Pura Vida Pai Resort — Hotel in Mae Hong Son Province

What an absolutely magical place.. .

I had never been to Pai before & decided Valentine's Day Weekend would be a good time as any to do so. So I figured a nice, quiet & dreamy place was in order. #SelfLove

When I arrived I took a taxi from the city center to the resort. Upon my arrival they helped get me settled & situated - from picking my breakfast for the next day & scheduling a scooter drop-off for me to rent.

I'm pretty thankful I taught myself to ride a scooter several months ago, because it certainly came in handy here. It took me about 15 minutes to get to the city center, but I absolutely LOVED the drive. The roads were usually quiet & you can appreciate the countryside, too. I loved riding early in the morning or in the evening when the air was deliciously cool.

The resort itself is lush & peaceful. (There's fish in the waters!) My bungalow was perfection as I could watch the sunset from my porch. People say you can go to other places around to watch the sunset, but I thought it was amazing there. If you walk out of the resort & to the left, you'll have an open field with some ox & the mountains. Enjoy exploring around!

The bed & pillows were cozy & comfy enough for me. And everything was so spotless & clean! I would have loved to have stayed there forever, haha.

I thoroughly enjoyed waking up every morning to breakfast. If I was there longer, I would have tried them all! But I enjoyed the Rice Porridge Breakfast Set & French Toast Breakfast Set. It was all so delicious & flavourful!

On my last day, the owners were gracious enough to take me themselves to the city center to catch my minivan back to Chiang Mai. Extremely kind & wonderful couple. And their personalities shine through in their love & care for their resort.

If I ever come back to Pai, I will certainly be choosing Pura Vida...

If you're looking for a quiet and relaxing place away from the bustle of the main tourist section of Pai, Pura Vida is a very good choice. The bungalos are very clean and well-maintained. Beds and linens are very comfortable. The room had a mini fridge and a TV that was somewhat of an antique (we couldn't get it to work, but it didn't really matter as we weren't eager to watch TV anyway). The water heater was very powerful, which was great considering the cold nights and mornings. The best aspects of the place are the wonderful gardens and ponds, brimming with fish and sprinkled with blooming lotus flowers, and the warm hospitality of the new owner, who just took over three months ago. Vanda and Aad go out of their way to make visitors welcome and Vanda patiently takes care of every question and need. She sits down with each set of visitors and discusses local attractions and helps plan activities. They offer three choices of complimentary breakfast; I opted for the American breakfast (which was fine, although I would have liked to have bacon rather than chicken sausage) and my wife had French toast, which she enjoyed. Their coffee is excellent! We'd definitely recommend this place for anyone looking for a good-quality, quiet and relaxed place. Vanda has lots of ideas of expanding and improving the place, so hopefully it will remain a leading spot for...

This resort is perfectly located a few short miles from the busy activity of Pai town and major tourist attractions. The bungalows are spread across the landscaped terraces, separated by flowering trees and fish ponds. The resort sits among the rice fields of the Pai River valley, with views of mountain ranges on two sides. The setting is peaceful -- with the sounds of tree frogs, wild birds, geckos and the occasional farm animal providing a natural orchestra. The new owner, Vanda, is a fantastic hostess and goes out of her way to make sure your stay is comfortable and you have the information you need to make the most out of Pai's many attractions. In Jan 2023 the resort installed new, spring mattresses and upgraded internet service and wifi technology to the best available in Thailand. The free, high-speed wifi service is available resort-wide, making the Pond Terrace a perfect shared workspace for digital nomads and those traveling for work. The breakfast options (included in the price) included Muesli with yogurt or honey, French Toast, or full American Breakfast. Fresh tropical fruit from local farms is included with each. Finally, the coffee options included American coffee, espresso, cappuccino, latte made from freshly ground coffee beans from northern Thailand. We have lived and travelled in Thailand for 8 years. This resort ticks all the boxes! We will...