Krabi Private Kayak Day — Ao Thalane, four guests only (Karst Aways)
A husband-and-wife operation that takes four guests a day: mangroves, canyons, a white sand beach and a home-cooked meal at a hidden cove.
Krabi, Thailand · 5h · up to 4 guests · ฿1,800 per person · EN
Lek was amazing! We had a great morning kayaking through the mangroves watching the wildlife. Cake, tea and coffee were provided on the first break. A full delicious homemade lunch was then served at the main stop.
What is this tour like?
Karst Aways is Lek and Lee, who have kayaked the Ao Thalane area for over fifteen years and opened this company in 2016. They take four guests a day and no more, unless you are a single larger group — which means the tour does not queue behind anyone.
The day starts with a pick-up from your accommodation at a time set for you, and a welcome at the pier in a fishing village in the Nong Thale area. Coffee and bakery snacks while the guides rig the kayaks; long-tailed macaques are often on the bank. From there the route goes upstream into the mangrove forest, out to a white sand beach in Thalane Bay for a swim, then into the canyons where the karst walls rise hundreds of metres above the water, and finishes at a secluded cove beach with a home-cooked meal.
Because the route depends on the tide, the start time changes every day: the operator states plainly that they will not take guests out on a tide too low to see the whole route. The tour takes about five hours including two rest stops, and there is no deposit — the full ฿1,800 (about $50) per person is paid after the tour ends.
What are the highlights?
- Four guests a day, maximum — the whole route to yourselves
- Start time changes daily to catch high tide, so the mangrove is always passable
- Three-seat kayaks used by two people — room for legs and bags
- Home-cooked meal at a secluded cove beach
- TAT licence 34/03290; no deposit, you pay after the tour
How does the day go, hour by hour?
- Pick-upCollected from your accommodation
Your personal pick-up time is given when you book, so nobody waits in the heat.
- PierBriefing at the fishing village
Welcome at the pier in the Nong Thale area, briefing, bakery snacks and sunscreen while the kayaks are rigged.
- MangrovesUpstream into the mangroves
A leisurely paddle upstream through the mangrove forest, with monkey families, kingfishers and eagles along the banks.
- BeachWhite sand beach and a swim
The route reaches a white sand beach in Thalane Bay for a swim.
- CanyonsInto the canyons
Paddling under limestone walls that rise hundreds of metres above the water.
- CoveHome-cooked meal at a hidden cove
The day finishes at a secluded cove beach with time to swim and a meal cooked for the group.
What's included in the price?
- Transport from and back to your accommodation
- All kayaking equipment — three-seat kayak per two people, paddles, seats, life jackets
- Experienced English-speaking guide
- Trip insurance
- First aid and dry bags
- Personal icebox of cold bottled water
- Free coffee and bakery goods
- Fresh home-cooked meal on the trip
What's not included?
- Personal spending
What should you know before you go?
Who runs this tour?
Where do we meet?
A fishing village pier in the Nong Thale area, Mueang Krabi — the operator picks you up from your accommodation and drives you there; your pick-up time is personal and set the day before.
Exact meeting point shared after booking.
FAQ
How much does it cost and what does that cover?
Do I need experience?
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What should I bring?
Is there a deposit?
What kind of kayak is used?
Quick questions
What do guests say?
“Lek was amazing! We had a great morning kayaking through the mangroves watching the wildlife. Cake, tea and coffee were provided on the first break. A full delicious homemade lunch was then served at the main stop.”
“Book this company for a private kayak tour of the mangroves. We got picked up at the hotel and then met Lek at the riverside. Lek made sure that we beat all the other kayak trip providers, otherwise our peaceful experience would have been spoilt.”
“A really beautiful tour. Impressive landscape, a very nice guide. The food was delicious and the equipment first class. We would do it again straight away. The tour starts a little away from the route most others take.”
How can you pay?
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