Pai-radise

A view of Pai-radise

Our smart bungalow!

A happy fish in the water

This morning we boarded a mini-bus heading north-west of Chiang Mai for the sleepy mountain valley town of Pai. Fellow travellers had told us how relaxed and beautiful this little slice of heaven was, but I had to see it with my own eyes to believe it. Pai is a town whose city-planning fits comfortably within four main streets. It sits in a valley surrounded by jungle-topped mountains and etched by snaking rivers and streams. Modest bamboo bungalows dot the riverside and hillside where backpackers converge to kick-back and soak in the beauty of the surrounding scenery.

Zach and I settled ourselved into a little place called "Pairadise", which has proven to live up to its name. For 500baht/night ( $15cdn) we have our own private cottage-style bungalow complete with a hammock on our front-veranda. It overlooks the man-made swimming lake where on occasion a fish jumps out to say hello. We are here for 2 nights before making our way to the Laos/Thailand border where an adventure with the Gibbon Experience awaits us. Here is a more detailed description of what we will be doing. Now if only the weather can hold!