How a two-week kayaking adventure in Thailand teaches you to slow down and enjoy the moment
- Kayaking around Thailand’s Phang Nga Bay to celebrate his 50th birthday was demanding and at times painful, but it taught our correspondent patience
The sky is overcast as I paddle out from a small beach on the morning of my 50th birthday on Day 1 of a two-week, 250km solo kayaking trip around Phang Nga Bay, an aquatic biosphere off the southwest of Thailand, with dramatic islands and limestone karsts that rise like titans hundreds of metres from the sea.
I’ve never done anything like this before, but past travels have taught me a bit about problem-solving in remote places and how to pack for survival.
I have brought 50kg of supplies, the maximum weight, in addition to my body, the touring kayak I hired in Phuket can stow. I have 24 litres of water, canned and dried food, a portable cooking stove, printed maps in a waterproof sleeve, antibiotics, bandages and painkillers, a compass and flashlight, sunscreen and mosquito repellent, a sleeping bag and tent, dry bags, two big sponges to bail water out of the kayak and a change of clothing.
To better understand the risks I am taking, I met a kayaking guide in Phuket the day before my trip. He said there were no large sharks in the bay and the main hazards were getting stuck in a mudbank, becoming dehydrated or getting caught in a storm.
He gave me a tide chart and taught me how to read it to help mitigate the first hazard. And as it’s the start of the dry season I shouldn’t see any storms, at least not any serious ones.
I have done everything within reason to ensure my safety and the success of my trip. But adventure, by definition, is a journey without a foregone conclusion. Anything can and will happen out there.
