H2GO

LUKE WRIGHT dives right in to bring us some aquatic adventure ideas that will make a splash on your next holiday

WHY DO WE LOVE HOLIDAYING BY THE WATER? IS IT because of our amphibian ancestry? Or is it that we’re mostly made of the stuff? Whatever the reason, almost all of us get a buzz from being on, near, or in the water when we take time off work. Oceans, seas, lakes, surf, sounds, rapids, rivers, salt water, fresh water, warm water… we love it all. From lazing on the beach to getting onboard a boat, or throwing in a fishing line, a break with an aquatic theme is bound to bring some brilliant holiday experiences. Grab a hat, towel and sun-cream, and take the plunge – the water is fine once you’re in.

Up for Sail
Thailand

The romantic notion of sailing across the aqua-blue water in a tropical and tranquil setting – the warm sun on your back, salt spray in your hair, the steady wind pushing you out into the big wide unknown – is not as fanciful as it might first sound. Chartering a yacht, either solo or with an accompanying crew, is a very straightforward process and there are few places as easy or worthy of quite as many travel-writing clichés as Thailand. If you want to live the dream and charter a yacht for a day, or a week, or more, Phuket is a good spot to set sail from. Explore islands and bays, from Krabi to Phi Phi, Koh Lanta, Koh Muk and well beyond – 10,000km2 beyond if you wish. If you know how to sail, the ocean is yours. If you choose to take an experienced skipper and crew, then sit back and relax and watch the waves roll by. Does life get any better than this?

Cost: To charter a yacht, prices begin at approximately US$300 per night.
Contact: www.sunsailthailand.com
Stay: For cottage and bungalow accommodation down by Kata Beach, the Boomerang is a good option. Prices start at approximately US$80 per night. Tel: +66 (0) 7628 4480, www.phuket-boomerang.com
Eat: Mom Tri’s Boathouse serves up a classic Thai feast with French influences. The wine list is also impressively bulging.
Kata Beach, tel: +66 (0)7633 0015, www.boathousephuket.com

Rapid Descent
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

It’s arguable that sitting in a little rubber boat while hurtling down a fast-flowing river (peppered with rocks and raging rapids just to add to the challenge) might not be the best way of trying to relax and unwind from work. But for those with a keen sense of adventure and a need for some adrenalin-fuelled action while on holiday, white-water rafting offers just that and more. It might be just the thing you need. At the Nomad Adventure Park, only two hours from Kuala Lumpur, there are daily white-water rafting trips on the river Sungai Kampar – and there’s a slippery seat with your name on it if you dare. White-water rafting is not actually as mad as is first appears; it’s reasonably safe and a fantastic day of fun. The trips with Nomad Adventures are broken up with bouts of tranquil drifting along a flat river surrounded by big beautiful rainforests, and you’re given plenty of safety training on how to deal with the bubbly rock ’n’ roll sections.

Cost: US$40 per person.
Contact: www.nomadadventure.com Stay: Novotel City Centre Kuala Lumpur is a reasonably priced downtown option. Prices start at approximately US$70 per night. Tel: +603 2147 0888, www.accorhotels.com
Eat: Rahsia is a quality KL restaurant in a 1960s-style bungalow. Try the satay rahsia and the pandan chicken. 13 Jalan Damai, tel: +603 2144 0059

Gone Fishing
Turangi, New Zealand

If you fancy a spot of fly fishing, you can’t go wrong trying for trout at Turang. Known for its good stocks of rainbow and brown trout, Turangi, on the postcard-pretty Tongariro River, is a fantastic fly fishing location with options to wet a line all year round. While winter fishing will give you the best chance of hauling in a sizable catch (about 50,000 to 70,000 trout run up the river in the cold months), getting wet in Tongariro’s temperate waters seems a better and saner option during summer. There’s night fishing for those who really like a challenge and helicopter fishing (for hard-to-get-to locations) for those who like to make some serious noise. Unless you’ve mastered the art of fly fishing (not an easy task) it’s best to take a tour and go with a professional fishing guide. There are no guarantees that you’ll take home a trout, but having an expert by your side can only improve your chances.

