Feature: Wildlife-gazing kayaking tours around the world
The wild places on earth: Distant mountain ranges, roaring rivers and unrivalled seascapes. Man’s final frontier. These isolated and stunningly beautiful locations are not only hard to get to, they boast beautiful and rare wildlife because of their very isolation! While a safari or a mountain trek is an excellent way to see large mammals and soaring birds, why not try something a little different with a kayaking tour through sea or river?
A brilliant way to tone up those muscles, the adrenaline coursing through your veins as you paddle furiously is only topped by some of the spectacular landscapes in view. So get yourself some heart-thumping exercise as you decide which wild region to discover with our guide to top kayaking destinations around the world...
Whale odyssey
Wake up to sound of Killer Whales topping the glacial water in the gorgeous alpine freshness of Canada’s West Coast. The icy waters of British Columbia are some of the most prolific marine environments in the world, so get to the heart of it all with an adventure holiday in the remote island of Quadra. Spirit of the West Adventures offers four-day camping and kayaking excursions to this beautiful region with prices starting from £693.
While staying in tents enclosed in a cedar wood frame, open the flap in the morning sun and catch a glimpse of Killer Whales just 50 feet away! Unforgettable. Kayak Johnstone Strait, arguably the best Orca kayaking destination in the world, and get so close to them to be sprayed by their jets! Every year around 220 of these majestic beasts return to the area to feed, sleep, play, and rub their bodies on the pebble beaches. There is also a very high chance you will catch a glimpse of humpback whales, dolphins, porpoises, and black bears.
Modern mammals
The vast plains of Southern Africa are renowned for their range of wildlife. Around rivers, elephants, hippos, and buffalo are even more prolific due to the abundant drinking water. Africa’s fourth largest river is the Zambezi: a meandering torrent of a river with thundering waterfalls and fast rapids. But there are plenty of calm areas as well, so book a day kayaking trip with The Safari Company for an unrivalled experience!
The serenity of the gentle waters and surrounding countryside means you can enjoy the calls of monkeys and baboons, and gaze in wonder at lions, leopards, zebras, hyenas, antelopes, hippos, antelopes, and a variety of birdlife. In the evening lift your eyes to the unspoilt skyline for some old-fashioned stargazing as you camp in the wilds...
Wild Mexico
Take in the diversity of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula and kayak and snorkel through 65 miles of untamed coast. This isn’t for the kayak-novice. Baja Expeditions require you to be fit enough to handle up to 14 miles a day journeys from Loreto to La Paz, but it will be worth it! Explore remote coves and inlets, take in the local culture, and spot brown pelicans and blue footed-boobies up close. A support boat follows the entourage of kayaks, holding equipment and offering showers, but in the evening you will camp in the wilds. As most of the paddling is in the morning, there are brilliant optional extras including hiking and snorkelling. And you might even catch a glimpse of a whale!
Brackish runs
South America’s Patagonia is an area full of lifeless steppes, glacial mountains, and large bodies of brackish water. This is truly a wild country. Swoop Travel’s The Ice Route is a four-day kayaking trip through Chile’s Torres del Paine. Brace yourself for that infamous Patagonian wind with adrenaline pumping kayaking trips to the Serrano River ‘Salto’ waterfall, the beautiful Lago Grey glacier and large glacial lake of Lago Pehoe. The tour includes camping and prices start from £660.
Croatian dreams
Explore beautiful Croatia on a six-day kayaking trip with Sea Kayaking Adventure. Starting off in the magically picturesque port town of Skradin you will later explore the stunning Skradinski Buk waterfall of Krka National Park and its terrain of porous rock, caverns, and green forest. The cooling water can be swum in so make sure you bring some trunks! Then head into the deep blue of the Adriatic and kayak through the gorgeous Kornati Islands with their small villages and secluded coves. Your breath might be taken away! Finish in the historic town of Zadar and enjoy Croatian specialities such as fis paprikas an exciting stew of spicy freshwater fish! Accommodation ranges from simple hotels in cities to camping in remote areas, including stays on isolated beaches perfect for stargazing!
Adrenaline-pumping activity breaks are excellent for getting to wild places that no car or train could. And what better idea than to Kayak, because think about it: if you get hot, all you have to do is fall in the water to cool off!
