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Tour Log: Lampang 31 January/1 February, Pai 2/3 February, Mae Hong Son 4-6 February
Mae Sariang 7 Febuary, Mae Sot 8 February, Kampaeng Phet 9/10 February
Saturday 2 February 2013 (2 nights)

All board for Chiang Mai……..Today I have a destination in mind but it’s questionable whether I will arrive there today. With an early start I could easily make it by bus but while considering using Lampang as a stopover I have in mind to use the train which will be a lot slower and not scheduled to depart until 10.27. The opportunity to travel through the mountains by this form of transport is hard to resist. I now have plenty of time before then to pack and prepare to depart. That will include a welcome coffee at the guesthouse and an early lunch later. At 9.30 am I’m ready and wander down to the station my backpack I bought in Jatujak, Bangkok surprisingly comfortable. At the ticket office my plans for today are immediately compromised. As with yesterday the Chiang Mai train is running an hour late. In fact it is much nearer midday before the Express train is on its way to Chiang Mai. I have selected a 2nd class seat; much more comfortable allowing me some sleep but I wake with a jerk. The train has entered to mountains and at a small siding a second locomotive is coupled to the train for the final assent to the summit. The foreign passengers seem excited, poking there camera’s in every direction. I’m here to join the party accentuated by the roar of two engines negotiating the incline. The train enters a tunnel terminating at the summit which the assisting locomotive decouples. One engine will suffice from here. The 51 Express service finally reaches Chiang Mai but it’s nearly 2.30 pm.
A change of plan……..My thoughts of reaching the furthest point in my travels north by the end of the day on this trip had by now receded but were soon killed off completely having been further compromised by lack of research through not having an internet connection in Lampang. Although it’s not far from the railway station to the bus terminal, the red songtheaw, Chiang Mai’s distinctive transport is intent of doing a tour of the city to deposit other passengers. It seems I travel a complete loop being the last to arrive at my destination. With hindsight I should have exited the station and flagged down a songtheaw with would have saved time and money. At the terminal it is confirmed that all transport to Mae Hong Son has departed by now. I’m not surprised. It involves 5 hours through some of the most difficult mountain roads in Thailand by minivan and more than seven hours by bus. Such is the demand that many of the services are fully booked for tomorrow it being the weekend. But as always in Thailand there are options. I could stay in Chiang Mai and make an early start in the morning but I would prefer to make it to Mae Hong Son as soon as possible. As I continue with my enquiries at the bus terminal another option presents itself. I can travel now by minivan but not to Mae Hong Son but to Pai, a little over half way. This unscheduled stop may prove a blessing in disguise.
Hold onto your false teeth!…..The journey to Pai involves using the northern route to Mae Hong Son. It is quicker than the southern route but comes at a price; a plastic bag and motion-sickness pills recommended. The van departs at 4.30 pm. It will be dark on arrival at Pai. I am taking a chance in being able to find suitable accommodation as it still high-season. Half an hour in the van turns onto highway 1095 and into the mountains. From here the 762 unforgettable curves await. The plastic bag proves unnecessary but progress is slow. Still there are spectacular views as dusk falls. At the summit of the pass there is a checkpoint staffed by border police, a reminder that the border with Myanmar is not far away. This stop also offers a toilet break. The trip down the valley is no less demanding but thankfully by 7.30 pm the van arrives in the main street at Pai. However there is still some work to do.
Palm House……..Although Pai has some 350 resorts, hotels and guest houses, such is the demand in high season, that these are often fully booked. So it is that when I start to enquire I’m met with the answer ‘dtem krap’ (full). Naturally those offering the best deals are taken first and those more centrally located. But despite a huge choice I’m going to have to search further afield. The first room I find available is well overpriced and the bathroom not even finished. It takes a good half hour to find something suitable but at least it’s much cooler here. At Palm House at least they have a choice of rooms and soon I am settled in. As mentioned I know little about Pai but it’s soon clear that this is a popular tourist area. From what I do know I’ve decided to stay for a couple of nights. As I venture out, I find myself in ‘walking street, reminding me of the night market in Hua Hin; even more so. In fact the whole area has mushroomed in the last ten years to become an important tourist resort, a fact which had totally eluded me until now. As I look around for something to call dinner I skip the street-food sellers I try an international style restaurant for a change. Big mistake! The food is tasteless and well overpriced but I guess after a beer it won’t seem so bad. However I don’t really need a beer to put me out. The 762 unforgettable curves have seen to that.

