Hi there,
I'm off to Chang Mai (on a hill tribe trek) for the first week of December. Can anyone tell me what the weather should be like at this time of year? i.e Is it cold at night time? and what sort of clothing would you recommend (apart from a good pair of hiking boots ;)).

Thanks in advance

John

Hi Johnny -

I hope I'm not too late to give you some advice about your hill-tribe trek in Thailand. I did the same kind of trek about two years ago, about an hour or two outside Chiang Mai, and loved the experience. Plus it was exactly this time of year when I went too!

I do remember being fairly chilly at night, and while they provide you with wooly blankets, the blankets are kind of grungy and you're sleeping on the floor of a pretty ramshackle lean-to - so I'd say definitely wear layers and have at least one warm sweatshirt, sweater or shell. The daytime gets really warm, especially after 6 or 8 hours of hiking, so layers are key.

Also be sure to bring water resistant clothes as I'm sure your trek will include some rafting, as mine did. It was beautiful, the people I met were fantastic (in total, the 7 of us were from England, South Africa, Israel and the US!) and it was just a great time. Enjoy!