River Trips with Chinese Dragonboats

Outdoor Education in Asia has Chinese Dragonboats that can take groups of students up some of Thailand's most interesting waterways.

One of our most popular options is to load up a dragonboat at Krabi Boat Lagoon and to paddle up river and then head towards Krabi town. The journey is about 5km. The students will set up camp at a chosen camping spot and prepare the evening meal. It may be possible to arrange a night walk for the group and then campfire before turning in for bed.

The second day can be a paddle back to Krabi Boat Lagoon along the coast if the weather permits. If it does not we retrace our steps and paddle back along the same route after decamping and loading up the dragonboats. The students will be encouraged to take video and still shots of the mangroves and the natural wildlife. It may be that the school teachers will define a brief that each student or groups of students must complete - a video log perhaps.

The Dragonboat river trips can be varied and different routes may be planned to give school leaders other options and opportunities. We welcome planning meetings with the lead teacher (please see our Pre-Visits page). We are happy to meet leaders in Krabi or Phuket.

Choosing camping sites is of paramount importance to the success of the School trip or expedition. The question for group leaders to ask themselves is how rural and how isolated they wish to be? Finding the right site is a measure of how authentic your adventure will be and, dependent upon the season, may need consideration from a safety perspective.

The Krabi Sail in Asia Base has several possible camping sites and are decided upon depending on activity and routes chosen by the School Group Leader. Krabi Boat Lagoon has a purpose built site in the marina and will usually be our start camping site.
The islands of Ko Yao Yai and Ko Rang Yai also have possible camping sites. We recommend site visits by lead teachers so we can do site specific risk assessments.

The maps above and below outline the routes around the island where Krabi Boat Lagoon is sited. Adventure trip group leaders may use this as a start point to discuss a Dragonboat Adventure trip with their colleagues and students.

The routes taken are very much in rural Thailand and the students will experience how mainly coastal Thai people live and make their livelihoods. A big RIB (fast response boat) will accompany the group and a safety plan for emergencies will include the use of this boat with a plan of action for such emergencies.