For the free-spirited traveller, Pai is a particularly charming little town situated beside a river in the hills to the north of Chiang Mai. The three-hour drive over mountains to get there is spectacular and the town has become a popular bohemian base from which to embark on hill treks, or to simply relax. The many guesthouses are rustic and it tends to pack out with backpackers at the height of the cool season.