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Shurr Adventures is a great kayaking company in the Everglades National Park close to Naples and Fort Myers. They offer guided trips through the Everglades and big cypress area. We learned a lot about the flora and fauna of the area and got to paddle through the mangroves and in the ten thousand island. It was the best part of our vacation and we are going back to do it again.
Everglades City, Fl www.shurradventures.net
I spent many, many summers in Seattle as a kid. So I did all the typical touristy stuff, the space needle, etc. We even drove to Vancouver once (well worth it.)
I feel that not enough people who visit Seattle (or the state of Washington, for that matter) end up exploring the majesty that is the San Juan Islands. I didn't end up doing it until I was much, much older. It is absolutely gorgeous, feels worlds away from Seattle and is relatively easy to get to thanks to the state ferry system. You won't have to take some crazy expensive tour to get there.
You probably won't have time to go to Alaska, and might only be in town for a week, so go for the next best thing. Sea kayaking is really popular in the area and a number of outfits will rent you one. If you get lucky or time your visit right, you might even get to see a pod of orcas - one of the main attractions. In my mind, a must-see of Washington.
Google map: tinyurl.com/yks76fb
The section from Vallon Pont d'arc down to St Martin is a 32km stretch through an amazing 1000ft gorge. With amazing views, stunning wildlife (wild boar, Bonneli's Eagles, beavers and more), and numerous rapids to navigate, the Ardeche river is the perfect place for canoes and kayaks and both beginners and experienced paddlers alike.
Suitable for the whole family and a really tranquil / at-one-with-nature experience.
Ardeche Gorge, border of Rhone-Alps and Languedoc just NE of Avignon
Nearest Stations: Nimes, Avignon
Website: www.experienceardeche.com
Tel: +44 (0)1749 812109
An experience that is out of this world! It is one of the best things that I have ever done, exciting and yet peaceful. The sea lions were a blast and love nothing more than jumping all over the front of your canoe. It takes a good level of skill not to capsize. I thoroughly enjoyed this trip and would go back in a heart beat. If you're lucky you may even pass by Bill Gates' house; as he lives in the banks of the Puget Sound.
Seattle Kayaking
The impossibly pretty port of Uig nestles at the foot of some of the most spectacular scenery in Skye, and views of this coastline are magnificent as you set off for Uist.
Dolphins may be seen as you cross the Minch. Try the peaceful and quietly swanky Observation Lounge if the deck's too blustery.
If you manage to catch an early ferry, why not book a sea-kayaking lesson from Uist Outdoor Centre in the afternoon - you can explore the tiny islands in the harbour at Lochmaddy spotting otters, birds and seals then surf back to the centre on the next ferry's wake.
www.calmac.co.uk, Tel: +44 (0)1475 650 100 fares £4.90 single, £9.80 return, bikes are free, nearest rail station Kyle of Lochalsh, buses from here or Portree
www.uistoutdoorcentre.co.uk,
+44 (0)1876 500 480 sea-kayaking lessons £35 for 3 hours (adults)
Spend three to four days in a Canadian canoe, gently paddling along fantstic scenery. Really relaxing and peaceful as you observe wildlife on the river close up. Camping on the river bank, some fast water, river side pubs, lazy picnics and loads of fun.
I recommend The Ross on Wye Canoe hire company who will drop you off up river and then pick you up at the end of your trip, very informative, friendly and flexible service, reasonably priced.
www.thecanoehire.co.uk
01600 890883
Kayaking Clayoquot Sound - located on the west coast of Vancouver Island, you can kayak pristine waters within a beautiful inlet and the open ocean. The islands of the inlet are covered in old growth coastal temperate rain forest and further inland you can see the snow covered peaks of the mountains (even in summer).
Kayak for days or weeks, camp on deserted beaches, fish salmon and cook it over an open fire. Then return to Tofino and stay at a nice hotel, eat great food and enjoy some surfing, walking, whale and bear watching ...
