Thailand: Pai - Where is Pai and how to go Pai from Chiang Mai?

Although i have been Thailand for countless time, but i have never been northern Thailand.

I can never forget what Lloyd told me about Pai in New Zealand, he said that is his favorite place in his 3 month Asia backpacking trip.

Although Malaysia is the neighbor of Thailand, but i never knew a place like Pai in Thai until Lloyd tells me in 2 years ago. He said Pai is indescribable  you have to go and stay to experience what is the beauty of this little town.

Since than i was planning to go Pai, but always some other trips came in and i forced to delay Pai.

In September last year, John ask me to pick a destination for our first year anniversary trip, and Pai is my first and only choice.

There is a airport in Pai but i don't think any international flight stop in the airport, so we brought ticket to Chiangmai and take minivan for the 762 curves from Chiang Mai.

Yes, there are only 150km from Chiang Mai to Pai, but the minivan have to take 2 to 3 hours to reach, because there are 762 curves from Chiang Mai to Pai.

A is Chiang Mai Acade Bus Station, and B is Pai. You can see the curve from the blue line. 

If you wanna save time, you can choose to take Nok Air from Chiang Mai to Pai, reach in 20 minutes but both way ticket is about RM300 - RM400.

For us, i really wanna experience the 762 curves of the mountain road, Lloyd remind me to not miss the beautiful view all the way to Pai, so we take minivan after we take our motion sickness pill.

I will share how to go Pai from Chiang Mai to kick start my Pai trip.

How to go Pai from Chiang Mai?
1. Flight - Chiang Mai to Pai by Nok Air, 20 minutes flight, 2 ways tix cost abour RM 300 to RM 400.
2. Minivan - Chiang Mai to Pai take about 3 to 4 hours, across 762 curve in the mountain with beautiful view, one way ticket 150bath (RM 15)

If you take option 2 like us, you might be asking how to take minivan and time.

The bus station is within 20km aways from the airport, the minivan is very frequent, depart every 1 to 2 hours.

From A point, Chiang Mai airport to B point, Arcade Bus Station to catch minivan to Pai and other places.

As for us, we reached Chiang Mai airport about 830am, then we catch a taxi to the Arcade Bus Station
(not the one beside river), and buy the minivan ticket on the spot.

How to go Chiang Mai Arcade Bus Station to take minivan to Pai?

1. Take taxi in the airport, tell the driver to Arcade Bus Station, or tell him you want to take bus to Pai (one way taxi fare 180 bath)

2. Walk into the old bus building and look for any ticket counter, people will direct you to right counter.

3. Buy your ticket, and double confirm the time (they depart earlier or late without announce) and know which is your minivan.

We decided to take 1030am minivan, so we have sometime to for our breakie. Local food stall, 7-11 is across the road, so you can have your quick bite and restock before depart.

John snapped this. For your reference. 

We can understand no word in our minivan ticket.

Our minivan that share with 10 people and lots of grocery. As Pai is not a develop place, driver will usually bring stuff from ChiangMai on the order basis for the villager. 

They bring stuff like BBQ equipment. 

We understand nothing, but local buy ticket here, i guess this is cheaper. 

We departed half hour late, glad that day is a great day, or i cant imagine how am i survive all the way to Pai.

I mean the curves is really bad, so curve that you think you're in off road rally.

Lloyd suggests us to take motion sickness pill and i really thanks his reminder. 12 people in the minivan, 3 were suffering car sick and throw up in the car.

Obviously driver is experience, he prepare lots of plastic and paper bag in the car. But you can imagine the smell in car :S!

We sit in the middle row of the van when we go to Pai, when going back to ChiangMai we ask for front sit. Sitting front can avoid car sick but you will defo not sleeping.

I took a short clip on one of the curve when we were going back to Chiang Mai.

                                         

Imagine 762 of these all the way. Now have you feel sick already?

We depart around 11am from Chiang Mai, stop for lunch and toilet break around 1230pm, 62km to go to Pai.

62 km to go.

Lunch on the village that we cross, Chiang Mai special food, Khoa Soi, taste like Laksaa in Malaysia.

The food stall we had lunch is selling dry worm too, John want to buy one and i threaten him i will break up with him if he get this. 

My advice to take minivan from Chiang Mai to Pai:

1. Do take motion sickness pill, do not think 762 curves is nothing, do consider the driver fast & furious alike driving skill.

2. Do not rent a bike or car to Pai, the driver told us accident happen everyday, this is road on the mountain, you do not know familiar to the road too.

3. Avoid depart in early morning (thick fog, so poor visibility) and evening (sky turn dark, no road street light all the way to pai)

4. Take the front seat to avoid car sick, or more exciting view of road, haha.

Alright, next post will be Pai's hotel review and maybe some picture of the town.

I'm going to work soon so bai bai!!!





Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
20130318, 1117am
Rach in monday blue mood.

Cambodia: Siem Reap - Siem Reap Street Foods and Lucky Mall

John always say i don't have guts, because i refuse to eat most of the street/local food when i was travelling. (Hello at least i eat raw octopus leg man!)

I got a reason for that, because i don't wanna ruin the trip by getting myself food poisoning (i have weak stomach ever since i come back to Malaysia. Ok you may say i'm getting old so my immune system gone bad).

I had a very bad food poisoning in my Nepal trip last year end, that really killing me and spoil my birthday trip. I shall blog it out after Siem Reap and Pai.

Back to this post, this is the last Siem Reap post and all about street foods and the street.

Lets start with the food, and later the street.

1. Bamboo Sticky Rice

Malaysia has bamboo rice as well but we're really curious what is the different between Malaysia and Cambodia bamboo rice, so we let the driver stop and give a try on the way we went to remote temple.

You can find this along the way to go out from town, lot of stall that selling bamboo rice on the road side.

we don't even get out from car, just wave the window down and make the purchase. 

I do have some photo but blur, luckily we took down a video and you might wanna see it how the rice look like.

This is not exactly same with Malaysia version of bamboo rice, the rice mix with black/red bean so taste like a dessert more than a main dishes.

The rice smells nice, i think they put in some coconut juice in it to make it taste rice.

I don't remember the price but this is not expensive at all, probably like RM2 for one, and one bamboo portion is big enough.

2. Fried Spring Onion Cake

This is not the first time we see it, I believe you have seen this in Malaysia or Thailand, just like us.

We saw this on the roadside of Pub Street, we were hungry and John wanted to try.

The juice on the plastic plate taste sour, go well with the oily salty cake. I must say the square cake is nicer than the round one, crispy on the outside and soft in the inside, the spring onion smell really good.

While the round one is just okay, thick glutinous rice flour cover some spring onion, i feel kinda oily.

If not mistaken, about RM2 or RM3 for 3 pieces, you can choose all square one or mix with round one.

3. Baguettes 

FYI, Cambodia was French colonial country, you can still found alot of French-style building in the town, some very old Cambodian people can even speak French there.

Baguettes is important for Cambodian, just as important for the French. You can see baguettes selling everywhere, and you can find baguettes in the local market.

Stall that selling baguettes is very common on the street, people buy it for either breakfast, lunch, dinner or tea.

Of course Cambodia baguettes is not eat it with butter or jam, and ham or cheese, they localize to Cambodian style and i think its worth to try it.

You can choose to go with local hot and sour salad or grill pork with salad, but the pork looks a bit freaky for us.

Local baguettes stall

this is the pork, its look like cooked pork with red coloring. 

and this is local salad. Refreshing.

Baguettes is cheap here, with RM2 to RM4 you can easily fill your stomach, we had at least 5 baguettes in the whole trip and tasted differently. Every stall has their secret receipt for the sauce and salad.

Here come to the end of street food. Now we move on to the street.

Siem Reap has only one or two shopping center, we when to the one named Lucky Mall.

In this Lucky Mall, you will find Lucky Fast Food, Lucky Supermarket, Lucky Bookstore and Lucky Restaurant, all under Lucky Group, haha.

We wanted to get some local product as sourvenir so we stepped into this Lucky Mall, and we actually had our lunch in this Lucky Fast Food (FYI Siem Reap has no any international fast food chain).

Lucky Mall.

Lucky Fast Food

We got 2 pieces of fried chicken and coconut pie, $2.90

John later add on a hamburger and sausage roll.

The food is okay but i really like this coconut pie, so damn yummy yet not too sweet! Why McDonald is not selling this?!

And then we went to Lucky Supermarket to get some souvenir and survey what is selling in the local supermarket.

And we found few interesting things.

This is scorpion and snake drink. Look so freaky. I think the scorpion and snake are real. 

Variety of beer, and so darn cheap!!!!!

John say: "Hey look at the Apple latest product, iMee!" =.="

I have seen egg in white, yellow, brown and even black, but i never see raw red color egg. 

We stepped out the supermarket with some local instant noodle (i love trying local instand noodle) and walk back to the hotel.

Below are some street / interesting photos that we snapped on the way back.

The street is not too busy

dog ride a tuk tuk :D

ultraman milk make him a happy boy.

this is petrol station, i'm serious.

this damn crocodile freak me out =.=

"The world is a book, people who don't travel only get to read one page. " I cant agree anymore. =)

Here come the end of Siem Reap post, i'm goin start ChiangMai and Pai soon. Then Nepal and Samui are following.

Yea, i just got back from Samui and Koh Tao yesterday. I wonder when can i finish all my trip post T.T

Okay la bai bai!

130308, 0904am

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Rach in lack of sleep mood.