Chiang Mai: Jungle Kayak Adventure With Rapids & Elephants

My girlfriend had very little experience with kayaking and I didn’t have much more. Aidan was a fantastic instructor and guide for both of us on the beginner/intermediate kayaking route. By the end, we were able to tackle a category 3 rapid! But before doing so, Aidan made sure that we had the skills necessary. We felt safe the entire journey. I flipped my boat at one point and while my girlfriend laughed at me, Aidan offered calm guidance on how to get back on and avoid flipping again. But i have to say, I enjoyed the quick dip! We also encountered several elephants. They were all curious and beautiful. Aidan carefully navigated us respectfully past them while allowing us to observe and take pictures at a safe distance. In between more technical parts of the river, we also enjoyed the calmness of the river, which was like a meditation. Lunch was great too! Aidan is also hilarious. I recommend this trip to anyone with an adventurous soul who loves dry humor. You will have to paddle your own boat and you may get wet. But there’s no better way to experience the outdoors in Chang Mai than with Aidan!

A truly amazing and memorable day! My friend and I joined the beginner white-water kayaking trip on the Mae Wang river, and we both loved it. Guided expertly by Aidan, we glided through lush jungle and even spotted elephants standing majestically on the riverbank. Aidan’s clear instructions gave us the confidence to navigate the thrilling rapids, and while some sections were challenging, we always felt safe and well cared for. Huge thanks to Aidan and his team for an unforgettable adventure.

Amazing trip, we all had so much fun. I would definitely do it again if I came when the water was higher. Great way to see other areas of chiang mai besides the city

Really good organisation and nice people and have learnt a lot - felt safe on the rapids and i’ll come again - Aidan is a good teacher and his team too . Thanks

I had high hopes for the Chiang Mai Jungle White Water Kayaking @ Mae Wang River experience, but our guide absolutely ruined it. He’s an older guy by the name of Aiden and from the start, he was condescending and downright rude, acting like he was training us for some extreme sports competition rather than helping us enjoy a leisurely trip downstream. His attitude made the entire group uncomfortable. Instead of offering helpful advice or encouragement, he constantly made snide remarks and yelled instruction at us. He seemed to think he was some kind of gift to mankind, which is odd considering he’s almost unbearable to be around. What should have been a relaxing and fun day on the water turned into a frustrating ordeal because of his lack of people skills and his inability to read the room. Kayaking isn’t supposed to be stressful, but he managed to make it exactly that. If you’re looking for a guide who will help you enjoy the journey, keep looking. This guy clearly lacks the skills—and the attitude—needed to lead a group. I can’t recommend this experience to anyone.

We did Chiang Mai Jungle White Water Kayaking @ Mae Wang River yesterday with Aiden as our instructor. It was low river, but that was not a problem. Everyone in my group has been kayaking before and knows the basics of how to kayak. This was our first experience with rapids and maneuvering around stuff in the water. We expected and needed guidance and input as we figured out our way around obstacles and tricky parts in the river. Aiden, whom we assume is the owner of this business, took this “instruction” to a different level. Yes, we expected him to raise his voice in order to be heard above the river. This was not the problem. Almost every instruction was accompanied with rude/condescending comments such as “what are you doing! Why would you do that!”, “why are you grabbing onto that!”, “why would you make that move!”. He made everyone in the group feel on edge, and no matter what we did, we did something wrong and got yelled at for it. One example: the beginning of the tour, my friend and I were paddling slow and found ourselves at the lead. Aiden made a comment like “why are you ahead of me?”. Okay. Later on in the tour we again found ourselves at the lead and decided to Eddy Out, as instructed. Mid-eddy, I got yelled at “why would you pull over there! We have to get going, what are you doing!?”. This is one example of many. He has a bad temper and is a good kayaker. But not everyone who is good at something, has what it takes to be a teacher. He also treated the coworkers/employees with impatient tones and just really did NOT make this tour fun.

Just finished a full day kayaking down the river. Our guide was spot on, great teacher and I learned lots. Got my confidence built right up before getting too far down the river. Took lots of pictures and helped us through any tough spots. Have very little kayaking experience I would highly recommend everyone to do this tour... it’s the best way to see the jungle.... passed lots of elephants and had a good lunch at the half way point! Will be doing another advanced tour in my future Also you can grab an amazing cup of coffee in the morning from the little shop across the parking lot 10 stars if it would let me !!!!! Don’t leave Chiang Mai without doing this tour !!!!

We had great day kayaking down the Mae Wang river today. After pickup at the hotel we were driven to the office downtown. We were given a good, humorous and thorough safety briefing. The drive up to the river in the red truck was a nice way to meet the group of (in our case) 7 people and 3 guides. The kayak down the river had some interesting challenges some which resulted in a refreshing dip in the river. Guides were always around to help you out and get you on your way again. We saw multiple elephants on our way down and the nature floating by us very relaxing. If you are looking for a safe ride with a few thrilling twists, this is the one.