Tofino is located on the west coast of Vancouver island, BC in Canada - from Nanaimo turn westwards and drive for 3 hours via Port Alberni.
Enjoy a relaxing scenic paddle along two miles of tidal water, starting at Iford Bridge where you can park for free and enter the water easily. If you want breakfast before you begin I recommend the Old Bridge Tea Rooms.
Follow the meandering river heading away from the Bridge, although Stour means 'the strong powerful one' the course is suitable for novices, the river is full of Mullet, Bass and Flounder head for Tuckton Bridge and on towards Christchurch, you will hear the bells of the priory and enjoy the ambiance of Christchurch Quay from your priviledged position and opposite the unspoilt village of Wick where the ferry takes foot passengers across to the quay.
At Christchurch the Stour meets the Avon, the main river flows past historic Hengistbury Head (also a site of special scientific interest) dating back to 10,000BC one of only 25 from the Old Stone Age period.
Head towards the colourful beach huts at Mudeford Sandpit and take a leisurely break for lunch at The Beach House Cafe - the view is great and the food is fabulous.
At Mudeford the river enters the sea through a narrow channel known as 'The Run' which is best avoided unless you are extremely brave and experienced! If you enjoy sea kayaking the sandy beaches of Avon and Southbourne are close by and offer a contrast to the serenity of the river for those wanting to enjoy the surf.
Old Bridge Tea Rooms 16, Old Bridge Road, Iford, Bournemouth Tel:01202 477110
The Beach House Cafe, Mudeford Sandbank, Broadway,Southbourne. www.beachhousecafe.co.uk
tel:01202 423474
www.hengistbury-head.co.uk
My family and I (2 children aged four and five) stumbled into this place by accident while driving across France the summer before last. We hired two canoes at La Malène and descended the river Tarn. The Tarn Gorges are the deepest gorges to be found anywhere in Europe and the scenery is breathtaking. There are quite a few campsites dotted along this stretch of the river and we ended up staying in one of them. In the evening, as the children were fishing by the river bank, an eagle flew past us with a snake in its beak - magic. There is also a lot to do in the area, from rock climbing to visiting castles or just watching the many vultures that visit this part of the world in summer.
www.ot-gorgesdutarn.com/index-gb.html
To rent a canoe: www.canoeblanc.com
Stay at this lovely little hotel right on the beautiful Ionian coast. It's a bit of a drive from Saranda (also lovely) along a scary steep terrible coast road but well worth the drive. The Albanians assured me this road would be totally finished and tarmacked by July 2009.
The hotel is clean and has a lovely terrace and restaurant, which serves fresh fish chosen from a plate and lovely pizza.
Pick a nice day and ask to hire a kayak (1000 leke = £6) take this north for about half an hour and enjoy the mile long white sand (and bunkers!) of Drymades beach. There is a little beach bar further down if you fancy a drink.
The sea is bright blue and view of the rocks and snow capped mountains is awesome.
In the evening walk up the hill and get a 2 litre plastic bottle of wine from the shop for 300 leke a bargain. Pleasant and no hangover!
The best part of my Balkan tour.
Dhermi Hotel, Dhermi, 1500 leke for a double per night (in May/off peak - I'm told this rises to 5000 in summer)
Tel 068-224-6805
(Head down to Dhermi from the coast road and take the left fork near the bottom)
Àite Cruinnichidh is a hostel on the outskirts of Roy Bridge in the Spean Valley, a short drive out of Fort William.
It's a fantastic kayaking destination for people who are more adventurous. Tere are a large number of fantastic white water rivers nearby at a range of grades from 2/3 upwards. The Roy, the Upper Spean and the Arkaig are almost on the doorstep. For those in need of an introduction there are a number of guiding companies who operate locally and if the weather is not right for kayaking there are a host of other activities in the area to entertain you.
The hostel is family run and the owners are always welcoming. They have fantastic drying facilities – very important for a kayaking holiday - and a good knowledge of the area. It also sports a sauna, which is a great way to unwind of an evening.
