Here's Why Kayaking In Thailand Should Be On Your Bucket List

With about 2,000 miles of coastline, Thailand is the perfect place to go kayaking. Lakes and rivers in the country are great places for kayaks, too, but the seas have become a hotspot for tourists and offer a multitude of different options.

In fact, multi-day kayaking and camping combination tours have been popping up regularly. Paddle Thailand offers sea kayaking trips with English-speaking guides that last for three to 13 days. The longer tour takes people to the tranquil Ko Phayam and also to Khao Sok National Park. The operator has small group tours and private tours available.

At Koh Chang National Park, which is near Cambodia in the Gulf of Thailand, the kayak tour operator S.E.A. Kayaking has its own unique expeditions that go well beyond a standard tour. Guided trips run during the high season (November through March) when the seas are most easily traversed. There are single-day journeys all the way up to 12-day trips.

Another must-kayak spot in Thailand is on the Mae Ping River in the magical city of Chiang Mai. One of northern Thailand's premier destinations, Chiang Mai is famous for its ancient temples, though kayaking and mountain biking are two popular activities. Mountain Bike Thailand takes kayakers through the Chiang Dao Valley to explore the Chiang Dao cave system and the surrounding jungle. Meanwhile, Koh Tao: A Complete Guide suggests the island of Koh Tao for its many kayaking spots. A kayaking journey here can and should be coupled with snorkeling or diving. For new open-water kayakers, Koh Tao is perfect due to its calm conditions.

You're bound to find kayak tours or rentals wherever there's water in Thailand, so it's not imperative to go to any particular place solely for kayaking. Just pick the beautiful cities, beach towns, or national parks you want to visit anyways, and the kayaks are almost sure to be there. So what are you waiting for? Grab the paddles, find a tour operator or rental agency today, and get kayaking!