resume in the last quarter of the year.

Where to Sleep

In town: There are numerous cheap room options in the town center but the newest is Hotel des Artists. (See Grand Opening, page 13)
Outskirts: The safari-themed Montis Resort (www.montisresort.com) is currently Pai’s largest resort with a room starting from around B3,000 while suites at th Evason-like Pai Island (www.paiislandresort.com) start from B5,600.