Pai Land Split

The land split is a testament to the fact that nature can be really f***ing scary, and that people can be really f***ing awesome. The land used to be a soybean farm before an earthquake caused the land to — you guessed it — split. Every few years, another earthquake hits and the split grows. With his farm destroyed, the soybean farmer turned to tourism for his livelihood, and in the most charming way possible. The farmer switched from soybeans to hibiscus and fruits, with the remaining land opened to tourists and offering free organic snacks. When you visit, you can climb up and see the land split in all its everything-is-impermanent-and-nature-is-scary glory, and then hike down into the split itself, keeping an ear out for any telltale rumbling. (The likelihood of an earthquake hitting while you’re there is very slim; I’m just a big scaredy-cat when it comes to earthquakes.) When you get back to the bottom, you can sit down and have a feast of hibiscus juice, fresh fruits, banana chips, and tamarind. It’s all grown right there, and it’s all delicious. The farmer offers it for free and loves to talk to the travelers, but donations are gladly accepted, and I recommend slipping some baht into the box.