The first glimpse of the sun. A Thailand sunrise.

First glimpse of the sun. A Thailand sunrise.

EARLY MORNING ADVENTURE | Darrin Henry

As memories go, paddling a kayak across the silky smooth water of a lake, watching the orange ball peek up over the mountains for a Thailand sunrise is pretty hard to beat.

Forty five minutes ago Sharon and I crept out of the holiday houseboat, trying not to wake the families we are here with, and quietly loaded the camera bag into the kayak. We didn’t drain the kayak overnight so we have to be careful to keep the bag dry.

Paddling west, away from the houseboat, we’ve been stopping every 10 minutes and turning side on to look back and take pictures. It’s a delicate operation; the kayak is narrow making my bulky camera bag appear top heavy and very vulnerable to all the water around us. Each time we turn the patterns in the sky from the dawn light had changed again.

The stillness. A Thailand sunrise.

The stillness of the early morning. A Thailand sunrise.

The sky was changing by the minute as the sun came up. A Thailand sunrise.

The sky was changing by the minute as the sun came up. A Thailand sunrise.

The air is very still, the water on the 20 square kilometre Mae Ngud Somboon Chol dam is flat calm and it’s quiet. The only movement is our kayak, the ripples we are creating and the occasional birds flying low over the water.

Creeping Out Of Bed To Watch A Thailand Sunrise

I estimate we’ve paddled about two kilometres before we turn and slowly make our way back down the lake.

Drifting quietly, mesmerised by the scene ahead of us, we both watch as the new day’s sun appears over the top of the mountains. Working night shifts in my former life I’ve witnessed a lot of spectacular Atlantic sunrises, but this is a unique treat.

Sharon taking a front seat view of the new day. A Thailand sunrise.

Sharon taking a front seat view of the new day. A Thailand sunrise.

We continue our gentle journey paddling back to the boathouse, stopping periodically for pictures or to take in the scenery. We detect movement from some of the other houses on the lakeside, people are beginning to wake up, but we’re still the only boat out on the water. The day is brightening up quickly.

Funny thing a sunrise; it’s simple, it’s free and it takes place every single morning, but it can still leave you speechless. I wonder how many other people watched the sunrise this morning?

Two happy campers on their way for breakfast. A Thailand sunrise.

Two happy campers on their way for breakfast. A Thailand sunrise.