Pai

Narrow ridges of eroded red earth wander above the gullies, and you walk along crests barely a stride wide. With no railings and crumbling soil, wear trainers; sunset draws the biggest crowd. It lies about 8km south of town.

At sunset Chaisongkhram Road in the centre closes to cars and stalls set up for a market every night. Skewers, pad thai and handmade jewellery are sold, and walking it to the bridge end takes about an hour. In the rainy season the stalls thin out a lot.

A steel bridge on the site of one the Japanese army built in World War II on its route to Burma, now for walkers only. It is beside the highway, and minivans from Chiang Mai sometimes pull over for a photo. Stalls next to it sell souvenir T-shirts.

A temple with a white Buddha seated on a hill east of town; climb several hundred steps and the whole Pai valley lies below. Many go up at sunset, and instead of the steps you can ride a motorbike up the road round the back.

Forest hot springs about 8km southeast of town, where scalding water cools as it runs down a stream, so the lower pools are the ones to sit in. It lies in a national park, so there is an entry fee. Go early in the morning and steam hangs in the trees.

Home to descendants of Nationalist soldiers and Yunnanese who came after the Chinese civil war, with mud-walled houses and a Chinese gate. Its kitchens sell Yunnan pork leg, steamed buns and oolong, and it is 4km west of town, an easy cycle.

A hilltop lookout behind Santichon; go up before first light and the sun rises over a sea of mist filling the Pai valley. Clear, cold mornings between November and February make the best mist, and the tea stall at the top serves tea with Yunnanese snacks.

A limestone cave at Pang Mapha, about an hour northeast of Pai, where you cross the river running through it on bamboo rafts behind a village guide carrying a lamp. At dusk hundreds of thousands of swifts pour back into the mouth together.

A bamboo bridge running close to 800m across the paddies, laid by villagers so monks from across the river could walk their alms round. It looks best when the rice is green as the rains end, and it creaks, so cross slowly. It is near Pai Canyon.

Stepped falls about 10km west of town where you slide down smooth rock into the pools. Near the end of the dry months too little water runs for good sliding, and moss makes the rock treacherous, so people get hurt: keep seated all the way down.

A small fall dropping through a narrow slot between tall rock walls, reached by a short stroll from roadside scooter parking. The walls shade it even at midday, and the pool below is deep enough to swim. Pair it with the nearby bamboo bridge for a half day.

A forest hot spring some 20km up the road north, where lukewarm water runs like a creek into shallow pools. Cooler than Tha Pai and so better for a long soak, its clear flow between tree roots shows sand beneath. Weekend afternoons bring crowds of locals.

About 7km each way from the east edge of town, the path follows a stream into forest to a small fall and pool. It fords the stream dozens of times, so pick footwear you can soak. The round trip fills over half a day; with few markers, skip afternoon starts.

When rainy-season water swells the Pai, outfitters run inflatable rafts down its rapids, from half-day runs to two days camping on the bank toward Mae Hong Son. In the dry season low water halts most trips. Departure days are fixed; ask in town first.