Pai (6/18)

This small town in northern Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province has one of the most laid-back atmospheres in the country. The town is full of cheap guesthouses and restaurants with spas and elephant camps. Outside of town are several waterfalls and a number of natural hot springs. It is also just about 3 hours away from Chiang Mai on a curved and winding road up on the mountains. This place is where you can relax but also still enjoy the local festival. The good thing about Pai is you can get to observe how the locals celebrate it. People can be friendly enough to invite you to join them too.

There’s a WWII Memorial Bridge that is popular with the locals during Songkran. This area is where they go to bath, eat and just enjoy the festival. There are fewer tourists and you can get away with not getting that soaked if you politely smile and say no. Along the road, people will also wait for people passing by to throw sometimes really cold water.