[top photo: Having a splashing time with the elephants.]

by Joleen Lunjew

The numbers 762 together with the word Pai on a backpacker's T-shirt aroused my curiosity. Where in Thailand is Pai, and what's with the numbers? A few questions later, I found out that Pai is a tiny town four hours north (by bus) of Chiang Mai.

And 762? Well, if you depart from Chiang Mai, you'll have to endure 762 road bends up a mountainous road to the town.

To get to Pai, head to the Chang Pheuak Bus Station, north of Chiang Mai city. There are two types of buses that depart hourly from the station (air-conditioned and non air-conditioned). Which type of bus you end up with depends on what time you get to the station.

It was just my luck that the next bus departing was the non air-conditioned one. I didn't want to waste another hour waiting for the next so I decided to take it. The fare was B74 (S$3.10). The fare is double for an air-conditioned bus.

Riding public transport in Thailand is an experience in itself. The seats are small and cramped, even for me, with not much leg space in front (I'm as tiny as can be). I pitied the two farang ("foreigner" in Thai) who were seated in front of me. They were cramped in their seats with their knees almost touching their chests.

Children of the Lisu Hill Tribe.

The seats were mounted on metal legs that had rusted away and were replaced by welded rods while the soft suspension allowed us to feel every single hole and bump in the road.

Air circulation was two auxiliary fans that managed to blow more hot dusty air than cool. As it was the dry season (April-June), the bus felt like one big oven. Our shirts were soaked within the first five minutes.

It couldn't get any worse than this, right? Other than the uncomfortable riding conditions, the first two hours were bearable because the village roads were flat. The weather cooled down a bit in the third hour as we began to climb the mountain.

The roads began to get steeper and the bus had to tackle sharp corners on narrow roads, sometimes dangerously missing oncoming traffic. We were thrown from side to side in our seats and it was quite impossible to sleep.

I was thankful when we finally came to a rest stop. There was a man selling some sort of pills there, which turned out to be motion sickness pills. The colour and packaging looked dodgy, so I passed. We had only an hour left to go but I was feeling nauseous by the time we reached Pai. Bring your own medication if you do decide to make this journey.

A slice of heaven

Despite the torturous journey, Pai is a picturesque and peaceful place, nestled within a lush valley beside the River Pai.

The town has a rich bohemian atmosphere. The hippy trail here is alive and well. Quaint, cosy guesthouses are aplenty, with the nicer ones along the river bank. There are plenty of upmarket boutique resorts here as the place is popular with wealthy locals from Bangkok and Chiang Mai during the cool autumn and winter season. It can get quite cold with temperatures dropping to 4°C at night.

Reggae bars can be found around almost every corner, and local men with Rastafarian hair are not uncommon. It's clear that reggae is a big part of local life. They even have a yearly International Reggae Festival here in January. Next year's festival will be held on Jan 24 and Jan 25.

The town is small, comprising four main roads that can be easily covered on foot. Scooters are available for rent. Despite the small local population, the place has a domestic airport, police station, hospital, post office, convenience stores and most important of all, Internet.

At night, you can walk along the street market where rows and rows of makeshift stalls are set up along both sides of the road. There are plenty of tourist souvenirs and local crafts to buy. A few natives from the hill tribes can be seen in their full traditional costumes selling tribal handicraft. Do support them if you can.

The locals are very proud of their little town and there are many art shops that sell craft to remind you of Pai. From notepads to stickers, mugs and clothing, you can see that a lot of thought was put into each creation. No cheap tourist knock-offs here. They have a few art galleries displaying amazing paintings and photographs too.