Andaman Discoveries Blog
Monday, February 1, 2010
Stories from the Field
Likhit Yodying, Mae Nang Khao Conservation Network
Likhit spent his formative years playing the forests of Mae Nang Khao mountain near the coastal town of Kuraburi. Having worked in highly developed Phuket province for several years, Likhit returned to his hometown at the age of 31. While tending his fruit orchards and rubber farms, he noticed that nearby forests were rapidly disappearing. Mae Nang Khao was under threat from illegal deforestation.
Realizing that action was necessary, Likhit successfully ran for district council. In order to inspire his fellow villagers, he has initiated and a number of conservation efforts, including mangrove protection and the IUCN-supported Mae Nang Khaow Conservation Network. Taking a ride-to-reef approach to protecting the area, the network is active in several villages, and directly involves children in conservation. As Likhit observes, “if you learn to do it by yourself, you will remember it for the rest of your life.”
Likhit recognizes that tourism has an important role to play in helping protect the natural resources that locals depend on. The conservation network has built interpretive trails through the forest that also allow guides to notice and report illegal forest clearing. In the nearby mangroves, kayaking excursions give new value to restricted fishing areas.
Even without external support, Likhit says, “I will continue this work because the destruction of nature is bad for all of us.”
Labels: community-based tourism, conservation, IUCN
Friday, January 29, 2010
Andaman Island Adventure
The islands were beautiful...
We reached a small deserted beach in the afternoon and spent the day relaxing. Shell hunting, swimming, and swimming some more. This was a view to the island to the east of us. I cannot explain how beautiful it all was.
At dusk, we headed to the other side of the island to catch the most beautiful sunset over the neighboring island. You could see across this channel to an island that was hard-hit by the tsunami, knocking out an entire portion of mountain as the wall of water washed through the Andaman Sea in 2004.
After the sun went down, we started a bonfire and watched the stars slowly appear. We took a nap until the tide came in, and then headed back to the mainland around midnight. This is the crew to the left: Bodhi, Bow, and Erik.
+me. Very happy.
Unfortunately, we were about half-way home and the rutter broker. Even more unfortunately, all of Bow's friends and family were out fishing for the night, so there were no rescue possibilities.
We got stuck next to what I think is Phayam Island, swaying with the swells all night. Fortunately, there was no moon and the most amazing view of the milky way. I tried to lie down in the boat and catch some sleep, but the thought that I would miss the most amazing stars kept me half-awake. At first light, we saw a friendly boat who towed us into the dock.
To finish off our adventure, I slipped on the ladder getting out of the boat, landing square on my wrist. By chance, Bow's mom had the most amazing concocktion to fix my wrist. Her "local herbs" made my bruise disappear before my eyes. As you can see, I'm very surprised!Labels: North Andaman Region, tsunami
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Stories from the Field
Ladda Aharn, Ban Talae Nok Ecotourism Group
Ladda Aharn, or Pink, as her friends call her, smiles as she welcomes the group of tour operators to her village on the Andaman Coast. Unlike the majority of visitors over the past few years, this group of visitors is not here to see the destruction wrought by the tsunami of 2004. Instead, they are here as tourists to enjoy the cultural and natural splendor of Ban Talae Nok, a village of 67 homes situated in between the coral reefs and dense rainforests of Southern Thailand.Life has not always been so easy for Pink -- the majority of her village was destroyed in the tsunami, and, due to declining fish stocks and mangrove destruction, she was unable to return to her traditional fishing lifestyle. With the development of community tourism, however, her luck is turning around.
“We are beginning to understand how to connect tourism with our way of life, and share with people the natural environment that we depend on for our culture and livelihood,” Pink explains.
Since rebuilding their lives after the tsunami, some villagers in rural Thailand are using tourism as a tool for sustainable development. Community members such as Cha now offer homestays, eco-tours, and other activities -- allowing visitors to participate in the traditional way of life that so often eludes the casual tourist. Their work has been assisted by the North Andaman Community Tourism Network. Under the sponsorship of IUCN, the network is serving as a bridge between local villages and the private sector.
In the last two years, community tourism has generated over $20,000 USD income for villagers, while also generating funds to a children’s center, mangrove conservation, and other community development projects.
Labels: Ban Talae Nok, community-based tourism, conservation, IUCN
Monday, January 25, 2010
Community Network - Profiles from the Field
Roliyah Chanchu, Muang Kluang Muslim Homestay
Roliyah Chanchu, or Ja Ya as her friends call her, is a member of the Muslim Homestay group in Muang Kluang village. In the past, visitors to nearby Laem Son National Park would drive through Muang Kluang but did not have an opportunity to learn about the local communities or interact with them in any way. Concerned that an influx of park visitors may threaten or affect their local way of life, locals decided to offer homestay accommodation as a way to reach out to park visitors and generate mutual understanding. Members of the Homestay Club take pride in sharing their way of life with guests, including the natural world on which it depends.
