Phang-Nga Bay is unquestionably one of the great scenic attractions in the world. The coastal area of the bay is a complex network of river estuaries, tidal lagoons, and dense forests of mangrove that support an amazing array of exotic birds, and wildlife including monkeys, monitor lizards and eagles.
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.
The unusual geology in Phang-nga Bay makes it a sea kayaking paradise. Capable of reaching places inaccessible by any other means, the sea canoe (or sea kayak) is the ideal craft for a close inspection of this unique landscape. Sitting two people to a canoe, your guide will paddle you through tiny sea caves and along narrow tunnels under huge limestone hills rising from the bay. Hidden in many of these odd rock formations are caves, tunnels and lagoons, better known as "hongs" (Thai for room), eroded by natural forces over millions of years and can only be entered via the tunnels when the tide is just right. Many visitors claim that being paddled in a canoe through the side of a limestone mountain that emerges into a pristine tidal lagoon isolated from the world and surrounded by sheer rock evokes a surreal experience of going back in time a million years. This is clearly one of the most remarkable journeys you will ever make. The appeal is universal, it's the perfect all-season, all-weather outdoor adventure, ideal for everyone in the family.
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 "EcoTourism) 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.
It is recommended that you take a trip of at least three days to fully appreciate this unique travel adventure but as that is not possible for many visitors, taking the one day trip is better than missing this opportunity all together. The following is a comparison of the one day trips offered by three of the twelve or so companies that offer this one day adventure.
Article Source: http://www.phuket-guide.net/phuket_activities/seacanoe.htm
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