Information menu Phuket Information General Info Practical Info Getting Around Patong Beach South Coast Phuket Town North Coast North Central Activities Tourist Activities Sea Canoeing Elephant Trekking Golf Events History Safety FAQ Guest book Maps Earn a free trip Employment Get a flight to Phuket

Did you know! That: Southern Thailand has been inhabited since the early days of mankind by ancient tribes who settled and or adapted their lifestyles to the local environment. Who arrived first and who pushed out or assimilated who has kept archaeologists occupied for a long time, and promises to keep them working for a good while to come. Read more

From our guest book

Sea Canoeing in Phang-nga Bay

Phang-nga Bay is© unquestionably one of the great scenic attractions in the world and a must do during your stay in Phuket. Fringing Phang-nga Bay is a complex network of river estuaries with dense forests of mangrove and nipa palm growing right out into the sea. Protecting the shoreline is a series of sheer-sided limestone mountains and other artistic rock formations that soar up to 300m (980 feet) out of the sea like an eerie army of stone monoliths. Touring by boat allows you to explore the mysteries of the mangrove swamps and provides a scenic view of distance forested limestone hills. The natural beauty of the bay is breathtaking as you pass coves and bays many with remote idyllic tropical beaches. Most of the mountains and outcroppings are of limestone origin covered with luxuriant vegetation, bushes, and climber vines that overhang the cliffs. Upon closer inspection many of these odd rock formations are hollow and conceal hidden caves (Hongs) and lagoons. It is easy to picture how pirates managed to operate in this area for centuries and were able to defy the authorities by simply vanishing into one of the many hiding places. 

The odd shapes of many have resulted in a variety of popular names: Koh Khai (Egg Island), one geologic oddity called Ko Tapu (Nail Island) emerges from the surface on an impossibly thin base but soars to a height of 200m (650 ft) out of the water; and from a distance it looks like a giant rocket ship being launched out of the sea, Koh Ma Chu (Puppy Island), and Koh Hong (Chamber Island, sometimes called Condo Island because it’s numerous small caves that resemble rooms in a tall building). At a limestone island called Tham Lawd, boats are able to pass all the way through the cave, which forms a natural arch some fifty meters long. The cave is adorned with picturesque stalactites hanging like chandeliers from the ceiling. Khao Khian, or "Writing Mountain," contains a cave with prehistoric drawings of men and nimals such as sharks, crocodiles, and dolphins, believed to have been painted by people who inhabited this region over 3000 years ago. 

The bay is home to a variety of exotic creatures, among them the fiddler crab with its one enormous claw and another that looks like an afterthought; the pigtailed macaque (monkey), an excellent swimmer: and the so-called "walking fish" which can crawl considerable distances on land. On the island of Koh Pannyi, at the foot of an immense limestone mountain, is a Muslim fishing village built entirely over the water on stilts. The mountain protects the 2,000 odd villagers from the full force of monsoon storms, but they must go to a neighboring island for their fresh water supply.

Often described as today's finest adventure travel product. Sea Canoe (a trademarked name) founder John Grey pioneered entries into Asia’s tidal sea caves and cliff-lined lagoons. Today, Sea Canoe is an internationally acclaimed leader in "Eco-tourism") and known for applying innovative economic and management principles to conservation. Developing a unique and informative method to allow visitors to examine the natural wonders of the limestone karst formations is a classic example of a win-win situation. When done properly tourism can actually have a positive economic impact on the region, and a negligible impact on the local environment. Unfortunately, Sea Canoe operates in unregulated Asia, where shameless "copycats" abound. Numerous companies have formed under similar names - and actually claim to be Sea Canoe when questioned. Many local travel agents will make a concerted effort to book you on one of the new local competitors because they usually pay a higher commission. If the local companies who desired to compete in this activity were willing to invest the time and money into training and equipment, and pay their staff a living wage, all would be fine, but that is usually not the case. Rather than developing the expertise required for exploring the bay and discovering new sites to handle the increased number of visitors it is so much easier and a lot cheaper to just play "follow the leader". Due to a lack of supervision and control by the local authorities "traffic jams" are known to occur at some sites particularly on the one-day route.

Back to Top