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Margaret Mead

A Local Experience in Rural Thailand

Location: Thailand: North Andaman, Khao Lak, Kuraburi, Ban Talae Nok Village and Tung Dap Village.
Date: From 26th to 4th November 2010. Can also be arranged on request.
Duration: Ten days and nine nights.
Group size: From four to eight people.
Price: Contact us for details.

Description: This trip takes you off the beaten track in Thailand where you will do more than merely watch local people going about their daily lives. You will become part of it through various interactive activities. Engaging with youth at a local orphanage, bamboo rafting on the Naka, a sunset beach barbecue and a visit to the tsunami memorial park in Ban Nam Khem all offer a visitor a unique insight and knowledge of Thailand life. Responsible tours in these villages create numerous employment opportunities through homestay, handicraft production and guiding.

Do you have questions or want to book this trip here? Contact us here.

Day 1: Phuket to Khao Lak area.
Welcome to Thailand. You will be greeted at Phuket Airport and then transported to an orphanage south of Khao Lak. An overview about the orphanage program, its history and its partnership with Andaman Discoveries will be provided. Lunch and dinner will be served at the orphanage. You will spend the night here.

Day 2 and 3: Khao Lak area.
The staff of the orphanage will guide you through activities like for example lantern making, the bakery, to teach older children to mend clothes and possibly assist with light construction. Throughout the day, you can participate in informal discussions with orphanage staff and youths. Engage with the children after school (from 15:30) and join the youths in meditation and Buddhist studies sessions after dinner. The orphanage director sees the studies as an important aspect of the education and development of young adults.
All meals and lodging will be provided at the orphanage.

Day 4: Khao Lak to Kuraburi.
Breakfast is at the orphanage. Travel to the police boat tsunami memorial in Khao Lak and tsunami memorial park in Ban Nam Khem where you will learn about the impacts of the 2004 tsunami. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant.

After lunch transfer to Kuraburi where you will meet our partner Andaman Discoveries’ team and have an introduction in the work they are doing. After the introduction you will have to time to relax at the secluded, scenic and peaceful Ao Khoei beach. Enjoy a welcome dinner in Kuraburi with the Andaman Discoveries team hear more about their background and an overview of expectations for the cultural exchanges in villages. Overnight at the Boon Piya Resort, located in the center of Kuraburi.

Day 5: Kuraburi to Ban Talae Nok Village.
Enjoy your breakfast at the Kuraburi morning market, across the street from Boon Piya Resort. The market is bustling daily from dawn until about 08:30 with friendly vendors selling fresh fruits and vegetables, coffee and tea, waffles, rice soup and more. Transfer from Kuraburi to Ban Talae Nok (BTN) village. A local guide and Andaman Discoveries staff will offer an informative introduction to this unique village.

A walk through the village you will see women sitting together outside their houses shelling cashew nuts, weaving nipa palm roofs, or making fishing nets while children play around them. You will become a part of the villagers’ daily life and take part in some of the activities.

Take part in a soap making workshop with the assistance of the expert soap ladies. The group makes beautifully hand-crafted soap, using only the finest natural ingredients from the local area.

Visit the site of the old village. BTN lost 46 villagers in the tsunami, 16 of whom were children. Before the tsunami, the village was divided into two: an upper and lower part. The lower village, located along the beach, provided easy access for the fishermen to go out to sea. The tsunami destroyed all 20 houses in the lower village. A new tsunami village was built near the upper village.

Sunset on the beach will be exchanged with villagers in a serene setting. Lunch and dinner are served in BTN, and you will overnight at a homestay with a local family.

Day 6: Ban Talae Nok Village
To day you will be educated about the important role the mangroves played in protecting many areas in the tsunami. After a boat ride journey through the mangrove forest you will work with villagers to replant trees. Villagers will share their environmental protection efforts and rules.

The BTN youth group lead efforts on many important projects in the village such as maintenance of a vegetable garden. Andaman Discoveries works closely with the youth group, which is actively involved in recycling and waste management in the village. You will assist the youths with the collection and sorting process. The proceeds from the sale of recyclables help support other youth projects in the village. There will be a chance to engage and discuss with the youth group about their work and community-based tourism. Also, a local guide will accompany you for half of the day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served by your host family.
You will have the opportunity to assist your homestay host in lunch preparation.

Day 7: Ban Talae Nok Village and Naka rafting.
The Naka conservation group will discuss the scope of their important work in the region. The group will guide you on a peaceful bamboo rafting trip on Naka River to see the endangered water lilies. The species of water lily is only found in this area. Lunch will be served along the river.

In the evening enjoy a sunset beach barbecue. Your senses will be treated to a traditional Thai dinner eaten with villagers on the beach. The beach barbecue is a prime chance to converse with villagers in a casual setting. Overnight at your homestay.

Day 8: Ban Talae Nok Village and Tung Dap Village.
The community-based tourism group members of BTN will lead a discussion about their past, present and future. You will have the chance to ask any questions on your mind. Transfer to a nearby river and cascades for lunch in a stunning setting where you can relax and swim.

Transfer to Tung Dap, surrounded by natural beauty. The village is situated on Koh Phratong Island, bordered by the Andaman Sea. A village walking tour and introduction to Moken culture will help you gain an awareness of the history of the people, location and lifestyle in Tung Dap. A local guide will accompany the walking tour. Coconuts are abundant in Tung Dap, It is served as a fresh, juicy beverage, a snack, a delicious ingredient for a dessert and income for the community. Don't be surprised to be offered a whole coconut, still on the machete used to retrieve it. A traditional, local meal will be served for dinner in a homestay, perhaps with coconut for a drink.

Day 9: Tung Dap.
On Koh Phratong Island there is no automobile traffic or convenience stores. Transport comes in classic form - ones feet or a small tractor with trailer. You will take a tour on the tractor that offers views of Koh Phratong. The tour will lead to a local beach, where you can enjoy a walk on the beach. Back at the homestay you will have the chance to participate and learn local cooking when preparing lunch.

After lunch there will be a squid trap-making workshop. Catching squid is one of the key livelihoods of the region. Making traps is a continuous activity. Join the local fishermen to tie ropes from floating devices to traps, tie nets around the floating devices, or carry the finished cages to the high-tide mark where the cages go out to sea in the morning.

The Tung Dap villagers epitomize the garden-to-table philosophy, as much of their diet is derived from foods they grow or catch themselves. You will participate in an educational walking tour in a vegetable garden, where you will learn about local plants and their usage. The Moken villagers will share their way of life and knowledge in discussions throughout the day. You will spend the night in a homestay.

Day 10: Departure.
Breakfast will be eaten in Tung Dap with your host family. You will have the chance to share your feedback on the village and trip experience. In addition, the Andaman Discoveries staff will debrief you on the program. Farewells will be exchanged as you depart for a transfer from Tung Dap village back to the mainland and onto Phuket Airport.