Air-Time Jungle water sports camp
Feel the Ride to Feel the love

There comes a moment in ones life to have the luck and find a place that enriches the soul, to participate in our passion and to find a place in time that brings all the joy that being out on the water brings. To find a place which envelopes you with tranquillity from which you become inspired by the reason why you love this sport so much. A hideaway to recharge the batteries that work has drained, to escape the hustle and bustle life brings, to finally find the dream that you always wanted to live, welcome to Thailand, welcome to Dok Rai resort the home of the Air-Time water sports camp.

The only one of its kind in Thailand situated in unspoilt countryside they call the jungle. With landing in Bangkok my visa form filled in with my safe exit through customs, I viewed down from the top of the escalators hordes of Thai people jostling for space for their holiday guests to see them. Faced with the prospect of being in a strange new country alone with no knowledge of what the representative was to look like, tired from the time difference I prepared myself for the worst, then bold as can be in the front of them all, a man holding the Air-time sign loud and clear with my name, as I walked past the parted people, my bags were taken off me with a warm welcome that made me feel famous as I was requested to follow. Waiting was an air conditioned; hide leather seated luxury mini bus. As I sat back in the luxury seating with an ice box full of drinks, air condition on, a wakeboard movie came on the wide screen above my head to help get me in the mood of what I travelled here to enjoy, comfortable and relaxed we departed for the hotel.

The journey

It turns out that the Air-Time crew always meet their guests hassle free which for me was a very pleasing feeling, of what I felt I would have to have gone through. Leaving the smog and concrete buildings of Bangkok I gazed out over the fields with my driver pointing out the types of vegetation, consisting of Pineapple, Melon fields, mangos, and palm trees with coconuts and the rubber trees, the interesting oil palm trees that they use to produce gasohol, which is the additive in the Thai fuel which saves them importing oil into the country, a country I was to realise that if you cannot buy it they will make it. As the miles passed, I felt more and more relaxed, before I had time to take in the movie from gazing out at the amazing Thai country side, we arrived.

The Resort

As we pulled up the drive to the entrance lined with tall over hanging palm trees, my escaper was complete. I was enthusiastically greeted and shown into the open area reception hall. As I gazed around taking in the wooden style Thai furniture that showed off the elegance of craftsmanship that belonged in 5 star hotels, I was confronted with 2 half size snooker tables which gave the first hint of this being a sport hotel that relaxation was to be gained from. As I was shown around by John the owner, a Welsh man from Abergavenny, who was a successful hotel owner in Wales, who fell in love with this hotel and the quality of life Thailand was to offer him, one of those people who are a rare personality in this world, for his enthusiasm towards life and the stories of his life’s adventures that have made him legendary. “Tell them readers boyo a week here is never enough, tell them two, they wont wanna go home boyo” with a puff on his pipe along with a grin ear to ear, with an infectious chuckle you cant help but love his way.
I was taken onto the terrace from which across the beds of the plantation was the 25meter pool, surrounded by coconut trees, glistening blue as it reflected the rays of light, that teased you to take a plunge. From the pool side I noticed as a drink was presented into my hand as refreshment from the beating sun, was a sweeping lawn that was broken up by the trees and a croquet lawn that was creating laughter by the guests that were playing it.
As I gazed beyond the palm trees my attention was taken to the lake, the reason for which I was here, resting patiently at the bottom of the hotel grounds awaiting for its calm water to be played upon. Then I heard that exciting sound, the vibes faintly beating up and over of a ski boat exiting the dock to answer its calls, a playground even my dreams failed to equal, a place that was going to change the way I would approach my sport for ever.

First a much needed healthy lunch john insisted from the carb rich plane food, better try our Thai style chicken salad boyo, got a bloody good chef been with me for years cant get rid of him, besides boyo bit of spice keeps those crocs away, as he chuckled and puffed on his pipe, there are no crocs in Thailand so don’t be fooled by him people. The food tasted as amazing as it looked, for all the food I was to realise had tastes to zing my taste buds, which gave me the feeling I was eating healthily at every mouthful regardless of the size of portions, I’m here to enjoy and the food is all part of it. So with my ride time listed on the board as I chilled out, watching fellow riders walking across the lawn, with grins the size of Cheshire cats my time had come for the sunset ride.

