Holiday destinations in southern Thailand

Khao Sok National Park vacation Package

Our Khao Sok National Park expedition is aptly labeled a "soft adventure". One of the easiest ways to see the wildlife, birds and orchids of Thailand is from a comfortable decked kayak.

The massive 165 square kilometer reservoir allows your kayak to slide silently through the thick verdant tropical jungle.

It's a cool, comfortable and safe way to explore Thailand's southern tropical jungles.

The orchid spotting, bird watching and wildlife sightings are unbelievable. Hornbills are actually common! We normally see 4 species of hornbills every time we go - Great hornbill, Wreathed hornbill, Bushy-crested hornbill, and the very strange Helmeted hornbill.

Dave has sighted and/or is familiar with most of birds in southern Thailand.

Apart from the birds there are Long-tailed macaques, pig-tail macaques, dusky langurs, and even gibbons to be seen on most trips. One thing is inevitable, you’ll see and/or hear monkeys!

Elephants can still be found in the park, but they are uncommon. It's not uncommon to see elephant tracks however. 

We stay in unique floating bamboo bungalows on the massive 165 square kilometer reservoir.The walkways and bungalows are very basic. They are not very well-kept, but that's the price we have to pay to access one of the most amazing holiday destinations in Southeast Asia.

Click here to read more about Khao Sok National Park. Click here to see a sample Khao Sok itinerary.

Phang Nga Bay National Park Vacation Package

Phang Nga Bay is one of the most popular tourist destinations in southern Thailand. Every day countless operators take tourists to a few well-known locations in the Bay. The result is similar to road traffic in Bangkok. It's noisy, congested, and chaotic. The tourists see the famous "hongs", or inner island lagoons in some of the islands, and make the obligatory trip to see "James Bond Island".

Each of our trip leaders has paddled extensively in Phang Nga Bay. The Bay is a large, lovely area that seems different in every change in weather and light. There are many fine secluded islands that can be explored at our leisure in comfortable touring kayaks. In these areas, where only the occasional fisherman is seen, wildlife is plentiful.

Our guests, paddling at their own pace, quickly learn the difference between White-belly Sea Eagles and Brahminy Kites (another large raptor) by the wing configuration while in flight. Other frequent sightings include Pacific Reef Egrets, a wide variety of Kingfishers, Little Herons, Frigate Birds, and Blue Rock Thrushes. Sometimes we catch sight of Oriental Pied Hornbills perched in trees or in flight.

We come upon large monitor lizards sunning on rocks, and often see Crab-eating Macaques on the beach or moving in trees near the water. Sometimes we see Dusky langurs in trees high on a cliff face.

It is the quiet and solitude that we seek as individual paddlers. It is this environment which we offer our guests.

We stay in bungalows on an island with a wonderful view of limestone karat formations spread out before us. We enjoy the laid back quality of island life. We aren't too interested in tent camping, which in the tropics we find not very comfortable.

Our escort boat is large enough to carry our boats and gear, and has plenty of room under the roof to sit out of the sun between visits to islands.

We offer two day and three day trips into Phang Nga the Bay, for two to six people. Small groups, touring kayaks, orientation to proper paddling technique and safety, islands off the beaten path - this is PaddleAsia.

Click here to read more about our Phang Nga Bay kayaking tours. Click here to see a sample Phang Nga Bay itinerary.

The Island of Trang Vacation Package

This area has been affected by mass tourism, so it's best experienced in the low season (May through October). In addition to a beautiful tidal river area which features some caves we can paddle through, there are several islands just off the coast. One of best things about this area is the accommodations. Our mainland bungalow operation is set in a beautiful tropical garden environment. In the early morning, you can see a variety of colorful birds visiting the flowers. There is also a mangrove forest behind the bungalows. We sometimes paddle the mangrove in the late afternoon. We've seen otters there. The restaurant is superb! 

Once out on the islands, we have plenty to explore. The water is clear and the backdrop is dramatic limestone formations. We have the option of staying on the islands in bungalows too. These aren't open all year however as so few people go there in the low season (mid April - November). The bungalows on Ko Muk are situated in a garden setting with lots of flowers and lush vegetation. As usual, the restaurant here is also outstanding. We sometimes wonder if we're on a paddling trip or an eating tour!

This area is subject to waves in the low season. We can run a limited trip in low season with inexperienced paddlers, but we won't risk going out to the islands if a particular day looks questionable. It is recommended for experienced paddlers during this period. It's perfectly calm and safe during the high season.

Click here to go to our main Trang kayaking tour page. Click here to see a sample Trang itinerary.

Tarutao National Park Vacation Package (Turatao if you misspell it)

There are schools of sailfish in the area. We won’t say exactly where, but we’ll show you! We often encounter sea turtles also. Tarutao is a rather large Island. It’s approximately 30 nautical miles around. There are a lot of small secluded beaches and rocky points. There are also a couple of nice rivers to paddle. These tend to be great places to spot wildlife. We usually do some night paddles into these rivers. You’ll have lots of eyes in the beam of your flashlight!

The islands to the northwest of Tarutao offer crystal clear water with amazing marine diversity and primary jungle that reaches right down to the white sand beaches. Unlike Phang Nga Bay, these islands consist not of limestone, but of granite.

Huge boulders line many pure white sand beaches. There are rivers that flow out through the jungle and intersect the beaches. We paddle up these rivers as far as we can, then trek in a little ways further. This is a superb way to see the dense primary jungle. The wildlife doesn’t seem to mind us too much as they often stay around as long as we’re quiet.

We use a longtail escort boat to access the outer islands. Departure dates are from November to mid April as these are unprotected waters subject to the storms and waves of the rainy season. The escort boats often cannot get out to the outer islands at this time.