Thailand & Phuket
Kayaking & Canoeing

Lying flat in my kayak to float under the rock wall just inches above my nose, I couldn't help wondering how long until the tide would rise, trapping my fellow kayakers and me on the far side of the bat-filled cave we had just paddled through. But after emerging into the secluded, pristine lagoon, with sheer limestone cliffs rising up to the blue sky above, and a family of macaque monkeys descending from the trees, I was in no hurry to leave.

There are not too many people in the world who would choose to call themselves “Ling Yai” — Thai for Big Monkey — or have their employees refer to them by that name. But John Gray is proud of the nickname. He signs off his emails with it, even adding another nickname, “Caveman”, which was given to him by fellow runners in the Hash House Harriers.