Wondering what the best way from Chiang Mai to Pai is. I know that there's an airline that flies from CM to there, but it seems on the expensive side and I don't know if I'm interested in going that route--thought it might be more interesting to drive it, mostly for the scenery...and I hear it's quite the stomach-turning experience.

Anyone know how far the drive is?

This will help in our planning for flights in and out of Chiang Mai.

Also, what's a good amount of time to spend there? 2 nights? 3 nights? I know it's a sleepy town and we'd love to spend some time just biking around and taking in the mellow vibe--just not too long.

Distance wise it's not far, only about 140 kilometers from CM but the drive itself will take you about 3 - 4 hours of casual driving(I've done it in 2 hours but that was with my wife yelling at me the whole way). There are over 900 curves and bends but the scenery for most of the way is nice.

Two nights will be perfect IMO. I highly recommend the Quarter Hotel in Pai, new and modern with the best amenities in town.

http://www.thequarterhotel.com/

The flight is 12 seater, more of a scenic flight - but it's fast!

http://www.sga.co.th/en-GB/index.html

Just back from Thailand last week and we spent 2 great nights in Pai.

We hired a car from CM and the drive took us about 2.5 hours. Driving is on the left but the road is good with hardly any traffic and the scenery is fabulous. There are some really steep curves, hairpin bends and amber cambers but worth every mile as is the onward drive to Mae Hong Son. Another benefit of driving is you can stop en-route when the mood takes you.

In Pai, we looked at the Quarter hotel and whilst it is probably the best & most stylish hotel it is also the most expensive. Tou can get a basic wooden hut on the river for as little as 200 THB per night or more comfortable accommodation from 1200 - 1800 THB.

There are loads of places to eat and we found a really nice restaurant called Paille. The owner/chef is French and the menu is small but a nice alternative if you fancy a change from Thai food.

We we're not so fond of MHS - we cut our stay from 2 nights to 1 night. The Fern restaurant was reccommended to us as the best place to eat and the food was great.

Have great time.

Thanks for the advice so far, guys.

vhs (or Hanuman), did you end up checking out Rim Pai Cottage when you were there? I'm kinda stuck between staying there and the Quarter. Both are somewhat within price range of each other and it's hard to pick between the two--Quarter seems a bit more 'flashy' and less authentic maybe?

Any other lodging recommendations?

Also, how would you recommend spending our time there? Is 3 nights too much time?

I've only stayed at two hotels in Pai, Belle Villa and The Quarter and I like the Quarter the best.

From looking at the Rim Pai web site it does look more rustic and more traditional Thai so if you like that kind of a hotel then I guess it should be fine. For me I like a hotel with comfortable modern beds(similar to the Four Seasons) with high thread count sheets, great a/c, flat screen tv and a very nice pool.

There are several very old temples around Pai which you should visit and most of these temples will have a Burmese style architecture which is quite a contrast from the typical Thai style. Around Pai there are a couple of national parks with hot springs and bathing area which you might find interesting as well. One notable place that you might want to visit is the “Chinese” village where they sell souvenirs but don’t go there for that. In this complex they have a restaurant with no menu and you eat what is available for the day. You must reserve the table ahead of time and the hotel can do that for you). The food is very good and very authentic Yunnan style of cooking with dumplings, great fried tofu, pork, chicken etc. Definitely a must visit place IMO.

At night there are many small restaurants along the main road as well as a night markets with a very laid back atmosphere. A lot of the restaurants are foreign own with the owner acting as chefs, ganja smoking chefs everywhere and I think it made their cooking better!. Several pubs with live music and very 60s(hippy) style deco. Beware that during the low seasons most of the restaurants and pub will not be open. After a night out there’s nothing like coming back to your hotel jump in the pool(if it’s not too cold) and sleep on a “heavenly bed”.

We also stayed at the Belle Villa Resort (1 night) and the Rim Pai Cottage (1 night).

Belle Villa - nice peaceful setting a short distance out of town (10 minute drive). They provide a free return taxi in the evening (into town 7pm / return 10 pm) as it is too far and dark to walk at night. Rooms are clean and simple, nice pool, breakfast is not great.

Rim Pai Cottage - I really liked the rustic setting and location of this place - it is right on the river and central for everything especially in the evening. The rooms are in wooden huts on stilts with en-suite bathrooms and your own verandah. Unfortunately it rained all day and night and there was a distinct damp feeling in bed! I would definately stay there again but only if it was not raining. The breakfast was not good here either.

filmwill - couple of corrections....

My husband reminded me it was actually just over 3 hours driving from CM to Pai - you could do it quicker but we stopped for lunch and lots of photos.

Also, no TV at Rim Pai and we paid for a room with a fan (not AC). We didn't need AC as it was not hot enough - the rate was 1800 THB including breakfast.