Kayaking

Paddling kayaks through the small mangroves and out to the islands in Phuket should be a popular thing to do, listed under main companies in Phuket; but try as we might, there doesn’t seem to be very much kayaking going on around Phuket. There are small rental shops with locations at the major beaches though, so most tours are self-guided. You can visit any of the beaches listed on the site to rent a kayak for a self-guided tour, and this should be a good starting point for you. If instead, you want to go to Phang Nga for even more beautiful locations, skip to the end of this page.

Where can you rent a kayak on Phuket Island?

You can rent them at Patong Beach, Kata, Karon, Nai Harn and even Rawai; but there are often problems with the tide out at those beaches, so make sure you understand how tide movements affect your kayaking before going out. One of tourists’ favorite kayak trips from Phuket is to just rent a kayak at Yanui Beach and head out to the small island for a walk around. It is also a great spot for snorkeling, so bring your mask, fins and snorkel along with your waterproof camera!

Phuket waters in the Andaman Sea can get quite rough during the months of May through October, and sometimes later. Any waves mean unsafe conditions for most paddlers. The kayaks at the beaches mentioned above are sit-on-top style, and in waves they can be rather unstable for inexperienced paddlers. That means no fun! Go November through April for the best chance of flat water. Insist on life-jackets for all children and weak swimmers.

Most searches for Phuket kayaking all lead to kayaking in Phang Nga; and bare in mind that what they call kayaks is ‘sea canoes’. So, if you’re really interested in kayaking, you’ll have to take a short drive up off the island and head to Phang Nga where there are a number of incredible kayaking tours.

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