- Holiday
destinations in
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. The park is over 700 square kilometer
in size.
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,
youll see and/or hear monkeys!
Elephants can still be found in the park
and we see them fairly frequently. Check out this
Khao
Sok elephant video. 
Khao
Sok Hiking Options
We
also offer hiking and jungle survival courses in Khao
Sok. There is a nice
Viewpoint Hike,
a cascading creek hike or the famous Cave
Hike. Click here to see some
images
from the cave. If
you like cave
creatures, you'll like this
cave.
Floating
Bungalows (raft houses)
We
stay in unique floating
bamboo bungalows
on the massive 165 square kilometer reservoir.The
walkways and bungalows are very basic. These bungalows
belong to the national park. They are not our bungalows.
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.
River
Kayaking Trip
We
also offer a relaxing river
kayaking trip on the Sok River
in Khao Sok National Park. This river flows all the
way to Surat Thani and the gulf of Thailand.
You
can go for a day or several days. If you're into fishing,
especially fly fishing, that can be added for no extra
charge.
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. However,
during the winter months we do offer kayak
camping. You are also welcomed
to mix bungalows and camping.
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, three day or longer trips
into Phang Nga the Bay, for two to eight guests. Small
groups, traditional touring kayaks, orientation to
proper paddling technique, 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.
Add
Mountain Biking and Rock Climbing to your Phang Nga
Bay Vacation
Cycling
tours are also available on Ko
Yao Noi and Ko Yao Yai. Check
out ThaiCycle.
Mountain biking can be added to your Phang Nga Bay
adventure at no extra charge. Rock
climbing is also available.
The
Island of Trang Vacation Package (seasonal,
experienced paddlers only)
This
area has been affected by mass tourism,
so it's best experienced in the low season (May through
October). In fact, we only go there during the summer
months.
In
addition to a beautiful tidal river area which features
some caves we can paddle through, there are several
islands just off the coast.
This
trip involves a lot of paddling. If you are a beginner,
this trip is not for you. If you are not in shape,
this trip is not for you. You will paddle the island
crossings instead of riding in a longtail boat like
we normally do in Phang Nga Bay. No crossing is more
than 10 nautical miles in length.
You
will carry everything with you in your kayaks, so
pack for your trip lightly. We will supply dry bags.
You'll need a set of wet clothes, a couple sets of
dry clothes and toiletries. We will stay in bungalows
on different islands each night.
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 and
we won't risk going out to the islands if a particular
day looks questionable unless you've got a solid eskimo
roll. It is for experienced paddlers only.

|