Sea Caves, Canoes and Culture in the Isles of Thailand
The John Gray Sea Canoe Safari in Phuket, Thailand is something special. It is our 3rd time visiting Thailand for an extended period and we have been here on at least four other occasions for some chill time between travels through South East Asia. So when we came back for yet another trip, we didn’t expect to see or do anything much different from before.
Boy, were we Wrong.
Smiling Albino put together an itinerary for us that introduced us to new adventures in Thailand and to experience a different side of the country that we have never seen. They tailored a trip to suit our interests taking us from the Southern Islands of the Andaman Sea to the most northern point of the country on the Burmese border.
The first leg of our trip with John Gray Sea Canoe
The First leg of our Thailand Adventure began with John Gray Sea Canoe.
Read More About John Gray and his company at Meet Thailand’s Big Monkey
Today we are exploring the famous sea caves and Hongs of Thailand just off the coast of Phuket. It is a pleasant hour long boat ride to our first cave. Sea Eagles follow our boat as our leader Nick throws out some fresh fish for them to scoop up. A Bollywood movie is filming a high speed chase on the water complete with yachts and helicopters following in a convoy and the incredible karst formations of the islands surround us in every direction.
The Sea Eagles followed us for a while!
As we eat our delicious lunch en route to our first island, we listen to what will be happening in the day ahead. John Gray goes out to the islands later than other companies giving his passengers a special treat on more than one occasion. When we arrive there are no other boats around and we have the Hongs (hollow lagoons in the centre of islands) to ourselves. Keeping his tour list to a minimum, he allows only 30 or so people on the trip to keep the experience intimate.
Paddling out of one of the Hongs
We all hop into soft canoes armed with our safety briefing and rules freshly in our minds. We all have a guide because paddling through sea caves is not something to be taken lightly. There is great skill involved in reading the tides and navigating through narrow openings. At some points we have to lay down to get through the cave and our guide “Natt” paddles through with smooth skill careful to not touch a hanging stalactite or to disturb the precious natural environment. One of the caves is 200 meters in length and we paddle through in pitch darkness with only the shine of Natt’s headlamp to guide the way.
Breathtaking Lagoons, known as Hongs, await you on the other side.
When we emerge from the dark, we arrive to a serene setting of sea cliffs and mangrove trees. A quiet lagoon in the centre of an island awaits, known as Hongs these hollow circular openings are magnificent.
John Gray is the founder of the Sea Kayaking industry in Thailand and he discovered and explored these caves and hongs in the early 80′s. Having extensive knowledge of sea caving from already developing his business in Hawaii, he wanted to come to Thailand to promote eco tourism and share his love of the water with the world. He now worries that the very natural setting that he loves is being destroyed because of his findings.
Sea Kayaking is a must do experience in Thailand
The Sea kayaking experience is over eploited in Thailand, but John Gray is doing his best to curb the over development and for now, at least keeps his tours authentic and to a minimum. He avoids over crowding his boats to make a lot of money and he encourages responsible paddling. From not taking anything from the environment, leaving anything behind or disrupting the wildlife and natural setting his staff briefs that passengers before each trip about the importance of responsible tourism. His company has zero tolerance for any guest that doesn’t follow the rules.
Cultural Experience
We visited 3 other hongs today leading up to the climactic moment of the tour; Hong By Starlight. Before dinner we all sat down with our guides to build our own Krathong. The Krathong ceremony has participants make their own offering out of banana tree bark to give to the Sea Goddess. We decorate them with lotus leaves, incense, candles and flowers.
Our finished Krathong
With our offerings ready to go, we eat our incredible dinner feast and wait for the sun to go down. At dark, we hop into our boat and paddle in darkness. No headlamps or flashlights are allowed, this is meant to be enjoyed by starlight. When we enter the hong we are treated to stars twinkling in the black night while bioluminescent sea plankton sparkles through our fingers as we drag our hands through the water. Sparking lights are all around us and we can’t get enough of the bioluminescences. Natt splashes his paddle into the water and it really lights up.
It was Magical.
The night ended with our boat dropping Dave and I off on our own private island for a night of camping on one of Thailand’s famous karst islands. Allan, was waiting for us all day as he set up camp and we were greeted with a roaring fire and cold beer where we settled in for the night and watched the boat sail off with the rest of the passengers heading back to Phuket.
Pinch me now, I am in a dream.
The John Gray Sea Canoe day trip is spectacular. Not only do you see and visit many hongs and caves, you are well fed and hydrated with an abundance of food and drink, you are given a spiritual experience, a thrill and excitement as you go through the caves and treated to incredible beauty. Don’t be fooled by the other companies claiming to use John Gray’s name. John Gray Sea Canoe is the only and original.
Note: This tour was sponsored by the Tourism Authority of Thailand.
29 Responses to Sea Caves, Canoes and Culture in the Isles of Thailand
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These Hongs really look amazing. Good that he limits the amount of people he takes with him, nothing more annoying then visiting a place like this and having to share it with loads of other tourists.
Tijmen recently posted..El Mirador Trek
Hey Tijmen,
thanks for stopping by. It is really great that John limits the amount of people. We went by a couple other Hongs that were flooded with touristsand were thankful we were with John Gray Seacanoe. He does a great job of scheduling his times so that you feel you have this paradise all to yourself.
Wow!!! What an adventure. Your exteriority to share this with us is a thing of beauty. Thank you both for sharing such a wonderful intimate experience.
Mike
Now that is what traveling is all about! I just have to get over to Thailand, it looks like a fantastic place to photograph, explore, and the people sound so welcoming. Thanks for the daily travel inspiration Dave & Deb!
