Sail the blue seas of South East Asia!

Learning to sail is an adventure that doesn’t tend to register on a backpacker’s radar, seemingly writing it off as a sport reserved for the rich flashpackers. However, if you’ve ever fancied steering a sailing yacht over the oceans Captain Jack Sparrow style, then this could be your chance! And it isn’t as expensive as you might think.

Rather than the chugging of long-tail boats and ferries heard constantly as a backpacker being herded like cattle to and from the islands, sailing offers a truly different experience as there is nothing to be heard but the sound of the wind in the sails and the splash of water. Gliding by with only the force of the elements, you begin to appreciate this incredible, natural form of travel that until approximately 150 years ago was the only possible way that mankind was able to travel overseas!

Where are the best places to Sail in South East Asia?

Koh Tao & Ang Thong National Marine Park, Thailand

Island hopping around Thailand’s coastline offers a glimpse of beautiful deserted beaches, coves and bays that are less visited by tourists. You can visit the awesome natural wonder of Ang Thong National Marine Park, an archipelago of 42 islands, only a few of which are populated, except by monkeys, colourful bird and exotic plant life. You can almost taste the adventure of the great explorers and captains of old, when after days of sailing unchartered waters they set that first foot in the sand on an unexplored and fantastical new land.

Sailing with Ocean Hiker sailing school around Koh Tao, Thailand

The Philippines

As well as Thailand, the Philippines with its’ 7,107 islands offers awesome opportunity for nautical adventure. Cebu, Palwan and Boracay are all places where you can learn to sail and embark on weeklong live-aboard cruises to discover remote tropical islands surrounded by white beaches and impossible turquoise waters. Shiver me timbers, this is heaven.

Resources for Would-Be Sailors

• Check out this article on how to sail the world for the cost of groceries
• The CoastGuard Couple – Greg & Tiffany’s blog about sailing the world
• Join a Sailing Team delivering medical supplies in South East Asia – Check out this opportunity on WorkAway.
• Ocean Hiker Sailing School – Learning to sail in South East Asia.
• Sun Sail – Sailing Holidays in South East Asia.
• Yachtmail Chandlery – For serious sailers looking to buy equipment.

Make sure you have travel insurance before embarking upon adventure activities. We recommend World Nomads as the best travel insurance for Southeast Asia Backpackers.