Maximizing Time & Space: the art of relaxed paddling

Many of our guests seem to want to paddle as much as possible, to cover as much space as achievable during their time with us. Why? Is there some sort of instinct working here? Or, is it a desire to tell their friends, family, and co-workers how much they 'accomplished' on their 'vacation'?

We love to paddle at any speed. We're often confused by guests who want to do what we consider to be too much paddling. Our trips are designed for active people. You don't have to be an athlete. You don't even have to be a paddler. You should be an active, energetic person… that's all.

I spent 6 days down south on our Trang trip with a lovely Australian couple. Why 'lovely'? Because they were intense animal lovers, just like me. Most of our guests are interested in animal welfare to a large degree, but this couple was a bit different. Sue, worked with an Australian Koala bear conservation organization. Tony had recently decided to leave a very lucrative job as an electrician. They were both devout vegetarian. We all played with the various dogs at the different restaurants. 

Anyway, as usual, I asked my guests what they wanted to do one day. A very slow trip around the backside of Ko Kradan suggested. They were game… I knew they would be. They were very laid-back and easy-going folks. 

We left the bungalows after breakfast and starting paddling. The second headland we approached was a very good snorkeling spot, so we stopped for a bit. A rest after the stress of having to float around watching fish was in order. We sat under sea hibiscus trees staring out at the other islands in view. 

Before leaving the secluded beach, we discussed the pace. "As slow as possible" was the agreed upon group decision.

The day's weather was absolutely perfect. The air temperature was comfy - the sea's surface was glassy. There was no need to snorkel. We chatted as our kayaks glided effortlessly over the thriving reef. One stroke, then glide…<long pause>… one stroke, then glide. Tony and I pulled our feet out from under the decks as assumed a very reclined posture.

The advantage to this sort of traveling pace is that you get to experience the place in its fullest. We were enthralled with the marinelife. We took it all in. Then there was the island itself. Battered by the uninhibited swell of the Andaman Sea, huge boulders had fallen over time into the reef. For us, it represented a place to zig and zag. The boulders were covered with oyster, barnacles, Green Mottled crabs, and chitons (ancient-looking oval mollusks). Pacific Reef egrets and Collared kingfishers use them for spying on small fish. We did too. 

This side of the island is basically steep cliffs. The vegetation starts at the highest point of sea spray. It was pretty far up. The jungle was inspiringly thick. Various green pigeons sped past. Dollar birds, aerial insectivores, sit on bare branches waiting for inattentive flying bugs. Brahminy kites and White-bellied sea eagles wheeled the sky in giant circles. 

There was life all around us. Being in kayaks, we were able to take it all in. Since we were traveling so slowly, we were able to enjoy it to the utmost.

We took about fours hours to do what we could have easily done in one. We had actually blown off the idea of getting another island under our belts. That likely would have impressed some of our friends and associates. We all knew we had made the right decision.

PaddleAsia is designed to make the most out of your valuable, hard-earned vacation time. We go with the group's decision. One reason why we firmly stick to our low volume philosophy is that we're able to customize trips easier. We run a lot of trip with just 2 or 3 guests. Getting more guests to join means that someone might end up paddling at a pace other than ideal for that person. We do our best to make sure that doesn't happen. If you want to take your time and maximize the space before you, just tell us. We're in no hurry.

Nature facts

Did you know - Did you know that an oyster can change its sex if the water temperature changes?

Did you know that a certain type of mantis shrimp strikes its prey with  an impact just shy of the impact of a 22 caliber bullet?