So I went on the class 3/4 kayaking trip in the canyon, which was an awesome experience! The guide (Denai) was absolutely awesome, and we had a really good time. One of my favorite overseas adventures. That being said: This is a no bs class III+ run. It's shallow creeking with 3-4 foot drops, cool rock slides, and very shallow. There is an upper section that can be lapped which is a lot more forgiving, but the lower end of the canyon is shallow and steep. Fairly low consequence, but VERY bony. I'm used to bigger water (2,000 cfs) and this pushed me, but I think if you were familiar with steep creeks it would be better. When I ran it, there were no keeper holes, and only a couple of undercuts. The guides are great, and the risk management is really good, but in the end, this level of kayaking is about your capacity. This trip was a ton of fun, and I'd love to do it again. Five stars!!!!

It was a great experience to go with the kayak through the River. John was a good guide. I would joy Hits Company again. Thank you.

I joined both a Kayak and a mountain bike trip. The owner, Aidan, and the other guides, always make sure that people have the right information before the trips and always give some basic teaching. The price is clear from the beginning and there are no surprises. It was my first time kayaking on white waters. I did it with a small group of other travelers and our guide Aidan taught us the basics very professionally and always made sure we were safe. The scenery around the river was amazing. Be ready to get drenched and have a lot of fun. The second day I joined a mountain bike tour. The route was mostly cross country and downhill. The trails in the jungle were wet, slippery and full of mud. Perfect to get dirty and have lot of fun. Again, the surrounding were just amazing. The bikes were very good too, as well as the guides. Definitely recommended!

<p>Just a great day White water Kayaking, in a very scenic place, with lovely people, But be prepared for lots of horse fly attacks</p>

My girlfriend and I booked the Rockhopper kayaking trip. I was hesitant at first as it appeared quite expensive (for Asia) and we were nearing the end of our trip meaning funds were low. This trip was one of the best days of ours travels, it was certainly the best value for money as well! We were picked up on time from out hotel and take to an office where we all received an extremely useful theory lesson. We drove for about an hour into the mountains, got the boats off and got on with it. The staff were fantastic, we got a kayaking lesson whilst kayaking through the jungle. We also got a game of kayak polo before lunch!Everybody had a challenging day and I am certain that everybody enjoyed it. Should I return to Chaing Mai I would book a longer kayaking trip. Thanks

This marks the third time I have come to Chiang Mai and the biggest reason for me to be here is the kayaking! The trips are clean and flexible with kayaks to suit beginners to advanced. So too are the rivers with placid dawdles through the beautiful countryside to adrenaline pumping rapids which are never the same with fallen trees and over growth. In a word. .... awesome! Thanks Aidan! See you next year! ;-)

I would recommend this tour company. We selected the kayaking trip in the jungle with some whitewater, however the river was low so some pushing yourself along was needed. We had an amazing trip and scenery was beautiful. The staff was friendly and professional and provided a safety talk demonstrating river navigation basics prior to setting off. The guide knew the river very well. The staff picked up and dropped us off at our hotel. The outing took the entire day and provided a late lunch, so make sure to eat something before setting off.

I had an amazing day kayaking down the Mae Wang river. Having only previously kayaked on lakes, Aidan and his team taught me well and I loved my first river rapids trip. Everything was tailored to me - and they even took loads of pics and sent them to me for no extra cost. Was a brilliant day - thankyou!

I couldn't recommend this more. I had some minor experience on a river before. Aidan, the owner, and I kayaked Trip E, which was a thrill! Definitely suitable for anyone who can swim - Aidan will teach you the rest. The river is beautiful, you see elephants at the start, and you duck under bamboo bridges and dodge low-hanging bamboo over the small river. More than worth the money. Seriously, just do it. This was definitely, easily, some of the best money I spent in Thailand. Can't wait to come back amd do a kayak/bike tour! They also have nice, smooth river paddles if your are not keen on the excitement, which also look beautiful.

We just made the E Road kayaking trip. And it was just awesome. We were 3 friends: 1 skilled 1 intermediary and 1 beginner (first time on this kind of river). Somes skills are needed but not obligatory if you are determinate and applicate Trip begin by crossing éléphants ( pretty cool). After the guide take time to teach or control our skills and he was very patiente with our beginner! The guide give us advice during all the trip for every technical moment. Everything was cool beautifull and threaling as we expected not too much for a beginner and funny enought for us. To conclude this trip was beautifull and funny, the guide was nice and friendly. Some skills and needed but not obligatory Thanks

Superb day: the landscapes were magnificent and our guide was knowledgeable and very friendly. I highly recommend this outing for beginner kayakers of all ages.

The kayak tour Mae Wang Rock Hopper lived up to its name in November. The water level was already quite low, so we hit some rocks. We were a very mixed group from a novice in kayaking to experienced paddlers. Our 3 tour companions did a great job! The instructions from Aidan (the owner of the store) at the beginning were really professional, with graphics on the flat screen he explains which maneuvers to do. All I'm saying is: Eddi out! Although almost all of us capsized, everything went well. Also thanks to the instructions on how to behave in such a case... ok, two fingernails went down :-) It was an incredible experience. And really well organized. You can tell Aidan's been doing this for decades. Absolutely recommendable! (I've never commented before, but this tour is worth it!) Beate from Stuttgart

Had a great kayak tour. Got clear instructions in advance and some theory about kayaking. This was very meaningful. The owner Aiden was our guide. We were a group of 4. Aiden gave clear instructions and didn't do anything if it wasn't safe. It was definitely worth the money. A very nice trip through the beautiful nature.