Great photos as always Dave! I get worried about my camera gear when on a boat. My last insurer wouldn’t cover my gear if I was on a boat and anything happened. This even included cruise ships and aircraft carriers…
Ken Kaminesky recently posted..My National Geographic Cover Photo – Notre Dame de Paris
Hey Ken,
It really was an amazing experience photos and all. We really lucked out with weather as well.
Yeah I am always paranoid when I bring my gear on any type of boat big or small. I also am not covered but sometimes take the chance like here. Plus I shot a lot of video with it as well. But let me tell you there was a lot of breath holding:-)
Oooh, oooh! I have a question! *waves hand around* What did you do with your luggage while on this trip? Did you stash your big bags somewhere (a rented home base, perhaps?) and only take the essentials? Or did you have the whole lot of it with you? As a marine biologist who is traveling through Asia for 6-7 months later this year, a trip like this is a must-do – but I wanted to make sure I knew what accommodation legwork I need first! Thanks sooo much!
Hey Whitney,
We actually brought all of our luggage with us because we were moving on to Krabi right after the overnight stay to go climbing. Most people don’t do this as they return to Phuket the next day. You can store your luggage at any hotel or guesthouse and almost all do it for free and only bring the essentials. If you are moving on they are more than happy to help you with your bags and transport them along with you.
Wow, camping on your own private island? Kali is way jealous.
I’m also curious what kind of camera you use while on the water; is it waterproof? It takes great photos (well, Dave’s skill probably helps too, lol).
Christy @ Technosyncratic recently posted..Want to Learn More About Us
Hey guys,
Yes the own private island camping was awesome to say the least. Well I would love to say that I was responsable and used a waterproof camera but alas I must fess up to my carelessness. I used my 5D MKII with no waterproof housing. Probably not the smartest thing to do and we have since bought a waterproof camera for our New Zealand trip. I kept it in a dry bag (truthfully it was out most of the time) and we shared a Sea Canoe so Deb was doing most of the paddling. We had done a lot of paddling before so felt pretty comfortable but I still would not recommend it.
Loving all of those pics. I’m echoing Christy here about the camera you’re using. Is it a special water proof camera or a regular one fitted inside a waterproof case?
Jill – Jack and Jill Travel The World recently posted..25 Strangers- 1 Cabin- and A New Reality Show not really
Thanks guys…See my answer to Christy below for the answer to the camera question.
Hey guys, Great set of images there. Really bring back memories for me. I particularly like the shot of the Lagoons and Hongs with the darkened edges on either side. Makes me want to go back. Did you end up with that F2.4L IS lens, and were any one these shots taken using it?
This sounds incredible. We like John Grey’s philosophy. Great post and great pictures!
Global Basecamps recently posted..Inca Trail Trek Giveaway
Totally stunning photos! I had never really given much thought to visiting Thailand before, but your posts about your time there have really changed my mind….I’m enjoying seeing the beauty of it through your filter.
Trisha Miller recently posted..The Art of Personal Travel Essay Writing
Spectacular pictures Dave! I just got out of bed moments ago and I am staring at these pics with awe! Looks like a very fun activity and well captured.
Migrationology recently posted..Dandora Dangerous – Nairobi’s Dump Site
Thanks Mark. I took a bit of a risk pulling my camera out of the dry bag. We’ve now bought a waterproof camera since returning to Bangkok. We are starting to do a lot more water activities and it is too stressful to bring along the DSLR
Wow, such a beautiful place. We lived in the Caribbean and had a bat cave close by that we’d scuba dive and swim through. At the time few visited it, but things have changed so not sure if the rare fish-eating bats will survive. Glad the company you went with is conscious of that! We need more of those tour companies.
Nicole recently posted..I used to fly airplanes
Hi Nicole, it is so true, with the world expanding so much it is difficult for anything to remain untouched. Hopefully more companies will start to realize that they have to preserve the places that are bringing in the tourists.
Your photos are incredible!! Wow, really brought the place to life with this post!
Phil recently posted..How to get a Cheap Plane Ticket from the US to Africa
Oh my gosh! The view is amazing! And the photographs are top-notch! I loved the shot with the bird flying.. Well done Dave! And you certainly looked very happy in the picture too Deb.
This looks like a place that I would want to visit one day. Shall remember the name John Gray Sea Canoe.
iamthewitch recently posted..Best of Sarawak Cuisine – Top 8 Dishes of Sarawak
Thank you! Yes, I was so impressed with that shot of the bird. They followed us all the way out to our first stop.
That sounded like a really amazing experience. I had never heard of Hongs before and will have to look into them some more. If I ever get back to Thailand I’ll definitely have the sea caves on my list of things to do. Thanks for the post!
Thanks David. We had never been to the tidal caves before either. Having spent a lot of time in the south, we really should have, but better late than never.
Sounds like an incredible time and these photos are gorgeous! I have only been to Bangkok and would have much preferred to visit the islands in Thailand. You will make good use of a waterproof camera in New Zealand, for sure! I have never taken one on the water when canoeing or rafting but would love to be able to.
Andrea recently posted..Inspiring Travellers Turns One!
Hey Andrea. Yes, we are really happy to have bought the waterproof camera. It will make our water sports far more fun. It’s a good thing to because our first adventure in New Zealand is White Water Rafting.
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BEAUTIFUL pictures!!! As a lover of kayaking, this is obviously a must visit destination for me!
Dalene recently posted..Must Have Kayaks
Sounds like an amazing time!
I actually saw one of those sea eagles dive down right in front of me this morning, they’re beautiful!