I have managed to book Poon (thanks Gloria for the email) for one day in November. As yet no plans have been made (just given Ratt my hotel details etc, what happems next?)
Anyway after reading (and asking) lots of things on here i think i would like to do the following:
A.m Lampang Elephant centre with an hours ride. I would then like to fit in Doi suthep , maybe good quality furinture place (tempted to buy a few bits) and a hill tribe?
Is this possible in one day (can do the furniture by ourselves) i booked Poon to start at 8.30 am is that early enough? After reading the reports on here i think my heart is set on Lampang!.
Apologies if i am repeating an earlier post but think i am getting a bit confused as to what to do. (we do have two other days one for cooking school the other i thought i would explore the city and enjoy Loy Krathong)
Thanks for the interesting reading on this site and i hope you can make sense of my ramblings.
Smeagol

Also ment to say this will be our first visit to CM and would like to see some of its beautiful scenery too!

I think you need to leave earlier than 8:30 to get to the elephant conservation in time for the show. Seems to me we left at 7:30 but Ratt can ask Poon. I'd say you won't be able to do the hilltribe village or if you can it will be to a village that is very very touristy. So I'd skip that or try to do it on another day (maybe book Poon to just do that for half a day). It is definitely worth making the trip to Lampang.

i would send ratt the list of places you want to visit and they will advise you how and when and possibilities...be very specific...don't know about poon, but ratt tends to get carried away and your day becomes 12 hours quickly...

THanks Guys
I appreciate your opinions. Do you think for a first time visit the elephant centre should be higher on the list than say an "authentic hilltribe" ?(am trying to capture a snapshop of Chiang Mai and really want to get a sense of the surroundings...)

I will definatley email Ratt with some of your suggestions and see what they come up with (will bare in mind timings thanks for that)

Smeagol

In planning, be aware that the primary Loy Krathong festivities are at night. There is a parade, I think during the day, but the really fun stuff waits 'til dark. Perhaps a more knowledgeable poster will chime in with additional day activities.

I would visit the hilltibe on the morning of Loy Krathong. Just book Poon for another half day. But make sure you tell her you don't want to go to one where all the tour buses go.

Thanks again
Gloria, unfortunalty i don't have another spare morning my trip to Cm looks as follows
Day one arrive lunchtime(ish) collect tickets from SIA office and then explore CM
Day 2 ((festival day) all day cookery course
Day 3 - Poon booked
Day 4 leave at 11am flight to SP. I kind of wish i wasn't doing the cookery course to get more in but I REALLY want to do the school as my friend did it last year and raved about it (its also been a series on British TV which looked fab).
SO i just dont know HOW i am going to fit it all in.???

May i ask the regulars one other question? this time concerning BKK.
I quite fancy the Thai dancing at Sala rimm in the oriental or maybe their evening dinner river cruise? any preferences? does anyone know if they are any good? and which one to choose?

Again appreciate all your responses.
Smeagol

we did the dinner dance...my wife liked the dance and i could not wait to leave...sounds about like most couples...the food was ok...nicely presented...

the boat trips are a favorite for many...we have observed the way the food is cooked, stored, etc on the boats as they pass and that is just what we have done: PASS...do your river cruise during the day on the cheap chao payra express boats including their tourist boat...or use the hotel boats...take a ride down to the marriott on their boat ...it takes 12 minutes each way and is a very nice ride...

Neither is a favorite activity for me but given the choice I would definitely pick the dancing.

Thanks guys, can you think of anything else i could do instead which would be a nice authentic thai experience?
(I notice BillT mentions the Calypso Cabaret but i dont think my Boyfriend would go for that!)
Have been to BKK before but it was a flying visit, cant really remember what we did on the nights (was with a girl friend) think we did Patpong etc (can do without that, wasn't too keen)
Smeagol

Ps totally know what you mean about the dinner cruises. In a million years i would never do one in London or Paris so not sure what i was thinking of!!

Bed Supper Club
Dinner at one of the hotel riverside restaurants

Smeagol-- to answer your question I would put the elephant conservation center ahead of the hilltribe largely because in the time you have you won't really get to an "aunthentic" hilltribe but will end up at one with a whole bunch of tour buses. The elephant conservation center is really a wonderful place and the drive there is lovely.

What would you recommend for getting to the authentic hill tribes? Thanks