Trang / Tarutao Special Tour... Sign
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Trang is authentic Thailand.
Trang has been
chosen as the first destination in this year's special kayaking
tour package. 
PaddleAsia
is the only kayak tour operator
running trips to the islands of Trang. We've been running trips
there for close to five years, though Dave has been going there
for over a decade. These islands are each special in their own
way. Ko Muk offers towering limestone
cliffs as well as a traditional Thai Muslim fishing village. The
bungalows on Ko Muk are very appealing and their restaurants are
superb.
Getting to Trang is easy.
There are daily flights from Bangkok to the airport in Krabi.
It's only an hour drive to the beach from the airport. Check Thai
Airways' website at for flight details.
You will need to be in Pakmeng by the evening of the 23rd as the
trip starts on the morning of the 24th. We can make your accommodation
reservations for you for the 23rd.
Day
1 – Pakmeng / Ko Muk
We'll head out to Ko Muk. It's an easy crossing (about 1 1/2 hours).
We'll check into Ko Muk Resort. These bungalows are also set in
a garden setting. Later, we'll start paddling around the cliffs
to the backside of the island. Towering limestone cliffs add much
to the already stunning scenery. Brahminy kites and White-bellied
sea eagles soar above the cliffs. Southern Pied and Oriental Pied
hornbills sightings are fairly common. There are a couple of beaches,
a couple of cave, and a few 'blow holes' along the way.
Day
2 (Dec 25th) – Ko Muk / Ko Kradan
Ko Kradan features
a long white sand beach on one side and rugged cliffs on the other.
The snorkeling is good as well. We will paddle to Ko Kradan, have
lunch, then circumnavigate the island. Don't worry, it's only
a one-hour crossing. This is not meant to be a contest or physical
challenge. It will be rewarding. Crossing from one tropical island
to another gives one a certain feeling of accomplishment... you'll
see.
Day
3 – Ko Ngai
Ko Ngai is a beautiful island with abundant birdlife and thick
jungle. We will circumnavigate the island, taking time to enjoy
the many fine secluded beaches. Oriental-pied Hornbills often
squawk high up in the trees, while White-bellied Sea Eagles and
Brahminy Kites soar high up on the thermals.
Day 4 – Ko Ngai
This is a leisurely day with snorkeling opportunities around some
of the smaller islands just off of Ko Ngai. As these islands don't
have beaches, the coral has remain in pretty good shape.
In the afternoon, we'll head for the mainland to be transferred
to Pak Bara, the starting point for the Tarutao leg of the journey.
Day
5 – Tarutao /
Ko Tarutao
The first paddling trip will be on the main island, Ko Tarutao.
We'll paddle the north side of Tarutao. Small cliffs stand in
guard of the old-growth jungle on parts of this side. Long secluded
beaches make up the rest.
There are, in fact, beaches all the way around the island that
we take advantage of frequently. Long-tailed macaques (monkeys)
and sizeable monitor lizards also frequent these beaches to forage
for food.
We often encounter a good variety of birds in the mangrove including
Little herons, Whimbrels, Collared kingfishers, Brown-winged kingfishers,
and occasionally others. Mudskippers, small fish that walk out
of the water, like to climb up on the mangrove roots.
We'll stay in Pak Bara this
evening.
Day
6 – Tarutao / Ko Tarutao
Our starting point is near the former prison. The coastline is
perfect for kayaking. The small limestone cliffs stand below the
verdant tropical jungle. Much of the jungle is too thick to penetrate
easily. It’s very beautiful to admire from the comfort of
our kayaks. There are also many fine secluded beaches along the
way.
Brahminy kites, White-bellied
sea eagles, a variety of kingfishers, woodpeckers, hornbills,
monitor lizards, Long-tailed macaques, Dusky Langurs (monkeys),
and a lot of different exotic birds add character to an already
lovely area.
We'll stay in Pak Bara this
evening.
Day
7 – Tarutao / Ko Lipae
Our escort boat will take pick us up in the morning to take us
to the outer islands. These islands offer crystal-clear water,
verdant tropical forest that grows all the way down to pure white
sand beaches, birds, monkeys and superb snorkeling.
When we arrive, we'll paddle
around Ko Lipae, stopping periodically to go snorkeling. Check
out our snorkeling
page. The amount of marine diversity in Southeast
Asia is far above that of the Caribbean and other parts of the
world.
Day
8 – Tarutao / Ko Adang
Our escort boat will take us to the far side of Ko Adang, the
tallest island of the outer islands (see our online
map). We'll take our time paddling back. The jungle
on this stretch of the island is thick with tall tropical trees.
The snorkeling is very good.
Day 9 – Tarutao
/ Ko Rawi
We'll go to the north side of Ko Rawi. Tourists don’t often
visit this coastline. We almost always have it entirely to ourselves.
Once we round the western point of the islands, we’ll come
to a beautiful channel that is between Ko Rawi and Ko Butang.
We'll slowly explore the magnificent coral, interspersed with
beach combing.
Day 10 – Tarutao
/ Ko Butang
Our escort boat will take pick us up in the morning to take us
to some of the most beautiful islands in Southeast Asia. There
is a string of islands south of Ko Butang (see our online
map
of the smaller islands), which offer outstanding
snorkeling and great above-water scenery. This is sort of the
dessert of the trip!
Day
11 – Tarutao / Ko Lipae to the mainland
Our escort boat will pick us up and take us to two islands that
are on the way back to Pak Bara. These islands have a different
feel from all that we've visited up to this point. For one thing,
there's a unique natural arch on one island. Have you camera ready!
After a pleasant paddle, we'll
pack up and get onboard our escort boat.
This evening, we’ll
have a farewell dinner. This finishes PaddleAsia's service (the
accommodation this evening is included).
The total price for this very
special trip is US$1,790. If you'd like to do just the Trang section,
the price is US$675 per person. The Tarutao section is US$1,115
per person.
This trip includes all transfers from nearest local airport, bus
station or train station (airfare not included), all equipment,
accommodations once on the trip, all meals, all snacks, all non-alcoholic
drinks, and insurance. Plus, you'll get a complimentary PaddleAsia
T shirt.
