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string(1588) "Paddle Asia offers a great half-day kayaking tour in Phang Nga Bay for families with children who don't want to go out for a full-day tour. We have the only big fleet of proper sit-inside kayaks in the region. Our kayaks are very stable, more comfortable than sit-on-top kayaks, and way more efficient.
Our half-day tour can include more secluded beach time, a bit of snorkeling, and even jumping off of the roof of our longtail if that sounds like something your kids would enjoy.
We also have four double kayaks (two-person kayaks) for smaller children who need the help of an adult to paddle. Your guide can also paddle with/for your child if you'd prefer to paddle a single kayak.
Check out our Phang Nga Bay kayaking day trip.
Contact us for family discounts. We're also on Whatsapp at 081 893 6558 or +6681893 6558 if you're outside of Thailand. Please let us know the age/s of your children in your inquiry to save time. Also, mention anyway that you'd like to customize your family tour."
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string(1496) "Camping in the wild in Thailand is not legal in some national parks. Camping on beaches in Phang Nga Bay requires permission, which we can get. However, neither Koh Yao Noi or Koh Yao Yai require any permission as they are not technically part of the national park system.
Our newest camping beach is on the west side of Koh Yao Yai. This means you can watch the sunset, but not the sunrise. You can't have both.
The beach has a fishermen's shack and several fishing net hammocks as well as a table area for preparing food. Firewood is abundant, though we usually bring a big bag from home.
This camping trip is also a coastal survival course. You'll learn how to use a fire striker to start a campfire. There are a few wild edible plants in the immediate area, but islands tend to have fewer wild edible plants than mainland areas.
We don't rough it. We have a cooler, awesome Thai food, tents, and other items to make you comfortable.
Contact us if you're interested in this very relaxing camping adventure."
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string(2375) "Paddle Asia strives to get away from all other tour operators in Phang Nga Bay. Our goal is to show you the bay without seeing other visitors. It's not always possible, but it works perfectly most of the time. Occasionally, there are speedboat tours that visit 'our' areas. It's easy to simply go somewhere else if they're there.
The popular cave tours, known as 'hongs' in Thai, are quite lovely. However, Phang Nga Bay is full of alternative caves and other stunning cave-like features that you can visit with us and not be part of a crowd.
When tourism is running at the normal capacity, the two islands in the bay where the dozens upon dozens of Phuket and Krabi tour operators visit get very crowded. We do everything to avoid situations like this. We don't like sharing nature... we offer intimate tours whereby you can soak in Mother Nature with all of your senses.
We visit one short cave on our Phang Nga Bay kayaking day trip. On our multi-day adventures, we visit more caves as well as some interesting deep overhanging areas that have cave features.
Paddle Asia guides are among the most experienced guides in Thailand. Mr. Run, our lead guide, has over 20 years of kayak tour guiding. He's been certified in Emergency First Response first aid and CPR for many years. He has taken other courses as well. A lot of other tour operators don't certify their guides to international safety standards. International safety standards training is very important to us. See our many international certificates here.
Paddle Asia also differs from the other tour operators as we are the original company using proper sit-inside kayaks. Some of the other companies are now trying to copy some of what we do.
During the pandemic, we are offering substantial discounts and flexibility. Contact us to discuss your special discounted rate. We look very forward to showing you the best areas in stunning Phang Nga Bay."
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Our coastal survival course takes place on a small island in Phang Nga Bay. This is an easy course that is suitable for anyone interested in survival and/or for those who'd just like to chill on a secluded beach for a couple of days while learning some useful survival skills.
We can go as hardcore as you wish during the day but come evening, we're going to relax and basically have a comfortable camp with tents, a big campfire, great food, etc.
