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Travel Guide: Thailand
A Kayak Vacation in Thailand
Phang-Nga Bay
On this anniversary of the tsunami, our hearts go out to the people of Thailand and the region.
Phang-Nga Bay is southern Thailand's most famous tourist destination, and rightly so. Conveniently located between Phuket and Krabi and protected from the southwest monsoons during the summer months, it is a 'must see' for everyone. The surrealistic limestone islands, called 'karsts', are one of the great natural wonders of all Asia.
The karsts are honeycombed with caves formed long ago by water percolating through the limestone rock. Some caves have collapsed and left 'rooms' inside the mountains. Resembling lagoons, and called 'hongs' in Thai, they attract many tour groups every day.
The result is traffic jams among the inflatable boats waiting to enter or exit the hongs. This congestion, and the noise from the motorized escort boats, detract from the experience of these remarkable islands. Kayak guides Roy & Anya Bachmeyer do not visit those islands, nor do they go to 'James Bond' Island.
There is a better way to see and appreciate the Bay. By going on a multi-day trip with Siam Kayak, you will visit parts of the Bay beyond the reach of the day tour companies. By paddling your own traditional sea kayak, you will see the karst islands away from the tourists. Easing your way along each island, moving at a relaxed pace, you'll see soaring White-bellied sea eagles and Brahminy kites.
Closer to the islands you'll watch Brown-winged kingfishers scanning the sea from tree branches, or Collared kingfishers flying low, near the surface. Pairs of Pacific reef egrets seem to follow you around the island. Crab-eating macaques move across the rocks or in the trees, Dusky langurs are high on a cliff face. During the frequent beach breaks, you'll spot the distinctive track of the Giant water monitor lizard. Roy and Anya will point out the many varieties of wild orchids that have adapted to the limestone islands.
You don't camp; you stay in bungalows. The cabins are charming and clean, and the food is excellent. For those guests on a more generous budget, there is a five-star bungalow resort on the same beach.
Phang-Nga Bay is not well suited for day trips. It is a strange and magnificent place, worth several days of comprehensive exploration. Don't pass up the Bay in the rush to get someplace else.
Islands of Trang Province
Roy first visited Trang Province and its lovely, unspoiled islands in 1993 and returned in 1996 with his kayak. He was impressed at the natural beauty and the very small number of tourists.Tourism has spread east and south from Phuket, enveloping Phi Phi Island and the Krabi area. Ko Lanta is now a popular backpacker destination. Tour boats from Ko Lanta and mainland Trang take day trippers to visit Emerald Cave, the number one tourist attraction in Trang Province.
Each island offers different charms that catch and hold your attention. It is the means of transportation that make it all so special. A motorboat can take a person from one island to the next, but noise and speed separate us from intimate experience. Kayaks, silent and self-powered, are the ideal platforms from which to explore the high limestone cliffs, headlands, reefs and white sand beaches of the islands. By late afternoon, the tour boats depart and you have Emerald Cave and its remarkable 'hong' all to yourselves.
A popular feature of the Islands of Trang trip is the fine snorkeling available to us. There are several places with live coral and a wonderful variety of marine life.
Khao Sok National Park
Along with adjacent wildlife sanctuaries and protected forests, Khao Sok National Park is the largest contiguous nature preserve in the south. It is probably the best place in southern Thailand to observe a wide variety of birds and wildlife.The panorama of rainforest and limestone karst mountains that we see on arrival at Chiaw Lan Lake is a stunning preview of this wildlife appreciation adventure. Siam Kayak is proud to offer to the family or small group the ideal way to see nature up close and friendly.
There are three ways to observe birds and wildlife at Khao Sok. One can trek the network of trails that cross the vast area. The jungle is rich with the sounds of birds and animals. But anyone who has walked through tropical rainforest knows how rare and difficult it is to observe animals going about their daily activities. There is one exception; it's easy to find leeches!
Visitors to the lake can take motorboat 'wildlife viewing' tours. The boats, none of which have mufflers to reduce the noise, carry tourists along the shoreline at the dawn and dusk feeding times. You can imagine how the wildlife is drawn to the sound of motors, and how easy it is for you to hear the calls of birds and monkeys!
On a Siam Kayak trip, you'll see birds and wildlife the easy, comfortable, silent way. With floating bungalows as a base, you'll paddle along the shoreline close to the rainforest or karst mountains. Where the water stops, the rainforest begins. In this way it is similar to watching an ant farm.
Sitting in your kayaks, you see a great variety of birds. Khao Sok is an especially good place to see hornbills. Another large, easily spotted bird is the Crested serpent-eagle. Often they perch on dead trees, scanning the area for food. Using binoculars and peering into the forest you can see many other species of birds, including rare and unusual species.
Scanning for movement in the trees you can also see troops of monkeys feeding in trees ripe with fruit. When they travel, they go single file, using the same trees and branches. This is for safety; take the 'pathway' that doesn't break.
Wild boars are easy to spot. They come out of the forest to feed on the banana trees next to the water. It seems they don't notice you, but as soon as you reach for the camera, they move back into the trees.
A favorite animal is the gibbon. The morning song of the gibbon is the most memorable sound in all the rainforest; no visit to Thailand is complete without hearing it. You usually see them on every trip; their long, graceful leaps from one tree to the next are remarkable!
The rhythms of nature change as sunset turns to dusk, then to darkness. Sometimes you'll stay on the lake in our kayaks (not far from the bungalows, of course!) for this transition. The nighttime animals start their search for food. The Wild boars seem especially active and noisy after dark. Then you paddle a few minutes, back in time for dinner!
At Khao Sok you stay in floating bungalows, each containing only a sleeping pad. This may seem primitive, but typical ugly concrete bungalows would be terribly out of place in this unspoiled wonderland.
