Friday, January 4, 2008

South Thailand seacanoeing


My first real adventure trip in Thailand and my first such trip in a long time took place in February 2003. It was organised by Sea Canoe, based in Phuket. The trip, dubbed the Bucket of Bulldogs Tour, was with seven other guys and we all got on amazingly well, considering our different backgrounds and personalities.

After taking a 14-hour train ride from Bangkok down to Trang, and spending a day and night there in a hotel, the Sea Canoe people picked us up the next morning and took us on a two-hour drive by songtaew (pickup) to Talay Noi National Wildlife Sanctuary, just in time to see the lotus blossoms still open. The place was abundant with birdlife, with the best viewing close to shore. I was thus dismayed to find out that we would not be immediately paddling on arrival there. We would first be towed out to a more desireable spot by longtail boats. This would set the tone for the rest of the trip: A lot of riding around on various conveyances and then a little bit of paddling.

When we finally got around to paddling, it was nice, and we probably would have seen and heard a lot of birds if it hadn't been for the constant drone of longtail motor boats ferrying package tourists around (and this was after we had been advised to keep quiet, though one of our party used the lull between between longtail boats to discuss the differences of Southern Thai language and Central Thai language).

I saw some kind of falcon catch a fish and carry it away. Also, there were numorous comorants and gulls as well as some Brahminy kites. It was pointed out by one of our more astute members that these birds were migratory and would be spending their nesting season in Siberia or some far-off place.

Later in the day, we took a short, rugged nature hike and went in a cave with bats, blind fish and some centipedes. I can't remember the name of the park we visited. We got our first whiff of bat dung, which we would smell several other times during the trip. We stayed in Phatthalung at a fish farm that had some cheesy guest bungalows. The carpeting on the walls was the touch of class that woudn't be out of place at a summer cabin up on Lake Superior.

I was feeling sick and we stopped at pharmacy. I self-medicated myself with amoxicillin. Also, my roomie for the night gave me a does of Theraflu. In return, I gave him my cold and felt better the next day.


Day three started with a dusty truck ride and a long hike to see the Sakai hilltribe people. They are an ancient people who have been in Thailand probably longer than any other people. A secretive tribe, they were scared of us. Only an old man, the village chieftan, was present when we arrived. Then a middle-aged woman came out. Gradually, more women and children came out, probably about two dozen people in all. There were no adult males in the village, except for the old man, who demonstrated his skill with the blow gun, an artefact he would later give to one of our party. Many of the children were clearly half Thai, with straighter hair and lighter skin - the result of Thai-Malay rubber tappers having relations with Sakai women. After a lunch, just outside the village, we headed back down the mountain. I was walking ahead of the party, searching for some solitude away from the banter of the others when I came upon the young Sakai men. It was pretty scary, being alone in the woods and meeting up with some boys from the 'hood. But, there were just as scared of me, I suppose, and were wondering what a little, fat white man was doing out in their jungle.

On the way to Pakbara pier, we had 20 minutes to swim at a raging waterfall and wash the dust off. At Pakbara, we each got a rustic bungalow. At sunset, three of us went for a sunset paddle. We were taken out into the bay by longtail boat, where we paddled around Koh Yai. I saw a white-bellied sea eagle, a small cave with bats and some crab-eating macaques. Later at night I borrowed a bicycle to search for an Internet cafe and get some change for a 1,000 baht bill. I found out why Thai people ride their bicycles so slow - none of them have brakes that work. I discovered this without mishap and adjusted my speed accordingly.


The next morning we were taken to the Satun River for a paddle through Seven Curves Cave - a real cave with bats and darkness. First, we paddled upstream in the dark, in a cave, a wholly disorientating experience. You couldn't see the current, so it would come out of nowhere and threaten to sweep you into a wall. Had we been prepared for this with proper headlamps and helmets, it wouldn't have been as big a deal. We paddled up through the cave and then turned around and paddled downstream through it, followed about about an hour's worth of paddling on a river - a wholly relaxing experience not unlike float trips I had been on back in the States. After the paddle, we stopped at an interesting set of waterfalls that went over some clay. The surface was kind of soft and tactile, not slippery, so it was fun to climb up the falls.

