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SeaCanoe
& Kayaking
Source: Phuket Magazine
 This
is can be one of the best one-day tours off Phuket, but it is not always the tranquil
encounter with nature that it once was, and is still advertised to be
A few years ago just one or two companies quietly paddled kayaks into the incredible world
of the hongs, tidal sink holes in the middle of rock islands, connected to the sea by
narrow caves. Inside, these hongs are mysteriously open to the sky, and harbour a world
that has remained hidden from humans since their creation.
Today up to 30 companies push and shove their canoes into the caves in an unregulated
traffic jam. So try to pick your canoeing company carefully, for in this business they are
not all the same.
How did these amazing, hidden worlds carved in solid rock form?
Despite the warning above, we still emphasise that the sea kayaking (or sea canoeing)
experience can be one of the most memorable moments of a visit to Phuket, and we do
recommend it. But don’t just buy the cheapest tour or the first on offer. Far from
the beaches, the sea kayaking takes place in the rocky limestone mountains of Phang Nga
Bay. The boats depart Phuket from the Northeast corner, usually at the rickety wooden pier
of Ao Po, for a trip that takes about an hour.
 The very first
island encountered is one of the largest and most incredible, Koh Panak. This island
harbours the largest number of hongs, and some of the deepest – deepest in two
senses: the longest tunnels from the sea to reach them, and the highest vertical walls
from water level to mountaintop rim. Koh Panak, plus the next small island, Koh Hong, are
the focus of so many day-trip companies trying to get their customers inside first, as
soon as the tide drops enough for sea kayaks to squeeze in. And this is usually the fun
part, squeezing through the dark sea caves to reach the inner sanctum.
The whole sea canoe experience was begun in the early 1990s by an American, John Gray,
niccknamed Caveman who was the first to explore the dark, narrow caves leading into the
islands’ interiors. He had discovered similar environments in islands of the Pacific.
He set up the original company, Sea Canoe Thailand, with high ideals, making the Thai
staff his partners. But despite that Phang Nga is a National Park, the lack of regulations
in Thailand allowed the unique wilderness experience he created to become part of the mass
tourism highway.
The two islands used by the sea kayaking tours are just a short distance below the famous,
and very crowded James Bond Island. Day tours to either of these, or a straight Phang Nga
Bay tour by boat, gives the visitor a good view of the amazing vertical rocky mountains
that have made Phang Nga Bay famous, and are thus similar. But the cheaper James Bond tour
by bus, then boat, gives least time in the bay, spending more time on the road.
All sea kayaking companies provide lunch, and usually stop at an island on the return
allowing passengers time for swimming. Choosing the best company – one that will try
to avoid the kayak traffic jams and give its clients an educational experience – is
difficult. But don’t always buy the first tour on offer. Tour desks usually sell the
tour that gives them the biggest commission, not the best experience for the buyer. Or
contact those on our list below.
For
moreinformation Please contact:
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Easy-to-book
! -Just click here or e-mail to us at info@phuket-tourism.com
Reservations are made on behalf of yourself through Canoeing |
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