Experience kayaking and SUP at Kiaora Paddle in KihokuTown! You can discover new ways to enjoy the outdoors through sea activities!

On the way to KihokuTown, we enjoyed the views of the towering mountains and the seaside as we arrived at Kiora Paddle's base, ``Doze Shokudo'' in Doze, Kihoku KihokuTown!
Michise Shokudo is the meeting place for the Kiora Paddle experience in KihokuTown, and the landmark is this sign that can be seen from the road.

Today, two girls who are beginners in outdoor activities will try kayaking in the sea of KihokuTown!

First of all, here is the preparation before the experience! Change your clothes and use the toilet in the changing room.
Marine shoes and wet suits can be rented, so please inquire when making a reservation.
You can even put your smartphone in a waterproof case and take it with you to the sea.It's also safe for those who want to take lots of photos!

Rental items/
Marine shoes 300 yen per pair
Snorkel set 300 yen each
Waterproof case for mobile phone 300 yen each
wet suit free

After receiving a health check and explanation, it's time to head to Michise Beach, the starting point of the experience!
It takes about 3 minutes to walk to the coast from Michise Shokudo.
The ocean stretches out as far as the eye can see, giving it a great sense of openness!

The kayak I will be riding this time is a rigid type kayak that allows for easy straight-line speed and is suitable for touring!
It's long and has pockets on the front and back where you can store a lot of stuff.

``Kayaks were originally used as a means of transportation at sea!'' says Keita Yamamoto, nicknamed Yama-chan, of Kiora Paddle, who will be guiding us this time.

During his university days, he admired a tourist guide he met in New Zealand, where he was studying abroad, and after graduating, he studied at a vocational school in New Zealand with the aim of becoming a guide for outdoor activities such as kayaking and rafting.
After that, he worked as an outdoor guide in various parts of Japan, from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south, and in 2017 he established "Kiora Paddle" in his hometown of Mie Prefecture.

This is the start of a kayak tour with Yama-chan, an outdoor veteran!

First, you will be taught how to ride a kayak and how to operate the paddle.
We will explain everything from how to hold the paddle to the basics of how to go straight, how to turn, how to stop, and how to back up, with demonstrations, so even first-timers don't have to worry!

After learning the operating skills, it's time to head out to sea!
On this day, the weather was nice and the waves were calm, and I felt like I was gliding smoothly on the water, and it felt so good!

Just looking at the crystal clear sea surface where the sunlight shines in is soothing.

"Right, left, right, left..." the two of us row together in unison. After rowing for a while, I got used to it and found some leeway.

``It will be easier if you push the paddle with your left hand while you paddle the water on your right side from front to back!'' says Yama-chan. They give us advice so that women and children can also enjoy it.
At first, the two of us were worried that it would be heavy to paddle such a big kayak, but thanks to the tips to paddle it easily, it was a breeze!

KihokuTown is located in Higashikishu, a particularly warm HigashiKishu.
If you look closely under the sea, you can see corals and brightly colored tropical fish that can only be seen in warm regions!

The true identity of this seaweed that was growing on the rocks is apparently "hijiki"!

Yama-chan has even seen dolphins and sea turtles during his tours in this ocean.
In this way, we had fun learning about the creatures in the sea through kayaking.

Once the two got used to it, they took on the challenge of slipping through the rocks!
The level of difficulty varies greatly depending on various conditions, such as where there are waves or not, where it is a little narrow, and how the wind blows.
But that's what's interesting about nature! I enjoyed the natural attractions that unfolded differently each time over and over again.

*The route will be planned according to the weather, sea conditions, and customer level on that day.

By the way, what I experienced today was a "half-day kayak tour."
This plan is recommended for beginners as it involves rowing a kayak for about 30 minutes, landing on the beach, taking a break for about an hour, and then rowing back again.
So, we arrived at the beach, our resting place!

``Let's take it easy!'' Yama-chan said, gathering some fallen branches to make a fire, and Yama-chan made some coffee.

Enjoying coffee while overlooking the majestic ocean is exceptional! You can relax even if you were a little nervous about kayaking.

This is an apple wrapped in aluminum foil that Yama-chan threw into the bonfire!
A hearty “whole roasted apple over a bonfire.”

A simple recipe where you put butter, cinnamon, and sugar inside a cored apple and wrap it in aluminum foil! Apples that are cooked through and have become melty are delicious!

With a beautiful view of the ocean and clear air, we enjoyed some outdoor snacks in the mood of camping♪

``It's great to learn how to operate a kayak during the experience, but I also want to suggest ways to enjoy nature that take advantage of the best field during these breaks!'' says Yama-chan. .
In winter and spring, you can bake and eat snacks during your break, and in summer, you can enjoy swimming and snorkeling in the sea right in front of you ♪

By the way, with the "Kayak 1-day tour", you can enjoy an outdoor lunch such as taco rice after arriving at the private beach.

After recharging your energy during coffee time, get back into the kayak and head out to sea!
We leisurely returned to the beach while enjoying the scenery and taking photos from the kayak.

Kiora Paddle also offers popular SUP tours where you can enjoy a relaxing walk on the water!
At first glance, SUP seems very difficult, but even first-timers will be given a lecture on how to stand on the board, so if you are interested, feel free to try it out♪

SUP half day tour
Time/9:30-12:00/13:30-16:00
Price/6,800 yen per person
Target audience: Junior high school students and above

It was a kayak tour full of fresh stimulation, learning about living things and nature while enjoying dynamic scenery that is hard to see in everyday life!

In the future, they are planning to use an old private house as a base for customers to spend a relaxing time♪ I'm looking forward to this as well!

To prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, we are currently measuring the temperatures of staff and customers and disinfecting their hands with alcohol.


Kayak half day tour
Time/9:30-12:00/13:30-16:00
Price: 6,800 yen per person, 6,300 yen for elementary school students and younger
Target: 4 years old and up *Children under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult

Kayak 1 day tour
Time/9:30-15:00
Price: 12,500 yen per person, 10,500 yen for elementary school students and younger
Target: 4 years old and up *Children under 12 years old must be accompanied by an adult


Address: 83-2 Michise, Kihoku-KihokuTown 519-3207
Phone number/080-1605-1036
Official URL: https://www.kiaorapaddle.com/
Business hours/9:00-19:00
Closed days/Irregular holidays
Prices/Prices vary depending on the trial program, so please check the website.
Access by public transportation: Approximately 10 minutes by bus from JR Kisei Main Line Kii nagashima Station
Access by car: Approximately 10 minutes by car from nagashima IC on the Kisei Expressway
Parking lot/Available