Starting at £12 a night, if you are looking for a cheap base for a fantastic white water kayaking holiday then this a great place to start, either for a small or larger group of people.
www.highland-hostel.co.uk/
Train Station: Roy Bridge
Phone: 01397 712315
The Pont D’arc of Vallon-Pont-d’Arc is a 40m high natural bridge above the Ardeche River and the starting point of a canoe camping adventure. Take boats for three days instead of the normal two; you will be given a large barrel but will still have to plan carefully what you put inside if you have not light weight camped before. Book one night at each of the two bivvy campsites; not as basic as they sound as they have wash blocks with hot showers and campsite barbeque stands. Bring all your own food, but you can refill your water bottles at the natural springs. The slow pace will give you time for long lazy picnic and swimming lunch stops and a chance to paddle in the afternoons when the crowds have disappeared downstream. With our children we found many fish, crickets, lizards, frogs, one otter, plenty of wild boar evidence and also, more scarily, a water snake. In the evenings we hunted for glow worms and cicadas before sleeping in a row outside, looking for shooting stars. Don’t risk leaving the tent behind though, it rains in August even in the South of France.
canoe hire: www.aventure-canoes.fr/
camp site by the river: www.campings-ardeche.com/camping_frs/ardeche/clients/camp-des-gorges/f1.html
Train: Montélimar
We love camping at Domaine D'anglas in the Herault Gorge, 20km from the French Mediterranean coast. You camp among trees by the side of the river Herault and can sunbathe and swim yards from the tent. The campsite is also an organic vineyard, and in the evening we buy chilled fresh rose on tap to take back and drink by the river. Kayaks can be hired from many operators around nearby Granges; even in August we have not needed to book more than a day ahead for this. The grade two river flows gently through a scenic gorge, past a medieval village and a ruined mill; a few rapids make sure you don't relax too much. If you bring your own kayaks and experience, you can have the picturesque five km of narrow, white gorge ending at the Pont du Diable almost to yourself. All of the grade four drops were easily inspected and portaged when we paddled this section at low, summer levels. The Pont du Diable, an 11th century bridge, is an excellent swimming spot and next to Saint Guilhem le Desert - a world Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful medieval villages in Europe.
www.camping-anglas.com/
Nearest Station/Airport 45 mins in Montpelier
Färnebofjärdens National Park in Sweden is a fantastic place for family canoeing. It sits on the Dalälven River at the conjunction of Västmanland, Dalarna and Gävleborg counties. The park covers an area of 10,100 hectares, of which 4,110 hectares consist of water – lake or stream. The rest is a mixture of broadleaved and coniferous woodland and mire. Because of its geographical position in Sweden it has one of the highest diversities of bird species in the country and elk (moose), beaver, otter, bear and lynx are also found here.
We visited in July 2006 and stayed at Osta Stugby – the ‘camp’ consists of 40 modern cabins nestled among trees close to the waterside. The cabins were large and comfortable - three bedrooms and a combined kitchen and living room, and well equipped with a shower, bathroom, refrigerator and a stove with an oven. Each cabin had a little terrace area and there is space for parking a car. The beach by the camp was brilliant – very shallow water for the most part so very safe for our children then aged two and six. There are loads of places to discover by canoe and plenty of places to put a canoe into the water.
We took our own canoe but you can hire canoes from the camp, as well as small motor boats and bikes. The shop on the site was very small, but had most basics and there were plenty of villages around with larger shops for stocking up with food etc.
I understand that there are several cabins in the National Park for rent as well now. For more information contact naturum, 0291-47 10 40.
We would have visited again, but DFDS unfortunately closed the direct route from Newcastle to Sweden, followed by the Norway route.