Coastal Survival Skills Training:
- You'll learn how to set up a camp safely
- How to start a fire using a fire striker
- How to make fish traps
- You'll learn knots
- You'll learn how to make a fishing net
- Learn how to make rice-cooking cylinders, drinking cups, spoons, and knives out of bamboo
- You'll go fishing
- You'll search for oysters and other coastal food
- You'll learn wild edible plants (though islands tend to have much fewer edible plants than the mainland
- You'll go on a rugged hike through the thick verdant jungle (optional). There is a nice viewpoint at the top of the ridge
This trip departs from Phuket. You'll take the public speedboat ferry to Koh Yao Noi, then switch over to a private longtail boat to travel to the island.
The beach is quite nice. Phuket is in the background. Some other islands are in the foreground. This is a lovely peaceful setting.
Note: We try to limit this to around six participants. Larger groups are welcomed if you're coming as a group. This is a family-friendly adventure that is suitable for children.
If you're interested,
contact us."
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Paddle Asia offers a unique two-day coastal survival course on a small island to the west of Koh Yao Noi in Phang Nga Bay.
This island features some freshwater springs and a substantial amount of old-growth jungle. You camp on a beach, search the old-growth jungle and coastal area for wild edible plants, search for oysters, and use primitive fishing techniques. Our main goal is the abundant 'sandfish'. There are other species available, but this is the easiest one to catch... and it tastes great.
Logistically, this is an easy trip from Phuket. You take the speedboat ferry to Koh Yao Noi, then hop on a private longtail to ferry over to the island.
Our focus is to be as primitive as possible, though we stay in tents or hammocks at night instead of in the shelters that we build. There is really no sense in taking a chance with mosquitoes.
We take food, but hopefully, find/catch enough not to rely too heavily on it. Nonetheless, this is a practice course. You do not need to suffer to learn. It makes no sense to not have plenty of food and a nice shelter.
That's our philosophy anyway.
Phang Nga Bay Coastal Survival Course Itinerary – 2 days
Day 1
- Arrive at Koh Yao Noi and transfer by longtail to a remote island
- Survey the area for safety concerns
- Set up camp
- Have lunch
- Designate a campfire area and start collecting firewood
- Try friction fire techniques, then resort to using a fire striker if the friction fire is unsuccessful
- Collect water from the freshwater source on the island
- Split the group into a plant-gathering group and a fishing/oyster-gather group
- Dinner – hopefully, from our jungle and sea harvest
- Evening discussion on survival priorities, discuss signaling, and have a knot-tying session
Day 2
- Reestablish the campfire and make breakfast
- Spend the day gathering food from the jungle and the sea
- Perhaps spend some time learning how to make fish traps
- Lunch
- Continue fishing and foraging. If anything has been caught in the traps, release it
- Return to Koh Yao Noi
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string(3225) "We are open and Phang Nga Bay is very quiet and peaceful. We have had a few kayaking tours recently and our guests have been amazed at the beauty of the bay.
The bungalows on Koh Yao Noi really need some business and we want to help them. Some of them have unfortunately closed (temporarily hopefully) and others only open when they've got guests confirmed.
As things are quiet, they have more time to be sociable with their guests. We recently encountered some crab fishermen in the bay and bought most of their catch. We brought the crabs back to the restaurant (that was actually closed) and they opened up to show us how to cook them. Everyone enjoyed the experience.
[caption id="attachment_877" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
A win/win situation: the fishermen got to make a sale and we got some lovely fresh crabs for dinner.[/caption]
As there is less traffic in the bay,
wildlife seems to be more abundant or at least easier to spot.
[caption id="attachment_875" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
Mudskippers are always entertaining. They are common in Phang Nga Bay.[/caption]
We are
offering nice discounts at this time. Families traveling on a
budget can get really nice discounts during this period.
Contact us for details.
As we're only open to domestic travel at the moment, if you happen to have your own transportation, we'll subtract an additional 1,600 baht from your total cost as that's what a van costs us here in Phuket.
Extreme discounts are available if you come with friends, meaning, if a couple talks another couple into joining, you'll all get a really nice price cut.
