Canoeing at Ao Phang-nga

    
    Besides taking a long-tail boat to visit Khao Tapu and Khao Phing Kan, the tourists can go closely touch the serene nature along the Mangrove Forest at Ao Pang-nga.
     Serveral programs of canoeing are offered in Phuket, Phang-nga, Krabi, Trang, and Satun. the programs vary from one-day trip to one-week trip. the night canoeing is also available. It is another exciting activity for tourists who love to experience the darkness, glitteringly phosphorescent seawater, and brilliant stars all over the sky.
      Canoeing at Ao Phang-nga is held at ko Phanak and Ko Hong. It starts around 9.00 am. at Ao Po Pier, Phuket which is the nearest pier to go to Ko hanak and Koh Hong positioning around the middle of Ao Phang-nga. The maximun tourists are 18 people to avoid irritating the nature.
      It takes about one hour frim Ao Po to Ko Phanak which is a large long island. there exist some trees along the cliff. Those trees wonderfully turn to be yellow in dry season. The tour boat is moored near Ko Phanak and the canoes arethen droped down to te seawater. Each canoe comprises a leader and two rourists. te visting point are depended upon the high/low tide.

     The canoe is easy to control since it is extremely lightweight, small, and , moreover, well-balanced due to the excellent design. Hence, itis barely turned over. For a skilled paddler, he knows when he should paddle or wait for the waves to help move forward.
     The leader would paddle slowly through the hollows which hold some glorious stalactites. at some interval, the roof is so low that the tourists would lean forward to safely pass through. At some interval, the hollow is so narrow that the rourists would move forward by pushing against the wall. The tourists also need a flashlight because it is quite dark in the hollow. Finally, the tourists would reach a sizable greenish lagoon amazingly hiding inside. It is truly claimed to be astunning scenery.
     there exists a large area of abundant Kong Kang (Rhizophora sp.) Forest exhibiting the healthy branches and lively dark green leaves. there is lalsn a round hole letting the light in to create a picturesque view. Later, the boat would take the tourists to canoe at the other caves, for example, Tham Khang Khao. tham Khang Khao servesas a shelter for numerous bats. It comtains an inner lagoon embraced by the steep cliff as well as the other caves. There are four inner lagons at Koh hanak. According to the high/low tide, the rourist may not possibly visit every cave .

      Around noon, the leader would take the tourists back ro the boat for lunch and then ead to Ko Hong Ko Hons is another strikingly beautiful island.  It comrises a small bay with a huge stone twering like Ko Tapu. the inner side looks similar to Tham Lot Lek at Ao Phang-nga but it is narrower and more mysterious. Furthermore, it has an inner lagon which can be aproached by canoeing the same as at Ko haak those wonderful hollows are assumed to be developed from the seawater erosion. The rainfall and artesian well mixed with carbon dioxide also played the major role to gradually sissolve te limestone to turn into the hollow and eventually the existin Tham Lot.
 

  Ao Phang-nga Nation Park is situated in hang-nga rovice. The total distance from Bangkok is aproximately 788 Kilometres. It can be reached by car, bus, plane, or train and then go to the pier in Phuket or Phang-nga.