Östa Stugby, S-740 45 Tärnsjö, Sweden
tel: +46-292 - 430 04, fax: +46-292 - 431 37,
e-mail: osta@stugby.com, URL: www.stugby.com
It was the most perfect canoe ever - the owners of St Nicholas Pension, Patara take you and your canoes up into the mountainous interior and drop you off to the spend the whole day canoeing back down to the stunning coast with beautiful sand dunes and ruins (it's where Father Christmas was born by the way!) The owners also meet you for a picnic lunch half-way down. There's mountain backdrop scenery, turtles, martins swooping into riverbank nests and some not too hair-raising white-water bits. A friend and I went some years ago and still rave about.
The following website has everything - info about St.Nicholas Pension, excursions and how to get there - www.stnicholaspensionpatara.com
Canoeing down the River Orb, under a blue sky, water sparkling around us, shimmering hills to the left and shady trees on our right, was probably the brightest of many highlights of a month spent in France last summer.
Canoes and kayaks can be hired from Roquebrun, with a choice of excursions ranging from a gentle ninety minute meander, to a three day 'adrenelin' descent. We chose a five hour trip, which involved a few minor gorges, just enough to make us feel a tinge of recklessness. Our route had many lovely sandy bays, perfect for stopping and having a picnic, swimming or snoozing. The arrival back at the canoe base gave us a stunning view of Roquebrun. It's an impossibly pretty village, which sprawls up the cliffs above the Orb.
We stayed in Les Mimosas, a splendid 19th century maison de maitre, in Roquebrun and fell in love with it from the moment we saw it.
www.canoe-france.com
lesmimosas@southfrance.com
This canoe ride is really exhilarating. A fantastic feature of Slovakia's Pieniny National Park is the 10km-long gorge. Canoes and traditional rafts (called plt') sail past narrow limestone cliffs and get up quite a speed. Rafters dressed in traditional Goral (the local mountain people) costume give talks on the surrounding sights, flora and fauna. The Polish peak of Trzy Korony (Three Crowns) looms like chunks of white Toblerone. En route there is plenty of opportunity to marvel at the local flora and fauna in spectacular, unspoilt and relatively undiscovered scenery. A gem.
Rafts and canoes usually set off from near Cerveny Klastor (Red Monastery), a fascinating museum in itself.
Check out www.rafting-pieniny.sk for more details.
Near Dinant in the Ardennes region of Belgium there is a great place to canoe downstream and then follow up your exertion with a big bowl of frites.
From Dinant, make your way to Anseremme, where a little mountain train takes you to the town of Houyet. Here the five-hour, 21km kayak trip sets off. It’s also possible to alight earlier at Gendron and take a shorter, 2.5-hour and 12km, trip back.
Prices are the same for the 21km and 12km circuit.
Place Baudouin Ier, 2 5500 Anseremme-Dinant
More info at www.lessekayaks.be
Google map: tinyurl.com/mnsjtm
For a kayaking holiday, the Tour International Danubien is one of the most amazing kayak or canoe trips in the world. It goes from Ingolstadt all the way to the Black Sea, but you can join for short stages if you don't have the three months it takes for the whole trip. Lovely warm water, fantastic people (both fellow paddlers and locals), interesting cultures, nice beaches and a fascinating history of the event itself are all part of the attraction. The difficulty of the kayaking is not great, although you need a fair amount of endurance. And you have to get up pretty early in the morning every day in order to make a start on your journey. All kinds of people do it, including some family groups.
Feel things getting slowly wilder and woolier as you go from the sophistication of Helsinki to the tea, cakes and ice cream of waterside Ekenäs, and then get paddling in a kayak to Kavle island (Rolling Pin island), where it's just you, the rocks, pine trees and a barbeque. Strip down to your chosen level of comfort and leap into the beautiful water, with only the remote fear of a nip from one of the resident pike. Make sure you get there in summer though, as it's frozen good and solid in winter (so you don't need the kayak). If the Rolling Pin island is not your thing, there's a cool 1297 other islands to choose from.
Kayaks from Jöns at www.paddlingsfabriken.fi. Ekenas info at wwww.ekenas.fi
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