On multi-day kayaking tours in the bay, we usually visit the far NE corner of the bay. This is arguably the most stunning area in the entire bay. Some of the best limestone cliffs are in this area. It's also a huge area of
mangrove forest.
This is a golden opportunity for you to visit Phang Nga Bay, a world-class kayaking destination, without seeing any other visitors. The bay is quiet and Koh Yao Noi is as well.
Contact us to discuss the details about your special price.
[caption id="attachment_879" align="aligncenter" width="300"]
There is no need to visit James Bond Island. We can show you islands that are just a pretty, but don't have other visitors. Mother Nature is best experienced solo.[/caption]"
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Fly into Phuket for one of the best kayak tours on earth. Phang Nga Bay is just to the east of Phuket. It's a 30-minute drive from the airport to the pier. It's another 30-minute
speedboat ferry ride to Koh Yao Noi. Once on the islands, we'll pick you up in our private longtail to take you to one of the most scenic places to kayak imaginable.
Paddle Asia will take care of every aspect of your kayak tour from start to finish. We are known for our speedy responses to emails and Whatsapp conversations. We don't make you wait for answers.
In addition to world-class kayaking, Koh Yao Noi is an
extremely friendly and laid-back island. It's one of the most culturally intact islands in Thailand. It's peaceful, pretty, and there are loads of dining options.
Contact us for more information. You know that you deserve a break. We'll take great care of you."
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Low season has some very big advantages that the guide books don't address. When it's windy and the water is choppy, the companies running day canoeing trips in the Bay may not go out at all. The inflatable kayaks they use are not suitable for windy conditions. The freelance operators also stay at home as their smaller 'longtail' boats are not designed for use in anything more than mild 'wind chop' (the waves produced by wind in the predominately shallow waters of the Bay).
[caption id="attachment_860" align="alignright" width="300"]
Sea kayaking in the remote parts of Phang Nga Bay[/caption]
Paddle Asia guests have quite a different experience. Our trip to Phang Nga Bay gave us three days without seeing a single tourist! We saw very few local fishermen. We truly had the place to ourselves. We enjoyed this major tourist attraction as it was a hundred years ago (minus the pirates)! This is the essence of low season with Paddle Asia!
Our guest, David, was familiar with kayaking and had some experience paddling in choppy conditions. We followed the normal itinerary and maintained a close watch for any local storms.
[caption id="attachment_861" align="alignright" width="300"]
Water Monitor Lizard[/caption]
David and I paddled around familiar islands but followed comfortable low season procedure. While in the lee (protected side) of the island, we took it easy and maintained a lookout for birds, orchids, monitor lizards, crabs scurrying to avoid the waves, schools of little fish, monkeys, and the other usual attractions. At one point, David spent some quality time right below a branch on which sat a large Brown-wing kingfisher.
David was the first to reach one of my favorite 'hongs', the karst islands' interior rooms which seem to be complete ecosystems isolated from the rest of the world. As he looked in the narrow entrance, he saw a White-bellied sea eagle lift off from a low branch and fly slowly only a few meters above the water. As I approached the entrance, the eagle rose slightly and flew right over us. It flew beside the island then spread its wings and glided into the trees high on the rock face.
Later, we rounded the corner and faced the wind! The change was as abrupt as moving from a quiet eddy on a river into the powerful downstream current. The wind-driven swell meets the steep rocky boulders of the headland. This situation produces irregular waves that seem to churn up and down without pattern or rhythm. It's not difficult to paddle through, just exciting. There isn't, however, much opportunity to look for orchids while moving through that stuff. David enjoyed the combination of appreciating the great beauty of the islands alternated with adrenaline-fueled focus on moving through the chop.
What about the novice paddler, how can he or she participate in these low season pleasures? If I were a beginner considering these weather and sea conditions, I'd want to know what Paddle Asia could safely do for me. To put it as clearly as possible, I'd say to Paddle Asia, "I want to see the Phang Nga Bay in the low season, but I don't want to be tossed about by waves".
