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Canoeing the Karsts
ARTICLES, SPEECHES AND OTHER READING
WHAT OTHER'S SAY
CANOEING THE KARSTS
Garry Marchant, PATA Travel News
August 1994
In the closing scenes of the 1973 movie "The
Man With the Golden Gun, James Bond landed on a weird little island of
unearthly rock formations rising out of aquamarine waters. This picturesque
piece of sand and rock now is a popular tourist site in Phang Nga Bay, off
Phuket in southwest Thailand. But James Bond Island (now its official name)
is just one of hundreds of uninhabited local isles that are ripe for
adventure.
Called karsts, these surreal limestone formations rise up from the sea like
chunks of melted candle wax, their porous rock pockmarked with caves and
crevices. Once accessible only to local fishermen and yachtsmen, the karsts
now can be explored with SeaCanoe Thailand, which operates day trips and
weeklong adventures using 18 and 21-foot canoes.
Trips are led by experienced, English-speaking guides, who also give lessons
on handling the boats - the only watercraft that can enter some of the
narrow caves. As ospreys whirl overhead, fish skitter along the water's
surface and gibbons scamper through the trees, canoeists explore everything
from sandy beaches and sheer cliffs to thick jungle and hidden lagoons.
Participants also spend their time snorkeling, swimming, barbecuing and
sleeping under the stars. Longer trips include cultural experiences, such as
visits to floating Muslim fishing villages.
As Bond himself might say, it's a most civilized form of adventure.
Trips range from US$100-990. Equipment and all meals are provided. |
