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MAP's Ex. Dir. Visits 'Andaman Discovery' Community Home-Stay Program In Thailand
MAP's Ex. Dir. had the privilege and pleasure of visiting the Ban Talae Nok community along the Andaman Sea coast of Thailand. The small village had been hit hard by the 2004 tsunami losing 38 community members to the giant waves. The villagers were still in the process of slow, but steady recovery. (28 Jan 2008) MAP
28 January 2008
Earlier this month I had the
privilege and pleasure of visiting the Ban Talae Nok community along the Andaman
Sea coast of Thailand. The small village had been hit hard by the 2004 tsunami
losing 38 community members to the giant waves. The villagers were still in the
process of slow, but steady recovery.
One of the recovery programs they have initiated there in collaboration with the NGO Andaman Discoveries is a community home-stay program, which allows travelers to stay with a local family in a traditional home setting, and have traditional village cuisine, including fresh fish, rice and locally grown fruits and vegetables. The food of the family I stayed with was delicious and bountiful.
My home-stay host "mother" was Ms. Fon, and she cooked the meals and set up my sleeping area, which was quite comfortable, and was equipped with brand new and effective mosquito netting. I encourage our readers themselves to take the opportunity to have this unique and rewarding experience. The costs are low and the food is great! The family hosts are helpful and friendly. And language is no barrier to a really enjoyable stay. Just bring good earplugs or an ax to chop the heads off of those loud roosters in the early morning! They start crowing around 4 am from all four corners of the house I stayed in. Great way to start the new day!
For a low-key activity there is an expansive sandy beach just a two km stroll from the village, and when I went for an afternoon dip in the warm Andaman Sea I couldn't see another soul in either direction as far as the eye could see. Having the beach all to oneself is indeed a very special experience and not an easy feat when most beaches today have become over-developed tourist traps. For a little more adventure one can hire a local fisherman for a cruise through the mangroves in a traditional long tail boat. The engine can be a bit noisy so keep those ear plugs handy, but the scenery is fantastic and there is the opportunity to see a variety of birds and even monkeys if you're lucky.
No holiday is complete without a bit of required souvenir shopping and mine was thoroughly enjoyable and stress free consisting of purchasing handcrafted soaps from the Ban Tale Nok woman's soap making group. The soaps come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and were made with local spice fragrances such as cinnamon, ginger, lemon grass, tamarind and turmeric; and the best part is you're supporting a supplementary livelihood project, established post-tsunami to help women support their families.
The villagers of Ban Talae Nok and the 'Andaman Discoveries' are seeking volunteers for a one month period to help with projects there. Please consider volunteering now. Just contact the great folks who can be reached via the websites below:
NATR and Andaman Discoveries
120-27 Sukapiban 3 Road
Moo 1 Kuraburi
Phang Nga
82150
Thailand
Tel: +66 (0) 87 917 7165
info@andamandiscoveries.com
http://www.andamandiscoveries.com
http://www.northandamantsunamirelief.com
http://www.tsunamicrafts.com
>>> All Current Headlines
One of the recovery programs they have initiated there in collaboration with the NGO Andaman Discoveries is a community home-stay program, which allows travelers to stay with a local family in a traditional home setting, and have traditional village cuisine, including fresh fish, rice and locally grown fruits and vegetables. The food of the family I stayed with was delicious and bountiful.
My home-stay host "mother" was Ms. Fon, and she cooked the meals and set up my sleeping area, which was quite comfortable, and was equipped with brand new and effective mosquito netting. I encourage our readers themselves to take the opportunity to have this unique and rewarding experience. The costs are low and the food is great! The family hosts are helpful and friendly. And language is no barrier to a really enjoyable stay. Just bring good earplugs or an ax to chop the heads off of those loud roosters in the early morning! They start crowing around 4 am from all four corners of the house I stayed in. Great way to start the new day!
For a low-key activity there is an expansive sandy beach just a two km stroll from the village, and when I went for an afternoon dip in the warm Andaman Sea I couldn't see another soul in either direction as far as the eye could see. Having the beach all to oneself is indeed a very special experience and not an easy feat when most beaches today have become over-developed tourist traps. For a little more adventure one can hire a local fisherman for a cruise through the mangroves in a traditional long tail boat. The engine can be a bit noisy so keep those ear plugs handy, but the scenery is fantastic and there is the opportunity to see a variety of birds and even monkeys if you're lucky.
No holiday is complete without a bit of required souvenir shopping and mine was thoroughly enjoyable and stress free consisting of purchasing handcrafted soaps from the Ban Tale Nok woman's soap making group. The soaps come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and were made with local spice fragrances such as cinnamon, ginger, lemon grass, tamarind and turmeric; and the best part is you're supporting a supplementary livelihood project, established post-tsunami to help women support their families.
The villagers of Ban Talae Nok and the 'Andaman Discoveries' are seeking volunteers for a one month period to help with projects there. Please consider volunteering now. Just contact the great folks who can be reached via the websites below:
NATR and Andaman Discoveries
120-27 Sukapiban 3 Road
Moo 1 Kuraburi
Phang Nga
82150
Thailand
Tel: +66 (0) 87 917 7165
info@andamandiscoveries.com
http://www.andamandiscoveries.com
http://www.northandamantsunamirelief.com
http://www.tsunamicrafts.com
>>> All Current Headlines