The solution lies in the experience Dave and I have gained from paddling year 'round in this area for almost two decades. We consider several factors:
- We assess the abilities of the people in the group and teach basic paddling technique as necessary. We watch as our guests paddle and make suggestions when appropriate.
- We occasionally spend some time demonstrating and practicing assisted re-entry. In the event a kayak does capsize, we want each person to understand and feel confident that we can get him or her back in the kayak quickly.
- We modify the itinerary as needed. Normally our escort boat anchors and waits for us to return from our various circumnavigations. When the sea is choppier, it is better for us to paddle the lee side of our favorite islands. We put the kayaks in the water and the escort boat moves to the pick-up point, also in the lee. As people gain confidence and familiarity with paddling, we may move about in the waves as we reach the open, exposed side of the island.
-
[caption id="attachment_800" align="alignright" width="300"]
Thailand mangroves with loads of oysters[/caption]
On a three day trip, we spend one day in the mangroves. The waters of the mangrove estuary systems are naturally protected from the wind and waves. It is an education, an appreciation of the nursery where young fish and shrimps grow among the roots until they are ready to make their way in the open sea. We get some idea of the wealth of life there among the trees and root systems; all the creatures protected by the mangroves, and all the birds, animals and reptiles that come to feed on the 'protected' creatures. Healthy mangrove forests mean a healthy marine environment. Mangroves are great fun for paddling during the windy days, especially at higher water levels.
Significant areas of southern Thailand's mangroves have been destroyed to make way for shrimp farms. We do not visit these areas. We visit what is still healthy and beautiful along Thailand's coastline. PaddleAsia celebrates natural beauty and we celebrate it all year long.
Come paddle with us in the high season and we'll have a good time. We avoid the masses.
Come paddle with us in the low season and we'll have it all to ourselves. This gives us a sense of ownership of the whole vast beautiful place! We'll work with the weather, whatever it may be at the time."
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string(1012) "If you'd like to do some cliff jumping, we can show you several safe spots in
Phang Nga Bay.
Cliff jumping could be added to your kayaking tour. The easiest way to access most cliffs is to start climbing from your longtail support boat.
As safety is always our top priority, we scout the water where you'll jump first. We dive down to make sure there are no rocks, trees, or anything that could harm you. Luckily, the limestone cliffs in Phang Nga Bay tend to go straight down for quite some way.
[video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.paddleasia.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/video_20200212_114917.mp4"][/video]
For those of you who like the idea of jumping off of a rock into the water, but aren't really into climbing high to do so, no problem... there are plenty of short jumps. You could start off low and work your way up. There is never any pressure to go higher. That's entirely up to you.
"
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["post_content"]=>
string(5462) "Ecotourism is the conscious and deliberate effort of both tour operator and their guests to minimize the adverse impacts of traveling to or in natural areas.
Every effort must be made to lessen damage or alterations to the indigenous ecosystems and cultures.
All tour activities have some impact on the environment and the culture where they operate. Ecotourism programs should provide benefits to the local community, but they should mainly focus on the environment. In doing so, the community will yield returns as a result of the sustainability of such tours.
Traditionally, tangential businesses benefit from tours to any given area. Transportation and food services are two examples. Both of these, however, are usually the direct opposites of eco-tourism. Transportation services historically are run on fossil fuels. However, the impact can be minimized by strict emission standards. This is less likely to happen in less developed countries.
Food services can lessen their impact by using biodegradable containers. Unfortunately, Styrofoam is much cheaper than its biodegradable counterpart. It is often up to the consumer to make their statement before changes can happen.
Sadly, the most effective and easiest way to make changes is to hit the perpetrators in the wallet by not buying the vendor’s products. Alternatively, and a much more compassionate approach is to give monetary incentives to promote sustainable conservation efforts.
