5-day Kayak & Wild Camp the Archipelago - self-guided

42 Reviews

Excellent

95%

Good

5%

Average

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• SH

  selina
  Written on August 30, 2017

  5.0 - Excellent

  Absolutely fabulous.. was a bit nervous as not really a camper or canoeer but it was great. Very nice and relaxed guys at do the north and totally hassle free kit.. takes no time to pack up the camper before you are off.. and the kit is seriously quality. Luxury package well worth it (although never used the hammock).. Had such a good time we extended our trip by a night.. its beautiful.. you are totally alone.. swimming in the sea or in little lagoons.. food is really good.. (obviously we are great chefs).. fire building is easy.. best holiday ever! Thank you do the north.

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• MH

  Matthew
  Written on September 14, 2014

  5.0 - Excellent

  Amazing experience which I would happily recommend to anyone. I did this trip with my girlfriend at the start of September on the recommendation of a family member who had done it the year before. We were a little apprehensive as neither of us had any real kayaking experience however this didn't matter as Thomas made everything so easy. Everything is taken care of and all of the equipment that you will need for the trip is provided pretty much so you can just turn up with a bag of clothes and nothing else. The food is arranged prior to the trip via an emailed order form (you can even add a blow up mattress which I would recommend as most islands are rocky). Pick up is arranged from the hotel and you are dropped back wherever you need to be at the end which makes everything very hassle free. You get a few hours before the trip to go over navigation and how to pack the kayak etc and then you're off to explore the beautiful archipelago at your own pace. We went at the start of September and had each island camp completely to ourselves which was great if you want to get away from the rat race and completely relax for a while. The scenery truly was amazing along with the sunsets and wildlife. We were pretty much lost until the second to last day but it is quite easy to find you bearings again when you need to. All of the staff were really helpful and even arranged an early pickup when I had a fishing mishap (fishing from the kayak is great fun but will end in tears unless you are well prepared, trust me on this). Thomas arranged a bed at the local hostel and Sam picked us up and dropped us at the accident and emergency so it was all taken care of with no fuss. All in all this truly was a wonderful holiday well organised with good quality kit and well supported by Thomas and his staff, all I can say is just book up and try it you wont be disappointed!

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• BP

  Brad
  Written on September 9, 2014

  5.0 - Excellent

  Awesome scenery, unique landscape awesome experience! Would definitely recommend!

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• S

  Stephen
  Written on September 9, 2014

  5.0 - Excellent

  Do The North provided an incredible opportunity to experience true wild camping in the beautiful archipelagos of Saint Anna with absolutely no prior experience required. All we really needed to do prior to the trip was fill in a food order form - anything we choose to buy we paid for at supermarket rates and is all packed and ready to go on our arrival. The selection of food is excellent and of very high quality so we ate very well every night! The evening before our trip we stayed at a basic hostel above Norrkoping train station (booked for us by Thomas). In the morning Thomas picked us up from right outside the hostel and drove us to Saint Anna where we would be kayaking from. Thomas and Sam explained what equipment we had and the basics of navigation. Pretty much everything you could need for the trip was provided - the only things i bought otherwise were clothes, a few toiletries and a camera. All of the equipment was extremely high quality, the tents were some of the best I have ever used - they are incredibly easy to pitch and pack away and can be pitched literally anywhere! After a basic introduction we were let loose into the wild! The next 5 nights were some of the best in my life! 2 of my friends had never kayaked before but it didn't take long to get the hang of it and the kayaks are very stable it is near impossible to tip over. Much of our days were spent kayaking and searching out potential camping spots. Each night we camped on a different island and always had the entire island to ourselves (we didn't even see anyone for the first few days!) It truly is one of the most peaceful places I have ever been, and perfect if you want to escape the 'real world' for a few days. We made camp fires and watched an incredible sunset every night. We even managed to catch some fish (they provide all the equipment for doing that too!) Since there is no light pollution, the stars on a clear night are without a doubt, the best I have ever seen. I've been to desert in Eqypt where the stars don't even compare to this! You can clearly see the galactic arm of the milk way stretching across the entire sky. Sitting under the stars with your mates and a few beers next to a camp fire on a beautiful little island that you have claimed as your own for the night is clearly an experience you won't find much elsewhere. I'd recommend this trip to anyone and will definitely be bringing my girlfriend back in the next couple of years! Highlights: Kupa Klint - definitely worth a visit, this is where most of the pictures I've shown were taken from. We camped here and somehow managed to get up for sunrise at 5.30am, which was definetely worth it. Harstena and Hasko - these are two beautiful little villages that make a nice change to the deserted islands for an afternoon or so. Since we went in off-peak season many of the shops were closed but they are great places to stroll around. We ended up camping in Hasko (requires a small fee to the villagers) and we were even able to fire up our own log burning sauna which was the perfect end to this brilliant holiday! Photos from the trip: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10204654031290277.1073741828.1220335557&type=1&l=01dc6ae068

