Friday, November 06, 2009 | MANILA, PHILIPPINES

Travel & Tourism

BY SAM L. MARCELO, Reporter

Get a kayak and go

SINGAPOREAN MOTIVATIONAL speaker and explorer Khoo Swee Chiow aims to go on one big adventure every year.

KAYAKERS KHOO SWEE Chiow (front) and Buzzy Budlong in a traditional dug-out canoe in Sohoton.

To that end, he has summited Mount Everest twice, skied to the North and South Pole, climbed the highest mountains in each of the seven continents, and swam the Malacca Strait.

Look through the Guinness World Records and you’ll see his name listed under longest scuba dive and longest journey on in-line skates.
This year, Mr. Khoo and Filipino paddler Buzzy Budlong are attempting to become the first men to traverse the Philippine archipelago on kayaks.

Dubbed "The Friendship Kayak Expedition," the journey will take an estimated 100 days and cover some 3,000 kilometers. They pushed off from Glan, Sarangani last Aug. 31 and expect to reach Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte by the end of November.
After covering more than two-thirds of the said distance, the team made a pit stop in Manila earlier this week to report that they were on track despite experiencing setbacks due to storms Ondoy, Pepeng, and Santi.

"Other than a freak squall on day two that smashed the support boat against some rocks, we’ve been safe," said expedition manager Toby Martin.
Aside from fulfilling Mr. Khoo’s annual big-adventure quota, the expedition serves to promote kayaking as a viable sport.

"We want to break barriers and open up possibilities," Mr. Martin said, adding that the Sarangani-Ilocos Norte route will eventually become part of a Pan-Philippine kayak trail.

The 45-year-old Mr. Khoo, who took up paddling in earnest only eight months ago, wondered why it has taken so long for the country to capitalize on its archipelagic geography.

"You have a beautiful coastal landscape," he said. "There’s so much potential in the isolated and remote coves and beaches here."
The Singaporean singled out Sohoton Cove in Surigao as one of the trip’s highlights thus far.

"It was like heaven. The water was a mirror and everything was perfect," he said. "It doesn’t take much to experience it; you just have to get a kayak and go."
Of course, the Friendship Kayak Expedition is somewhat more complicated than "getting a kayak and going." The team has encountered rough seas, treacherous currents, and logistical difficulties from the beginning.

When they pushed off, for example, they only had enough funds to reach Boracay, the halfway-point on their plotted route. Support from communities they passed through allowed them to continue.
"The hospitality and warmth of the people here really stands out," Mr. Khoo said. "I never felt any danger and I feel really at home."
Since he started in 1998, 37-year-old Mr. Budlong observed that kayaking has grown in popularity. With further support from the Department of Tourism, the sport might finally progress beyond resort kayaking into point-to-point kayaking between islands and provinces.

"There’s more to explore," Mr. Budlong said.

"When you’re paddling and you see the horizon, you feel that there’s something out there waiting for you," he added.

(For more information and live updates on the Friendship Kayak Expedition, visit friendshipkayak.com)

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