Only recently ‘discovered’ (meaning made accessible to the public), Pai Canyon is one of the area’s most interesting attractions, and is conveniently located right next to the main road to Chaing Mai, so can be visited on the way into town or on the way back.
There’s a small parking area and a few souvenir stalls clustered round a sign for the canyon, and a steep concrete stairway leads up a couple hundred meters to a small plateau where there’s a peculiar sight. Leading out from here are several ridges, the tops of which have been worn by footsteps to stand out in the landscape. It’s not exactly the Grand Canyon, in fact the canyon is only about 50 meters deep, but it still creates a striking perspective.
You can walk around these ridges, but it’s all rather precarious and there are no safety ropes in case you should make a false step, so take care. Even if you don’t walk along the ridges, it’s a cool place for a few photos of a strange landscape, particularly at sunset.
Getting There
Drive south out of Pai on Highway 1095 for about 7km and it’s signed on the right.
Need to Know
- What is it? An unusual landscape of worn ridges.
- Opening hours: Dawn to dusk.
- Entrance fee: None.
- Address: Highway 1096, about 7km south of Pai.
- Where: on the main road to Chiang Mai, just before the World War II Bridge.