Holidays on the edge

As a holiday destination, Thailand offers something for everybody. Synonymous with sand, sea and sun, it boasts first-rate golf courses, sensational spas and gourmet cuisine. It’s also at the very top of the list for those whose idea of a vacation is hiking, trekking, sky diving, white water rafting and other action packed adventures. Check out the best places below for an adrenaline boost you won’t forget.

 

 

White water rafting on the Thailand-Laos frontier

Best Time: October-January

When it comes to epic white-water adventures, little can match up to the wild Wah River in Nan province. Adrenaline junkies and private groups typically take three days to move through the water in the wildest section of the Wah River, with the journey kicking off in the remote rain forest near the Thai-Laotian border. Whether it’s high water that can flip your boat in a blink of eye or January’s lower levels, rapids with such odd names as Jungle Ghost and Pepsi pose a problem for even the best skippers. Camping along the river is part of the unique experience, which also includes outdoor swimming. The water is crystal clear, and you won’t be sorry to flip again and again. 

Call Tourism Authority of Thailand (Phrae Office) at (+ 66 54) 521 118.

 

Flying through the canopy

Best Time: All year

With high mountains, untouched tropical forest and deep valleys, Chiang Mai’s Mae On district has become a playground for adrenaline junkies. A short drive from Tharnthong Lodges is Flight of the Gibbon, a zip line tour of the treetops. The Flight has proved an instant success among young travellers and fun junkies with 15 lofty platforms linked by “sky bridges” and two kilometres of zip wire through different layers of the rainforest canopy. Hang in there for three hours, and you are guaranteed thrills. It’s eco-tourism with an adrenaline sweetener. Call (+66 53) 010 660 or visit www.TreeTopAsia.com.

 

Abseiling into the spirit well

Best Time: November-April

Tucked away in the jungle of Mae Hong Son province, the Spirit Well Cave (Tham Nam Bor Phee in Thai) is sacred and taboo to the Black Rahu tribe, who live in hamlets five kilometres from the cave. With a depth of 160 metres and 100 metres wide, the cave is the “Black Hole” of Mae Hong Son. While it’s a no-go area for the hilltribes, it has tremendous appeal for thrill-seekers and modern cave men and is a perfect site for abseiling. You tie the rope above the overhang on the western side and make your way down to the bottom. The 30-minute, nail-biting descent is guaranteed to satisfy every whim of the thrill-seeker’s appetite. 

A trip to Tham Nam Bor Phee can be arranged by HyperVenture Team (+ 66 86) 576 5158, www.HyperVenture.com) and The Peak Adventure (+66 53 800 567). Mountaineering and climbing skill are required. 

 

Rumbling in the jungle

Best Time: October-February

In the poster, Mokoju Peak in Kamphaeng Phet province is irresistible – a dome of bald rock carpeted by a florid treeless meadow, overlooking a bottomless valley. But the trail is unfriendly to your legs. The five-day Mokoju trail trek, up and down, takes you over 60 kilometres of uncountable bottomlands, steep ridgelines and challenging summits. The peak thrusts high into the blue Kamphaeng Phet's sky rather like a giant mother hen guarding her chicks. The ridgelines that arch from the peak lead your eyes to a panoramic wall of mountains. Mokoju earns its name from Karen tribe. It means “it looks like it's going to rain”. You often see the mountain crowned by columns of cloud. It isn’t the cloud that lures the hikers to the top of the mountain – but the sun. With a 360-degree view of the valleys, the summit of Mokoju offers the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets.

Call Mae Wong National Park, Kamphaeng Phet province, for permission and porter arrangements at (+ 66 55) 766 436 or e-mail [email protected].

 

Running the rapids over Mae Taeng River

Best Time: July-November

The Sob Kai Rapids, where the Mae Taeng River boils and churns its ways over 10 kilometres of cascades, offers Chiang Mai's most thrilling rafting experience through the rain forest. The tricky turns and Class III and IV rapids demand fast action by rafters and thrill-seekers alike. Fast as it's furious, rafting down Mae Taeng River from Baan Sob Koi to the Elephant Camp, takes about three hours. Baan Anatta Resort offers rustic, riverside cottages on the river and arranges the rafting trips. Visit www.BaanAnattaResort.com.

 

Leaps into the void

Best Time: All year

Skydiving. You saw 007 did it in the movie, and you can do it, too. Tucked away in Sakon Nakhon province, Bird's Paradise Extreme Resort is a thrill-making agent. The resort, with a United States Parachute Association license, offers  skydiving, aerial tours and flights with instruction in ultralight, microlight and paramotor. You could jump off the plane with experienced instructor, smile ear to ear and do Superman arms in the sky. Call (+66 81) 974 0749 or visit www.ThaiSkyDiving.com.