Sunday 3rd February

Pai overstay........After three days I finally get an internet connection if only to pick up the usual bad news but now I can get really get to grips with my surroundings and make the most of my stay here. As I venture out the lovely receptionist reminds me that free coffee is available. Great, but I still need to pop out for something but Palm House is convenient for most things I need. Suitable refreshed I make plans for the day. The day starts cloudy and there is still a chill in the air but when the cloud breaks the temperature rises considerably. It’s time for a motorbike ride. My accommodation is convenient for that too. I’ve soon procured an automatic and a local map. That’s it I’m off. It's not hard to imagine the freedom that offers. All the main sites I’m likely to see are listed on the map and I soon find others. There is a natural loop around the valley of the Pai river and I head off initially back in the direction of Chiang Mai with my ‘shopping list’ which starts at the petrol station and includes: Coffee in Love, Pam Bok Waterfall, Kong Lan/Pai Canyon, WW2 Memorial Bridge, Tha Pai Hot Springs, and Wat Phra That Mae Yen. To this I added Wat Gong Geang and the site of a land-slip.
Wat Gong Geang........Wat Gong Geang is a working temple just off the main road to Chiang Mai just a few kilometres out of town. Its Burmese style architecture with a tiered roof is typical in this area.
Coffee in Love........Coffee in Love is a good example of the enterprise of local farmers to take advantage of the mass influx of tourists in recent years. In this case they focus on coffee as a significant cash crop in this area coupled with the fact that Pai attracted huge attention after it was featured in the romantic Thai film, Pai in Love. Its location offers wonderful (romantic) views of the Pai river valley and is beautifully landscaped. It’s located just a few kilometres along the main road to Chiang Mai.
Pam Bok Waterfall……..Pam Bok Waterfall, on the road to Chiang Mai before Pai Canyon, is a secluded waterfall with high cliffs, making this a very cool place to escape the heat and bathe in the shade during the dry season.
The Land Slip……..The Land Slip is a recent phenomenon and doesn’t feature in the published guides. It is an excellent example of the enterprise of a local farmer whose livelihood was a risk after a land-slip, which has widened year on year affected his farm. He has created a walkway to view the land-slip on the hillside and collected together the produce that he still has to offer to tourists. You can sample roselle juice and wine, jam, peanuts, dried bananas and other produce and the farmer only expects a modest donation. Worth a visit on the way to Pam Bok waterfall if only to use the toilets.
On the main road I take lunch at one of many restaurants, impressed by the views and the service.
Pai Canyon (Kong Lan)……..Pai Conyon is signposted from the Chiang Mai road, approximately 8 km from Pai. Somewhat optimistically described as Pai's answer to the Grand Canyon, it’s more accurately described as narrow red ridges with steep-sided valleys, both sides filled with pine and dipterocarp forests. The steep 50 m drop either side and stunning views over the surrounding countryside are impressive, but the path is extremely narrow in some places and requires a scramble in others. A set of steps up to a viewing platform provides the safest way to admire the scenery and the canyon makes the perfect spot for a sunset and, incidentally while I was there, a thunderstorm and resultant rainbow (wonderful).
WWII Memorial Bridge……..The WWII Memorial Bridge is just a little further along the road to Chiang Mai, approximately 8 km from Pai. The original bridge here was built by the occupying Japanese who found the Pai River a testing obstacle in their progress to occupy Burma. More information is on the signboard near the bridge (DSCN0478). The current steel truss bridge which sits alongside the present main road was assembled in its current position rather more recently from one that had been in situ at Chiang Mai. The steel and wood construction reminds one of the Bridge over the River Kwai.
Tha Pai Hot Springs……..Just after the WWII Memorial Bridge there is a left turn back to Pai completing a loop around the valley. A few kilometres along this road is a turning to the Tha Pai Hot Springs. Here there is a facility for bathing in the hot spring water but on the occasion of my visit the spring was closed after the thunderstorm. Entry is 200 baht for foreigners, 40 baht for Thais.
Wat Phra That Mae Yen…….. Wat Phra That Mae Yen is a working temple in the foothills of the mountains on the far side of the Pai river along the back road from the Memorial Bridge. It is constructed in typical Burmese style and is on the tourist trail offering a wonderful view of the sunset. Presently there is construction of a large Buddhist image in Lanna style on the hill above but access is difficult awaiting construction of a stairway.
This completes the loop, the back road running back into Pai. It’s therefore possible to witness the sunset and make it back before dark. I miss dinner relying on snacks so I can concentrate on updating my notes.

Monday 4th February

Chinese Village……..The motorbike needs to go back by 11 am which coincides with my check-out time. By the time I’ve packed, consumed a snack breakfast and complimentary coffee it’s still only 9 pm. I note from my guide map the location of a Yunnan village less than 10 kilometres from Pai. Yunnan is a Chinese province near the border with Myanmar. During the communist takeover many Chinese people fled across the border and some of these settled in Mae Hong Son province. I head to the village and I guess I should not be surprised to find that here too the effect of tourism is everywhere to be found with souvenir shops and Chinese restaurants located in a picturesque hillside setting, beautifully landscaped, the whole spectacle promoting well being. A narrow cement road leads up through the village and to a viewpoint another 4 kilometres away. As I follow this roadway it seems to get steeper and narrower but the Honda automatic, perhaps the best I’ve ever rented is smooth and well up to the job. At the summit there is yet more evidence that tourism has engineered another attraction, the area beautifully landscaped with ample parking space that certainly wasn’t needed when I visited. I was, in fact, the only visitor but gladly paid 20 baht for the wonderful views of the Yunnan village and the Pai valley. If I had the time I would gladly rest here and perhaps take a pot of China tea. As it is I must head back.