I was disoriented as I climbed down from the bus onto the streets of Pai. I had no sense of direction or idea of where I would be staying. I searched for the nearest wifi and contacted a fellow traveller who had caught the bus before mine. Within seconds, I was hearing rave reviews about Pai Circus School and how there was one hut left. Not in the mood to muck around, I headed out in search of Pai Circus School: down the main road, across the river, stopping briefly to ask further directions, then up the hill.
Walking into Pai Circus School, I was welcomed instantly and taken down to the last hut available. One of the most popular places for travellers to stay, it books out on a regular basis. I was taken to Banana Village, past the outdoor pool table and infinity pool overlooking all of Pai. But as I stepped into the hut, my foot fell through the thin bamboo floor. I soon discovered this was not so surprising as a hut this size only takes a day to make, and many went up during my time in Pai Circus School as they tried to keep up with demand.
After an hour at Pai Circus School, I knew I wanted to stay longer, which meant I had to change bungalows the following day. I migrated up to Hippie Village for a further three nights. This bungalow had a much sturdier floor, however, during the night my wet bikini became covered with ants!
As Pai Circus School is not on a main road, the wifi was very poor 90% of the time. This added to its charm though as it provided a great breather from the modern world and allowed time to reflect, relax, recoup and get to know my travelling companions.
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t leave the poolside. Around the pool is the place where travel families are formed and sealed. And I was still able to learn circus skills. Those more capable at circus arts were willing to help me learn new skills for free and I found myself working on head and hand stands with one of the longterm guests.
Perched up on the hill, you never need to leave. Food and drinks are scrumptious and affordable (but not as cheap as street food, the all-you-can-eat family dinner provided each night was 100 baht). Eventually, you might venture out on mopeds to explore the surrounds or make your way down to the food market. But you could easily spend a month in Pai Circus School and still not see everything Pai has on offer. When you leave, you won’t feel as if you have missed a thing though, as Pai Circus School is its own little world and an experience in itself.
All opinions are subjective to the writers personal travel experience. The writer travelled at her own expense.