Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Wat Phra That Mae Yen
( daylight hours)
This temple sits atop a hill and has good views overlooking the
valley. To get here, walk 1km east from the main intersection in town to get to the stairs
(353 steps) that lead to the top. Or, if you've got wheels, take the 400m sealed road that
follows a different route.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Wat Nam Hoo
(Ban Nam Hoo; daylight hours)
Wat Nam Hoo is about 2km west of Pai and houses a
sacred Buddha image said to have once emitted holy water from its head. The place is
popular with visiting Thais and there's a small market on the grounds.
BUDDHIST TEMPLE
Waterfalls
There are a few waterfalls around Pai that are worth visiting, particularly after the rainy
season (October to early December). The closest and the most popular,
Nam Tok Mo Paeng
,
has a couple of pools that are suitable for swimming. The waterfall is about 8km from Pai
along the road that also leads to Wat Nam Hoo - a long walk indeed, but suitable for a
bike ride or short motorcycle trip. Roughly the same distance in the opposite direction is
Nam Tok Pembok
, just off the road to Chiang Mai. The most remote is
Nam Tok Mae Yen
, a
couple of hours' walk down the rough road east of Pai, just before the turn-off to Fluid.
Other Sights
VILLAGE
Ban Santichon
About 4km outside of Pai, a small market, restaurants serving Yunnanese food, tea
tasting, pony rides, a tacky recreation of the Great Wall of China and a
mountaintop viewpoint
(admission 20B; 4.30am-6pm)
make the former KMT village of Ban Santichon not unlike a
Chinese-themed Disneyland.
Tha Pai Hot Springs
(adult/child 200/100B; 7am-6pm)
Across Mae Nam Pai and 7km southeast of town via a paved
road is this well-kept local park. A scenic stream flows through the park mixing with the
hot springs in places to make pleasant bathing areas. The water is also diverted to a couple
of nearby spas.
HOT SPRINGS
Pai Canyon
NATURE RESERVE
