This is Niall, the host of A Vietnam Podcast. Besides offering podcasting services at Seven Million Bikes Podcasts, I host this show to share my experience travelling as well as insights about Vietnam.
This is the third episode of our trip to Thailand. When we arrived in Pai, we didn’t really know what to expect. We’d heard a lot about how it’s a chill place with good vibes, cheap drinks, and a bit of a party scene. So we decided to check it out for ourselves.
If you want to learn more about Thai food, what to explore in Pai, check out the old episodes!
Freezing Hands and Neon Skies: Chasing Sunrise in Pai
We started our day in Pai before the sun even thought about rising. I’m not gonna lie—getting out of bed that early was rough. It was dark, freezing, and I hadn’t even had coffee yet. But we’d heard that the sunrise at Yun Lai Viewpoint was something special, so we jumped on the motorbike and rode off into the cold.
And when I say cold, I mean freezing. My hands felt like they were going to fall off. I didn’t bring gloves (rookie mistake), and the wind just cut right through me. The road got steeper the closer we got, and at one point, the bike didn’t even have the power to keep going.
We were halfway up a hill when it started sliding backward. Adrie had to jump off before she fell off, and I powered up the last bit of the hill alone. So yeah—if you’re doing this, get a good bike. Don’t be like us.
But the view? Absolutely worth it.
We got to the top just before the sun rose. I thought it might just be us up there since we hadn’t seen anyone on the road, but turns out we weren’t the only early birds. The place was packed. There were groups of people, some noisy, some still half-asleep. It wasn’t exactly peaceful, but it was beautiful.
The sky lit up with colors I’ve never seen before—neon pinks, bright oranges, soft clouds glowing like a painting. I don’t usually get excited about sunrises, but this one blew me away. Adrie was right to drag me out of bed.
We grabbed a coffee after the sun came up, and while most people were heading back down, we stuck around. I turned around at one point and the light had changed again—more golden, softer, even more beautiful. It was one of those moments where everything felt still, even with people around.
Waterfall Hike
We had just started the hike, and right away, we came across water. I was really hoping we’d get to walk a bit before having to get wet, but nope — straight into it. I looked around, hoping to see a path, but there wasn’t one. Just water.
Adrie asked if I was going to take my socks off. At this point, I knew my feet were going to get wet either way. And cold. Really cold. The water earlier had been cave water, so it was surprisingly warm. But this-this was freezing.
After a few minutes, I said, “My feet are awake now.” That’s one way to put it. They were getting exfoliated by the rocks too. It was kind of painful, but also made me feel alive.
There was so much wind, I said I’d never heard anything like it before. Adrie said the wind was “breathing,” and it honestly kind of felt like it.
We were already cold before we got there, and now the water was making everything worse. I asked where she was from again — Texas. She said it’s hot most of the time there, and when it’s not, everyone just complains until it is again.
Fluid Pool
We were at the pool — it was called Fluid. I joked that there was definitely a lot of fluid in that pool. The name fit.
Every Tuesday and Friday, they do something called Tipsy Tubing, which reminded me of the tubing they used to do in Vang Vieng, Laos, before it got banned. I don’t know if it’s the same here, but it looked pretty wild. There were hundreds of people floating down the river on tubes, drinking and partying. It honestly looked like a lot of fun, but we showed our age — we stood back and said, “Nah, we’re too old for that now.” We were tempted, though. Really tempted. But we’d already done a lot that day, as you probably saw.
So instead, we ended up at Fluid Pool. It felt like it had been there for years — maybe even since the last time it got cleaned. The drinks were cheap and actually pretty good. The sun was still out, shining bright, but it was starting to go down. People were slowly clearing out, and there was plenty of space to relax.
I loved the vibe. We got in the water for a bit, had a swim, but I started noticing this oily film on the surface. Maybe it was just because it was the end of the day and the water was a bit murky. Still, it was a good spot to chill for a while.
After that, we planned to head to the sunset bar — a place with a great view of the mountains. It looked nice in the photos, with bean bags and all that. We still had about an hour and ten minutes until sunset, so it worked out perfectly.
Conclusion
Pai is one of those places that feels like it was made for Gen Z backpackers looking for a good time. It’s fun, chaotic, a little bit messy, but also full of charm. Whether you want to party, chill in a pool, or explore hot springs in a national park, Pai’s got a bit of everything.
Our journey didn’t stop here, so follow for more!