Water Margins
Action Asia (September 1999)
Photos by: John S. Callahan
Sea kayaks by their very design bring
paddlers closer to the ocean than any other craft. Though designed by the Inuit for seal
hunting in the chilly waters of Northern Canada, kayaks are the perfect way to explore the
sunnier seas of the Pacific.
From Fiji to Vietnam, from Micronesia to Myanmar, paddling
is growing as a way to explore unspoiled beaches, ancient mangrove forests and unseen
caves. Paddling is easy to learn and quality operators are making the sport ever more
accessible.  All it takes is a quick flight and in no
time at all you can find yourself on an exotic coastline far from civilization and
paddling your way into a week of adventure. From your kayak you can go snorkeling and
fishing, or you can just sit back and enjoy the world floating by. And you don't have to
carry your gear, it all just bobs along with you.
Mergui
The Mergui Archipelago is in southwest Myanmar, formerly
known as Burma. These eight hundred largely uninhabited islands were off-limits to
foreigners until 1997 when the first divers and paddlers were allowed in. These first
visitors found long white sand beaches, pristine mangrove swamps and jungle hikes in
unexplored areas. Now, with special permits, visitors are allowed to visit in small guided
groups to explore the area, one of the last genuinely untouched tropical areas on the
planet. While tales - and some physical evidence - of big cats and elephants abound, it is
difficult to spot these beasts during the day, even from the silence of a sea kayak, but
you'll see plenty of birds and smaller life.
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