Sergeant Kai question
 

My wife and I will be in Chiang Mai and on the advice of the board we are using Sergeant Kai as a guide/driver. We would like to see some hill tribes, do some shopping, etc. A one day trip is ideal and this is what he proposes as an itinerary:
Leave from your hotel (hopefully it is one in the city, not any resort on the mountain that takes half a day drive from the city), then head north for app 1 hour to the mountains to visit a Hmong Tribal village (I never see any tourist on this village, maybe because of the road is not so comfortable). Then back down to Baan Taway the wood carving village after lunch around Mae Sa valley. From Baan Taway I will take you to see one of local markets along the way to Doi Suthep. The Doi Suthep Temple is not only one of the most important temples in Chiang Mai but also it's location. It sits on the hill at over 1000 meters above the sea level that provides the excellent view over the city of Chiang Mai. You will arrive back to hotel in the afternoon around 6 or 7 pm.

Does that sound good and is it too much for one day. We normally do one activity in the morning to early afternoon and then relax after. I realize with the driving time taken into account we may need all of this time. Thanks for the suggestions!

I would focus the whole day in the northern area and save Doi Suthep for another day. How many days will you be in chiang mai total?

Sergeant Kai is meant to be knowledgeable and full of insights on Buddhism so I think I would keep Doi Suthep visit with him - whether it be on this day or another. I think it will add more to your experience of it.

It is quite a busy day - we are doing one similar in August - but inbetween times you will be in air con van and cool and resting so I think it is doable.

It's a busy day, but certainly doable. We've used SK twice and enjoyed both.

Thanks for the help everyone, just out of curiousity, about how many hours will we be driving that day, we will be staying in downtown Chiang Mai.

Don't miss Doi Suthep. I think it will be your favorite stop that day.

I'm guessing you'll be driving about 3 hours total, maybe slightly more. His car is a Camry, as I remember, and comfortable (with AC) - giving you time to rest between stops. My daughter and I slept part of the way in the car the day we spent with him.

It will be a very full day (and I think Althom's estimate of 3 hrs is about right), but SK will make it enjoyable. Late afternoon at Doi Suthep is a great time - if weather is clear you will see the sunset & also hear the monks chanting.

We did almost this exact trip with Kai last week. We went to the Hmong village that I am sure he is recommending to you, but we were staying at the 4Seasons, so we were already close.

It takes awhile to drive up to the village on a very bumpy, washed out road, but it was definitely the highlight of the trip.

After that, we went to a celadon factory, the umbrella making village, had a fantastic lunch at a local place, went to the woodcarving village, and then went to Wat Oo-Mong and then Doi Suthep.

We did all that beginning at 8:30 and were back to our hotel by around 6. It was a full day, but definitely a ton of fun. Some of our favorite parts were just driving around with Kai, listening to all of his stories.

If he is recommending it to you, he has thought it out well and will not overtax you. If, during the day, you decide it is too much, just let him know and he will scale it down.

A day with Kai was our most memorable experience. I would trust him and expect to have a wonderful day!

I just confirmed the booking, and with your comments I am even more excited! Is there anything my wife and I should pick up to give to the children of the village we visit?

One thing we took along "for the children" was not exactly a gift, but it was a huge hit everywhere - bubbles. My daughter (24) brought a plastic bottle of bubbles and a wand, and anytime she brought them out, she was surrounded with kids laughing and shrieking and bursting them. They were enchanted with the bubbles. Even better though, was sunrise at Angkor Wat when she started blowing them in the quiet of the morning and was approached by a middle-aged Japanese tourist who watched for a bit and then just held out his hands, no words, asking if he could blow some. He did - and I got a picture. You can find my trip report and pics by searching on Karen. You will have a great day with Sergeant Kai - it was one of our best days, too. He's warm and easygoing and not the slightest bit overbearing or pushy. Have fun!
Karen

Ask him about the toothbrush story when his daughter's toothbrush was wet BEFORE she'd use it.

I am not sure what you could take to the Hmong village that Kai is taking you to. As I am sure he will tell you, it is one of the luckier villages. They have electricity and a pretty nice school.

While we were there, Kai bought a bag of candy bars (for 20 bhat!!!) from a little stand in the village, and he passed them out to the children as we walked through the village.

If you want to take something, maybe ask Kai. While we were there, we met the village's silversmith, and I bought a beutiful silver bracelet from him. We paid more than the man was asking, and Kai said that we had done a very good thing because the village does not have a lot of money. We really didn't have any other opportunities to buy things to help support the village's economy though.

The school is very large. I don't remember exactly, but I want to say they have around 300 kids (I could be wrong about this, though). So, taking something for every kid would definitely not be possible. If you really want to find a way to contribute, Kai would probably be able to come up with something for you.