Conservation progress stresses the need for broadly distributed local benefits as incentives for conservation. Without this, the local community may continue to support activities that produce unsustainable activities.
Principles of the definition of Ecotourism
Beware of the mass tourism operators speaking the language of sustainable eco-tourism. Some of them have even received international awards for their ability to fill out applications with flowery verse.
Moo, my wife, does some guiding as well. Her main task is to interface with all the boatmen, bungalow owners, and anyone else we come in contact with. Her method for getting things done and for getting things changed is to make friends first... then wiggle her way into getting what is needed.
This works for food and rooms, but more importantly for getting trash picked up and other environmentally damaging items corrected. She is invaluable.
So, we satisfy the criteria for having 'locals' employed. They run trips without me many times. I go on certain trips, but not all of them. I trust the guide's skills and judgment implicitly. They are all very safety conscious.
Paddle Asia is a small company with a family atmosphere. I am the only foreigner in the company.
Benefits of Ecotourism
Real eco-tour operators are concerned and do everything in their power to make sure that their tours don’t have a negative impact on the environment and the local culture.
Being life-long naturalists and animal lovers, Paddle Asia’s foundation is built on the principle of putting nature first. It is true that one could argue that just visiting natural areas, to some degree has a negative impact. This can’t be denied. However, by showing our guests the wonders and beauty of these destinations, we are generating awareness. This awareness will hopefully, in turn, spawn a desire among our guests to help preserve these few remaining natural wonders.
We run a lot of school trips, especially international school groups. In fact,
International School Programs are a huge part of our business. We combine community service projects with our school group programs. Kids are the future. International school students are the most likely to be the movers and the shakers of tomorrow. They need to experience something other than shopping malls. They need to know that there is more to life than material gain. We have changed the lives of many youngsters. This is what Paddle Asia is all about.
Environmental Education and Interpretation
Our guests return home having learned something about the extraordinary environments where we run our tours. They gained knowledge of the culture. We strive to provide information that is clear and relevant.
Personal development and involvement
A true eco-tourism operator puts most of the money generated from the business back into the community. Ultimately, sustainability means a lifestyle that is in balance, a lifestyle that can easily be maintained in the future.
Community Service Involvement
Paddle Asia reinvests large amounts of money back into the communities where we operate, such as Ko Yao Noi.
Paddle Asia has always been focused on building a strong affiliation with the local community. We have succeeded.
We certainly don’t think that we have done all that we can do to further ourselves as one of Southern Thailand’s leading eco-tour operators.
If you would like to give us some input as to what you feel is important for a genuine eco-tour operator, we would love to hear from you.
For more information, please feel free to
contact us."
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string(1588) "Paddle Asia offers a great half-day kayaking tour in Phang Nga Bay for families with children who don't want to go out for a full-day tour. We have the only big fleet of proper sit-inside kayaks in the region. Our kayaks are very stable, more comfortable than sit-on-top kayaks, and way more efficient.
Our half-day tour can include more secluded beach time, a bit of snorkeling, and even jumping off of the roof of our longtail if that sounds like something your kids would enjoy.
We also have four double kayaks (two-person kayaks) for smaller children who need the help of an adult to paddle. Your guide can also paddle with/for your child if you'd prefer to paddle a single kayak.
Check out our
Phang Nga Bay kayaking day trip.
Contact us for family discounts. We're also on Whatsapp at 081 893 6558 or +6681893 6558 if you're outside of Thailand. Please let us know the age/s of your children in your inquiry to save time. Also, mention anyway that you'd like to customize your family tour."
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Paddle Asia offers a great half-day kayaking tour in Phang Nga Bay for families with children who don't want to go out for a full-day tour. We have the only big fleet of proper sit-inside kayaks in the region. Our ...
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Ecotourism is the conscious and deliberate effort of both tour operator and their guests to minimize the adverse impacts of traveling to or in natural areas. Every effort must be made to lessen damage or alterations to the indigenous ecosystems ...
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