Ban Thalae Nok

After the Koh Surin Islands we spent 3 days in the sea side village of Ban Thalae Nok. This is a Muslim village that was severely affected by the 2004 tsunami. In the recovery period following the disaster the community worked very closely with aid agencies. This cooperation lead to the development of a community based tourism programme with a focus on sustainability in which some villagers open their homes to tourists as home stays and other homes offer activities that enable tourists to participate in the lifestyle of the villagers. We were accompanied by a guide for the whole period who acted as our translator and interpretor.

playing on the beach with the local children

We stayed in two houses and enjoyed the most tremendous hospitality, and ate the most plentiful and delicious food of our trip. We learned how to do batik painting, we learned about the many uses the Nepa palm has for the village, as it provides food, sugar and roof coverings - we made a delicious barbequed coconut snack using nepa palm sugar and palm leaves and we had a go at weaving palm roof tiles - a typical roof will require 2000 of these, someone skilled can make about 80 a day. We went fishing on the beach and ate the fish afterwards. We learned about the importance of the mangrove ecosystem and went on a tour and even spotted monitor lizards and monkeys swimming in the canals and among the mangrove trees. We learned how to make soap with 3 ladies from the village; a small coop-cottage industry that  mainly supplies local hotels.

making the coconut snack

weaving palm leave roof tiles

roof tiles drying on the not so busy road

dressing up in the traditional clothes of the village - our hosts are also in the photograph