Pai was one of the places that I knew I couldn’t miss in Thailand. Notoriously known as the “hippy town” of the North, Pai is a city in Thailand that travelers visit and never leave— and truth be told, I met multiple people in Pai that had made it their home, some having lived there for months now, some over 6 years.

There are vans running every hour full of backpackers from all over the world along the 3-hour Mae Hong Son Loop from Chiang Mai to Pai, and while this route seems unexciting the first hour, if you've heard anything about Pai, you know what you’re in for. The rest of the way up the mountain is equipped with 762 curves. You’re literally being whipped back and forth in your seat as you ascend, the van driver barely avoiding the motorbikes flying past you—and the even riskier mountain bikers. I was prepared to be nauseous during the ride, but I ended up falling asleep halfway there, proving further that I can sleep anywhere if you give me the chance. (The ride home was not at all so peaceful. I sat smashed in the 4-person back seat next to a woman throwing up in a bag full of oranges the whole way. No one batted an eye; this is obviously the more typical reaction to the ride).

I’d booked a little one-person bungalow for Pai after having stayed in bunk beds the past week or so, and I was so excited for the peace, quiet, and solitude. Of course, when I showed up in the little town and walked away from the group of amazing people I’d traveled with from my formal hostel, I questioned my decision. My morning plans, I told them: canceling my room for the next night and moving over to where they were staying. This was confirmed even further after my multiple mile walk in the dark with all of my stuff through the entire center of the town and into the outskirts. With each step I thought where the hell am I going and where did all the people go until I stumbled upon a local family eating dinner outside who confirmed that in 500 kilometers, I’d reach my hostel. Which meant nothing to me. (I never got the miles to kilometers conversion down...)

But, hey, if you haven’t guessed yet, I never moved hostels. I stayed right in that baby bungalow and I fell in love with the place. (Are you getting a good idea of who I am as a person yet?) I had a huge bed and a bathroom all to myself, an in-ground pool five feet from my door, and a hammock that I laid in every morning. For about $9 a night. It was a bit far from town, but I rented a scooter the next day, and I was set.

This light blue, bulky, old school scooter, priced at approximately $4 for 24 hours, was my ticket to Pai. I’d never rode one before, but the guy showed me the controls in two minutes, and I headed straight for the Land Split. The Land Split actually isn’t on any map, but you can’t miss it on your way to Mhor Phaeng Waterfall. It’s a farm that randomly split in 2008, 2 meters wide and 11 meters deep, ruining the owners’ crops and income. So in natural Pai fashion, they decided to take advantage of the organic hibiscus plants growing in the cracks and turn it into a tourist attraction. After you walk through the grounds, which is a short, but fun hike because of its rough paths, they provide you with as much free fruit and juice as you want. All these lovely people ask for is a donation of your choice. It’s a must-go if you’re ever in Pai, and it’s the perfect rest stop before heading to the nearest waterfall.

Sadly, the Mhor Phaeng Waterfall was pretty dried up at the time I was there; Pai was entering its dry season. But it was still beautiful around the area, with rocks forming cave-like structures and shallow lukewarm water. The dirt road back to this place was narrow and sketchy to say the least, so I didn’t stay long because it was getting dark and I was awful at driving that scooter my first day. I almost ran head-on into a couple, came millimeters from skidding off the edge of a cliff (seriously), and I drove on the wrong side of the road multiple times. I don’t think I took a full breath until I parked it that night.

I met my friends from Chiang Mai at the night market later on, my favorite night market in all of Thailand. It was small in comparison to the others that I visited, as Pai is such a little town, but it was vibrant, unique, and bustling. This place could probably be called the San Fransciso of Thailand. All the streets in the center of town were full of vendors and buskers and scooter drivers trying not to run into the masses. The stands weren’t all selling the typical, tourist-y Thailand garb full of tribal patterns and elephants. There was refreshing, inimitable art and jewelry made by local artists. And their street food was something I missed for the rest of my trip. There were SO many vegetarian options in Pai that I didn’t have enough time (or room in my stomach) to try everything I wanted to try. Before I headed back to my bungalow for the night, we watched these two phenomenal Thai dudes sing and play guitar in a little bar full of cushions on the ground for outside seating. Pure hippy town bliss.

To be honest, as exciting as the place was my first day, I was unsure about my impression. This is definitely an unpopular opinion...but there was an authenticity that was lacking and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe it was the mass amounts of drunk Westerners crowding the streets, or the fact that more people had dreads there than didn’t have dreads (okay, not quite, but basically). Maybe, it was the baggy tie dye pants or the conversations I heard in the bars: all have you seen the moon and consciousness and I-hate-my-country’s-politics. Look, it's not that I don't love this stuff (if you know me, you're probably thinking: what Lizz? That's you, home girl...) It was just all a little much. As if the town, or the people in it, had dressed themselves up and sold out. As if it used to be an escape, but had become way too overrun with tourists and stereotypes.

Or I was just being judgmental and needing sleep. I can be awful with first impressions. So I headed home early, and planned to explore on my scooter in the morning to figure out why everyone was so in love with Pai town.

Check out Pai Part 2 to find out if I did. ;) 

♥