That afternoon, we headed back to Pakbara and hooked up with the small boat that would take us out into the Andaman Sea. Our first stop was Koh Tarutao National Marine Park, a two- or three-hour trip. The sea was pretty choppy, and I got slammed by a good-sized wave. Also, some of the kayaks came undone went flying off the top of the boat.

On Tarutao, after getting situated in a quirky bungalow, there was time for another sunset paddle. We did a fairly good pull, this time paddling from the harbor to a couple of beaches, all without the assistance of any motorised craft. That was pretty nice.

The bungalows on Koh Tarutao left a bit to be desired. They are tidy, sturdy and clean, but there's no fans in the room, so it's hot at night. Also, there's no power during the day, which is not a problem unless you use the toilet, which is windowless.

Tarutao is a historic place, as we learned from the excellent visitor's center (with an interesting library). There was once a penal colony on the island, with some influential political prisoners. During World War II, when the island was cut off, the prisoners and the officers became pirates and conducted raids throughout the strait. The island was the setting for "Survivor: Thailand", the US unreality TV show. I saw no evidence of the TV show having been there, though.

Day 2 on Tarutao was spent paddling up through some mangroves. This would prove to be the most challenging activity on our trip. We paddled up the river that runs through the center of the island. It is lined with mangrove swamps and we saw some crab-eating macaques along the way.

When we got to the cave, we had to portage into it. During these manuevers (the Sea Canoe people did most of the lifting and carrying) I lost a flashlight, but had a spare.
We paddled through the cave (fairly disorientating, but not as bad as being on a fast flowing river) and then up a creek that got smaller and smaller until we couldn't paddle anymore. We then turned around. When I got back to the mouth of the cave, the water had gotten lower and the entrance was sealed. There was still a way in, but not by boat. It was necessary to get out of the boat and drag it through the mud. I got out and sank in up to my knees. I stayed calm and got out, but not without having my Teva sandals sucked off. I retrieved them, but they were broken.

The rest of the group was similarly baffled by the problem. One of the Sea Canoe guides tried unsuccessfully to find a new way into the cave. From inside the cave, I advised all to take off their sandals and go the way I did. Eventually, we all got through, but not without getting muddy.

The next day, we departed Tarutao for an island I will not name because it's a nice place and I don't want to see it trashed. The beach was clean, and there was a coral reef right off the shore, where I went for my first-ever snorkeling swim. I saw all kinds of fish and colorful coral.

Later, I took a hike up a mountain, which turned out to be quite exhausting. Another part of my sandals broke, which I was able to repair, with the help of a loaned Swiss Army knife and the encouragement of at least one other person. I also took a short sunset paddle. The accomodation was some neat tent bungalows, which I shared with one other person. This was a relaxing place.

The next day, we headed out to Koh Rawi for snorkeling. At some point, the Sea Canoe guys thought it would be a good idea to try some snorkeling. I jumped into the ocean, only to see black murk in choppy waters and to feel the sting of jellyfish. Bad idea. Later, at Koh Rawi, I snorkeled and saw fish and coral to my heart's content. It was pretty nice.

This was also our last time of kayaking, a 30-minute slog through choppy seas and baking sun from Koh Rawi to another small island. It was an inauspcious end to the "kayak" trip that didn't see us do an awful lot of paddling.

The last night of the adventure was spent of Koh Lipe, an island of resorts with lots going on. Budget travellers visit here use it as a base to explore other islands. This particular night, a big man named Jimmy, representing probably 300 pounds of heavenly joy, was having a wedding party after marrying his Thai girlfriend. There was lots of people dancing on the beach in what must have been a full moon party.

Our final day was spent travelling, first by boat back to Pakbara, then minivan (my least favorite mode of travel in Thailand) and finally by airplane from Hat Yai back to Bangkok.

Overall, I will give the Sea Canoe people high marks for planning a gradually more challenging itinerary for us out-of-shape guys, as well as their helpfulness and courtesy, especially at mealtimes, where the group of us were all served at the same time, personally being waited on by the Sea Canoe staff. The difficulties in this trip were perhaps unavoidable, and without them, it wouldn't have been as memorable or as adventurous an experience.