The Lake

As I walked onto the dock the Nautique Excel 24 waiting patiently weighted up to take me on out, opposite was a ski Nautique with a frame so great for water-skiing and a smaller wake for boarding, along for the fun element tube riding. I found that they had all the toys along with an air chair, but I am not going to go on about all the things I enjoyed playing on to tease you any more than I am about to now.

As we cruised on out down the waters path between the mangroves as if we were heading up the river Nile, the short trail then opened up to the heart of the lake, 6 miles long, 1 mile wide of water that was so still I thought we were on a pond, but that has insects to make it ripple, this was so still when you looked into it you saw yourself so detailed I finally could use the phrase truly like a mirror, as I plugged into my board I gazed out and around at the trees of all kinds along with the back drop of the mountains and littered palm trees.
As I slipped into the warm water along with the boat gently taking the slack and effortlessly pulling me up onto the water, WOW!! An endless path of glass looking water that made me feel like I was gliding, no bumps just a sweet sensation of floating as if on air, now I realised why those fellow boarders were grinning so much. I turned made my cut and boom, the wake boosted me up sailing me high over to the other side, into a flat zone so pure I felt I was landing on glass, but it didn’t break, but giving me the feeling my board was being absorbed softly by the water. As I looked down I just smiled grinning away at my reflection which gave me the feeling I was sliding on a mirror, then a glint caught my eye as the beaming sun had turned an amazing red with Orange melted into the red, as it ascended as though it were being put away until another day into the mountains.
Its deep glow of red with whispers of Orange swirling around beaming down reflecting in harmony off the waters surface, lighting up a path of colours for me to follow, WOW!! In all my years and the places and sunsets I finally had my very own, and with it the path to lead the way to a sheer empathy of joy, that was leaving me so inspired as I glided along, cutting and sliding watching the red and orange spray reflecting the suns rays, as it shot upwards and away from my board, to then seeing my reflection from the mirror ahead of me, along with the breath taking scenery, all climaxed a feeling of an inner peace to no longer having to fight my technique. But feeling so relaxed and at one flowing on my board across this now reflecting water of colour, for being in a place so peaceful so maximising what effect it should be to feeling the ride.
Tina who organises the Air-Time camps along with Daniel the Fetzy spinner the Austrian champion wake boarder and a most amazing rider and coach, smiling and laughing for they knew too well what feeling I am having. Now that’s what you need to feel when you always ride shouted Daniel, with that Tina yells feeeeel the looooove and Daniel joins with Happieee Dayzz. Oh that was so true; I finally felt why I love to ride my board so much, for to feel this way your days can only be happy. How can it ever be a bad thing any time, any place, I just needed to find a place that brought all the things that made me enjoy what I do to one moment, so I could seize this moment and feel it was never ending, for it never did, all my time spent on the water body willing, always brought this feeling, and as for my riding well, what did it matter as long as I felt that riding my board gave me the joy of escaping to my own inner hideaway, from the concrete buildings and stresses of life.

But if you feel the need to hit the bright lights then take the wild ride into
Pataya, that will have you buying every bit of designer high street clothing, mad bars if you need to party, in all if you think it this place will probably have it, but for me, as soon as I left the resort it had me pining to return.

Conclusion

Air-time jungle water-sports camp at the Dok kroi lake resort, will enrich you, stimulate your dormant senses, purging your stress to leave you full of energy, for you to return to the concrete buildings and stress until the urge to loose yourself once again, which will have you coming back again and again, for you they will have you too feeling the ride, so feeling the love and making your days happier. And they even have the T-shirts made to remind you Haa!!

Thank you all for it was a wonderful emotional experience.

Happieeee Dayzzz.