The sleepy hippie town of Pai is situated 135kms northwest of Chiang Mai, roughly halfway to Mae Hong Son. As you enter the Pai area, the mountain road makes a meandering decline into a large green valley of rice paddies and fruit groves. Mountains shelter the town, which is named after the river that runs through it. Pai is just a tiny place with four main roads, but offers a rich bohemian atmosphere where you can collect your thoughts and commune with nature. There are plenty of charming guesthouses, relaxed restaurants and bars catering to both Western and Thai palates, and local trekking companies and handcraft shops.

A decade ago, Pai was virtually unknown and it has today developed into a thriving, multi-cultural town. Fortunately, it has retained its down-to-earth feel and the prices here are still cheap, making it especially popular with backpackers and free-spirits who sometimes stay here for months.

Pai is a small town, halfway between Mae Hong Son and Chiang Mai, situated in the Pai valley. The Pai river crosses the valley, surrounded by beautiful mountain scenery covered in jungle. The Shan people established the first permanent community in the Pai valley more than 700 years ago and it was given the name "Pai" the Shan word meaning migration or escape. Since then many visitors have come to Pai to escape from the congestion and busyness of the cities.

Pai has still not been taken over by mass tourism and local people still go about their everyday lives - at the markets selling, buying, farming. Most of the Thais who live around Pai descend from one of the nearby hill-tribe villages. In these villages you will find a huge variety of cultures and languages including Thai, Thai Yai (Shan), Lisu, Lahu, Akha, and Karen. If you hike in any direction, it won't take long before you encounter one of these villages.