SEA KAYAKING

Phang Nga Bay is a wonderland of limestone karsts, with gravity-defying pinnacles that famously starred in the 1974 James Bond movie

The Man with the Golden Gun. One of the best ways to experience these natural wonders up close is by sea kayaking, an activity that’s suitable even for more sedate travelers. Don’t miss the experience of paddling inside the hidden lagoons known as hong— literally “room” in Thai—that are typically accessed through a cave passage at low tide. Longtime guide and passionate environmental activist John Gray, who has been living in Thailand since 1989, is credited with bringing these exceptional limestone features into the public spotlight, and his outfit John Gray’s Sea Canoe ( johngray-seacanoe.com) is highly recommended for guided tours on the water. In fact it was John Gray who pioneered the local sea kayak industry, which has since grown by leaps and bounds to accommodate the numbers of tourists who come in from Phuket and Krabi.

Paddle Asia ( seakayaking-thailand.com) and Phang Nga Eco Tourism ( seacavecanoe.com) are two professional outfits that also take their environmental credentials seriously. Though Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi has been catapulted to fame as the secret lagoon of Hollywood blockbuster The Beach, the real-life inspiration for the original Alex Garland novel lies on the east coast. Here, the Ang Thong archipelago has yet more stunning karst scenery, lonely beaches, and an enclosed saltwater lagoon. Blue Stars Kayak

ing ( bluestars.info) runs day tours from Samui.