Pai, Mae Hong Son

We flew to Pai and stayed in a Cottage at Belle Villa, Pai which is a few kilometers from walking street. Walking street is where everyone must when they go to Pai. I would say it is center of Pai, many activities are done here, such as eating, shopping, sending postcards, listening to music, etc.

View of Cottage and Morning fog.

Walking Street at 6pm on weekday; tourists are buying T-shirt screening about Pai and sending postcards.

There are 8 must-go places around Pai, which we can finish in one day. There are Wat Phra That Mae Yen, Tha Pai Hot Spring, World War II Memorial Bridge, Pai Canyon, Coffee in Love cafe, Wat Nam Hoo, Santichon Yunan Village, and Mo Paeng Waterfall.

P.Ou was in front of the viharn of Wat Phra That Mae Yen; view of Pai from Wat which tourists usually come to take picture of sunset and Pai at night.

At Tha Pai Hot Spring, right picture is pool for tourists to take a bath and left picture is 80-degree Celsius for boiling eggs.

Back to World War II period, the bridge was forced to build and destroy when Japanese left. Pai people rebuilt the wooden bridge in 1946 but it was destroyed again in 1973 by huge flood. Nawarat Steel Bridge was sent from Chieng Mai as requested by Pai district office and it took 1 year to complete the work. However, the bridge was damage by flash flood in 2005, the concrete bridge was built to replace until now.

Pai Canyon or Kong Lan is interesting place to test how brave you are to walk on the narrow ridge. The red cliff has been eroded long time ago creating the 20 meter-deep valley amidst the scenic settings of the red hill of dry dipterocarp and pine forest. It is best to visit this place in early morning or late evening otherwise it will be very hot.

Coffee Break before lunch at Coffee in Love Cafe.

Wat Nam Hoo was built in Ayudhya period. It is a place where a famous Buddha image called Lunag Po Une Muang is situated. Since the bun of the image could be opened and is always full of water, it has become a very respected image for Pai people. Behind the viharn, the pagoda intered cremains of Phra Supankanlaya is located.

Santichon Yunan Village is where we went to have lunch. It was unbelievable delicious. Chinese Yunan have moved here long long time ago and live here peacefully together with other tribes. Traditional red clay houses were rebuilt as hotel for tourist. Tea, dried fruit, and Chinese trinket are also sold here.

Mo Paeng Waterfall is a small waterfall that many come to swim. It easily reaches by car. It is very kind of our guide that took us to Wat Luang as a compliment. Wat Luang is main temple of pai and located at Pai center.

See more pictures of this trip at http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/HHG4dyS1z6Bixbr1Dj8ZjA?feat=directlink

Chieng Mai - Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden

Following Thai government policy of Discovery Thailand, we travel domestically to Chieng Mai and Pai, Mae Hong Son in early January. See picture of this trip at http://picasaweb.google.com/arthivon/ChiengMaiPai?feat=directlink

In Chieng Mai, we visited Queen Sirikit Botanic Garden, located 27 km northwest of Chieng Mai at the foothills of Doi Suthep-pui, Mae Rim, covering area of about 6,500 rai or 1,000 hectares. The garden was established in 1993 and is the first botanical garden of the country with its aims to serve as a center for botanical studies and research, a center for conservation of the Thai flora, and a place to provide botanical education and aesthetic displays for the general public.

With entrance fee of Baht 40 per person and Baht 100 per car, there are many facilities and interesting places to see. We found "Glasshouse Complex" is the most interesting which we spent an hour to observe the display of various kinds of plants, such as rain forests plants, cactus, lotus, orchid, etc.

For people who like walking and adventure activities, there are a few trails. Thai Plants and Medicinal Herbs Trails is a beautiful route showing 1,000 Thai plants, provincial symbolic tree of Thailand and local medicinal herbs; to complete the route takes about 30-45 minutes. Arborta Trial takes 45-60 minutes which more than 10 families of plants, such as bananas, palms, cycads, ferms, gingers, etc. are displayed. The other trial is Rock Garden-Thai Orchid Nursery which takes about 30-45 minutes, this trial passes Mae Sa Noi Waterfall, the Rock Garden and ends at Thai Orchid Nursery where about 350 species of native orchids are collected here.

We had lunch at Pong Yang Ang Doi as recommended by my friend. This place has remarkable view and unbelievable tasty food.

Chieng Mai - Wat Chieng Man

In B.E. 1839, King Mengrai (frim Chieng Rai), King Ngam Muang (from Payao), and King Ruang (from Sukhothai) built a royal residence and sleeping quarters at this site and began construction of Wat Chieng Man as the same time as they began construction of the new city called Chieng Mai. When the temple and city were completed, they constructed Chedi or Stupa where the royal residence and sleeping quarters had been, and enshrined a sacred hair relic of the Buddha inside the Chedi.

In the evening, we dined at Huen Pen which is northern Thai specialist. The decoration of the place is interesting and it was yummy again.