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• SH

  Silas
  Written on August 1, 2014

  5.0 - Excellent

  From the start Thomas (the guide) took care of everything. All we had to do was say what food and drink we wanted to be pre-bought, and turn up with our clothes. St Anna is so beautiful, peaceful and quiet. When you do meet a local they are really friendly and love to practice their English with you! The equipment was absolute top of the range and all in great condition. The weather in mid June was warm and sunny, with only the odd shower. The white-tailed eagles were out fishing and everything was so green and lush. Probably the best organised and most memorable tour you will go on, ever.

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• ME

  Mary
  Written on July 15, 2014

  5.0 - Excellent

  Do the North organised the most incredible and memorable trip for us. We kayaked and camped around the St Anna archipelago in Sweden for 4 nights and wished we had more time out there! Thomas and his team were incredibly helpful throughout the whole planning process and during the trip (he kayaked out to an island to give us a new compass!). The islands are stunning, the meals from the recipe recommendations were delicious and easy to prepare and my friends and I have come away with lifelong memories! Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for something a bit different. Thomas made everything so easy - had all the gear, plenty of recommendations for packing and recipes, pick-up and drop-off, weather updates everyday... the list goes on! Wonderful trip.

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• 

  Dave
  Written on December 9, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Amazing stress free holiday. Love the fact you can turn up, DTN sort everything out for you, off you go! As an experienced kayaker I am now recommending this as a great break to other friends, both kayakers and non kayakers. It's a great part of the world and DTN make it such an easy way to explore and experience it.

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• 

  Jennifer
  Written on December 6, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  Absolutely the best trip I've ever experienced. Value for money. Sunset and kayaking with friends in the beautiful Swedish archipelago.

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• PC

  Pippa
  Written on December 3, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  We had a fantastic time on this trip, Thomas is the most enthusiastic, knowledgeable guide and couldn't have done more for us. We've been recommending the trip to all our friends and hope to visit again one day - thank you!

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• 

  Ewan
  Written on December 2, 2013

  5.0 - Excellent

  I pretty much never write reviews for anything. However Do the North was such an incredible experience it would be an injustice not to give the team the praise they deserve. Thomas, our guide, was incredibly welcoming and an endless source of helpful information. He has found a great balance between providing any support you might need whilst leaving you perfectly independent, allowing you to have an adventure completely of your own design! We had all the gear we could possibly have needed, all of which was high quality and well maintained. The kayaks and tents especially were top of the range - suitable for far more extreme conditions than we managed to find in St Anna. The actual cooking is down to yourselves but the comprehensive list of camp recipes found on their website down to the complimentary bag of spices and herbs make all the difference in cooking up some tasty grub. Basically - if you enjoy the outdoors, wild life (the sea eagles are awesome), unspoiled night skies and camping with mates - St Anna's is the perfect place to do it and Do the North are the best people to do it with. I will definitely be going again!

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