Phuket by Canoe
Squeezing through a Cave
“Lie as still as you can, lie as low as you can,” my guide whispered as he slowly navigated us into the weave of tunnels. I kept calm canoeing around Phuket and still as I watched the cave close in on me, sharp rocks dangled inches from the tip of my nose.
“This is too narrow. I am going to have to let some air go.”
As my guide, Souk, gently deflated the canoe with his hands, I should have felt alarmed. The deeper we pushed ourselves into the limestone caves the further the canoe shrunk, and molded itself against the sharp rocks and squeezed through this narrow tunnel. The end looked imminent. I envisaged that one of the rocks would pierce the thick rubber coating mercilessly, and both of us would drown in the darkness.
With Phuket Sea Canoes
I had left the party crowds of Patong to see the other side of Phuket. We crossed a serene countryside through laid back Phuket Town to join Phuket Sea Canoes on a day trip to explore Phang Nga Bay. This is an area that is part of the Ao Phang Nga National Park, protected for its natural beauty and ecological importance to the area. Dotted with limestone islands, or islets, each a distinct sculpture out of the sea so beautiful that it has been the backdrop of many movies such as 'The Beach' and of course, 007 The Man with the Golden Gun, of whom an island is now named after. I had come with expectations of the big open sea, now I am no longer sure what I had signed up for.
Canoe Calm Thailand
I was however, feeling surprisingly calm. Above us colonies of small furry bats hung swaying on their hind claws. They began squeaking and fidgeting among themselves, staring at us with their beady eyes, mocking our attempt. Everything was silent; the only sound came from the hissing of air escaping from the rubber under my weight. A chilly draft eerily whispered through the tunnels and Souk’s face suddenly broke into a laugh. Had he gone mad?
“It’s air! Do you feel it? We are here!”
claustrophobic and Worth it
‘Here’ did not begin for another 200 meters ahead of us. Then I saw the light at the end of the tunnel and a wave of relief washed over me. Twenty minutes earlier, my claustrophobic husband had already retreated back out of the tunnel to the safety of a nearby beach. He did not handle the disorienting feeling of complete darkness. I patiently floated along, allowed my eyes to slowly adjust into darkness and now back to light. I trusted that Souk would eventually deliver me to the paradise he had promised.
And what a paradise it was. After fifteen minutes of paddling, pushing, shoving, hissing, squeezing and sliding we emerged out of the tunnel into what I can only describe as a hidden Eden.
We were in what is called a ‘Hong’, a collapsed cave system common across the national park. These unique eco-systems have formed over the years. In addition, Hong is home to intertidal forested wetlands, with at least 28 species of mangroves. There flourishes 88 bird species among the various fish, reptiles and mammals. What seems like just another sea-protruding island from the outside exists an enclosure filled up to the cliff walls with lush tropical vegetation and wildlife.
This is Canoeing around Phuket
Souk steadied the canoe to let it drift naturally with the smooth movement of the tide. Among the limestone fortress crabs scuttled along the shallow mud pools and mudskippers jumped on and off the mangrove roots; a grey heron stepped slowly and gracefully looking for its next meal and white-bellied sea eagles circled the sky above. I lounged back into the canoe, closed my eyes and listened. I enjoyed a moment of peace when a high pitched call pierced through the peaceful surroundings behind me. Then, I also turned my head to see two crab-eating monkeys chase each other into the cliffs.
Most of all, I could have spent my entire day drifting in this enclosed oasis and listening to the chirps and shrieks of birds and monkeys. However time was short and there were sunset cocktails to be had back on the main boat. As a result, through the same darkness and the same effort we exited back out into the open ocean.
"How did it go?" my husband asked as he approached our canoe.
"Outer worldly." I replied.
Written by: Amy McPherson
Amy McPherson is a freelance writer based in Sydney, Australia and she is obsessed with the world. Since spending a year studying broad in Germany more than ten years ago, Amy has not stopped wandering the world. From backpacking South East Asia to volunteering with communities in Peru, even her corporate career cannot stop her from her real passion. She met her husband in Peru and the pair has made traveling a priority in their relationship.
All photos by: Amy McPherson
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