Cost: Prices for a fishing guide and day on the water start at approximately US$210 (1–2 people)
Contact: www.tui-lodge.co.nz
Stay: Tui Lodge is a great fishing lodge and an ideal home base for fishing adventures. Prices start at approximately US$170 per night. Tel: +64 (7) 386 0840 Eat: Try the Rod and Gun restaurant at the Bridge Fishing Lodge. The trout is a must, of course.
Route 1, Turangi, tel: +64 (7) 386 8804

Monkey Magic
Perth. Australia

Some 800km north of Perth, Monkey Mia is one of the best places on the planet to get up close and personal with dolphins. The daily feeding of our fantastic flippered friends (bottle-nosed dolphins to be precise) is a global phenomenon and a must-see on Australia’s big and wild west coast. In the 1960s, a fisherman and his wife would feed the dolphins after a hard day of fishing. News soon spread (among the dolphins and the humans), and today the feeding ritual is witnessed by throngs of camera-toting tourists – some might argue too many – from across the planet. It is a joy to watch as up to 300 of these happy-looking creatures jump and jostle in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean for a fish or two. It’s important to note that tourists are not allowed to swim with the dolphins and that Monkey Mia is a fragile environment which needs to be respected in every way possible.

Cost: There is no charge for watching the dolphin feeding sessions. Contact: www.discoverwest.com.au
Stay: The Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort has a range of waterfront holiday accommodation for all budgets, from US$20 to US$200 per night. Tel: +61 (8) 9948 1320, www.monkeymia.com.au
Eat: Try the Boughshed restaurant for some top-notch modern Australian cuisine and fine out-door dining. Of course the seafood is fresh and fantastic.
Monkey Mia Road, Monkey Mia, tel: +61 (8) 9948 1171

Sound Advice
Milford Sound, South Island, New Zealand

Rudyard Kipling called it the eighth wonder of the world. It attracts more than 500,000 visitors a year. It should be on everyone’s ‘to-do-before-I-die’ list. Majestic fjord Milford Sound is justifiably renowned for its stunning beauty, mountains, walking trails, high cliffs and waterfalls. While a lot of people walk around it, view it from a boat or on tour buses, there’s arguably no better way to see the Sound than on a kayak. Spend a day paddling at your own pace (no experience necessary) and witness Milford’s World Heritage beauty from a whale’s-eye, low-to-the-water, low-impact, low-stress perspective.

Cost: Prices start at approximately US$100. Snacks and drinks will be provided.
Contact: www.fiordlandseakayak.co.nz
Stay: Set in a central Queenstown location with a European alpine feel, the Mercure Grand St Moritz starts at approximately US$110 per night. Tel: +64 (3) 442 4990, www.stmoritz.co.nz
Eat: Winnies Gourmet Pizza Bar in Queenstown is a fun and friendly downtown institution. Try the green-lipped mussels. 7-9 The Mall, Queenstown, tel: +64 (3) 442 8635

Greatest Hits
Queensland, Australia

A jewel in Australia’s colourful crown, the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is one of the world’s greatest wonders. If you’re looking for the best location on the map to face-off with the weird, wild and wonderful creatures of the sea, look no further than Queensland’s coast. Here you can dive, snorkel and take boat tours to witness an underwater world buzzing with life, colour and aquatic action. To enter this world is to enter a new dimension; there are few holiday experiences that can compete with a trip to the world’s largest coral reef system – it’s even visible from outer space. From novice snorkellers to qualified divers, everyone can get out on the reef to see it firsthand. The GBR supports a huge diversity of life – some of which is critically endangered, including the coral itself which is threatened by warming seas – and its survival as an enormous ecosystem will largely depend on sustainable tourism in the area.

Cost: Snorkelling tours begin at approximately US$55. Contact: www.reefecotours.com
Stay: Canopy Tropical Chalets offer cute A-frame chalets on Magnetic Island. From US$110 per night. Tel: +61 (7) 4758 1957, www.canopymagneticisland.com
Eat: Barefoot Art Food Wine is a French eatery with arguably the best wine cellar on the island. 5 Pacific Drive, Horseshoe Bay, tel: +61 (7) 4758 1170