“Doing homestay gives me a chance to make new friends, and it is fun” said Ja Ya.
Ja Ya notes that a focus on local style made it affordable to join the Club, as she already had a clean home with a guest room.
“There was no need to invest anything but my time and energy” she pointed out.
Ja Ya’s whole family gets involved in the homestay process. Her daughters help cook food, including fresh fish caught by her husband, while her son plays with guests after school.
Asked about other benefits of community tourism, Ja Ya observes that even though the income she receives from homestays is not significant, she has learned a great deal from study trips with the N-ACT network. Having visited a number of communities that exemplified sustainable development, Ja Ya has separations bin for wet and dry garbage and recycling. She is also exploring how to make her own bio-fertilizer.
Labels: community-based tourism, conservation, homestay
Friday, January 22, 2010
Koh Ra Ecolodge
Last weekend I went to Koh Ra Ecolodge, which I've determined is a fantastic way to live. I would be a happy person living and looking after an ecolodge, it's very mellow. Kim, the very nice gentleman who runs Koh Ra, was a formidable host. His staff prepared the most scrum-trellescent meals. He showed me around the grounds, which includes a composting system, nature trails, and the most amazing bungalows. To the right you see Kim holding up a star fish used to fertilizer the nearby orchards.
We went for a short nature hike on Saturday. Our goal was to find as many species of orchids that we could. They were beautiful! We counted 12 species of flowering orchid overall. But the surprising part of our hunt were the strange bugs we ended up finding.
This little cricket was the brightest color pink I have ever seen in nature...apart from this flower to the left.
I left the hike a bit early to go lay in a hammock on the beach for a few
minutes. The island dogs were out in full force, digging for crabs and frolicking around. This little guy is named "The Dude" because of his chill personality and general love of milk products ;-)
On Sunday morning we began our hike at around 7am. It turned into a 7-hour journey that took us through jungle, beach, mangrove, and clear-cut forest. We saw several horn bills within the first few minutes, walking through the savanna. We visited a Moken village, the Thai sea gypsies. They talked with us while we sat on their porch in the hot sun.
In the picture to the right, you can see the mangroves to the right of me, with the mainland in the background. We sate at a little fishing house here for a few minutes and sucked the juice from some ripe cashew fruits. You can't eat the nuts because their oil will burn your skin, but the fruits are extremely delicious and taste like strawberries!
We then journeyed on towards a jungle stream. There were vines extending from the canopy down to the water. The feelers that spread out in the water looked exactly like the feather-like appendages in Avatar! It was amazingly cool and calm in the jungle. Huge freshwater shrimp peeked out from behind rocks, and schools of tiny fish filled the water. We took a dip in the fresh water and then started our journey home.
We walked along the beach, stepping on the elbow roots of the mangroves.
The jelly fish to the right followed us for a bit. We waided through the incoming tide, away from the Moken village, and back toward Koh Ra Ecolodge.
Kim, Awe, and the dogs were at the pier waiting to send us back to
Kuraburi. This was the leader of the pack, looking into the sunset and contemplating life.
To the left is the group: Erik, Awe, Kim, me, and Bodhi.
Smoke from the Moken village billowed towards the ocean and the
sun set as we boarded our longtail boat for the mainland.
I came home sleepy and ready for the work week, with a true taste of sustainable ecotourism.
*special thanks to Bodhi for the photos!
Labels: horn bill, Koh Ra Ecolodge, Mangrove, sustainable tourism
Monday, January 18, 2010
2010 Welcome Message
Dear Friends,
December 26th marked the five-year anniversary of the tsunami, the catastrophic event that brought the Andaman Discoveries global family together on this mission of compassion. We’re constantly amazed by the degree to which the villagers of the North Andaman have recovered since that life-altering event. A recent example was Children’s Day in Ban Talae Nok...On December 27th we celebrated an afternoon filled with innocent laughter and fun with the villagers. Adults gathered to watch as children played games, sang songs, participated in an eco-quiz, and received gifts courtesy of Andaman Discoveries.
Despite 47 fatalities -- eight of whom were children -- and the physical loss of half their village to the wave, the people of Ban Talae Nok have worked diligently to create a better future for their children. Today, the village is an award-winning model of sustainable development with a highly engaged youth group and a successful responsible tourism program.
The inspiration we draw from such encouraging stories drives our passion to continue this challenging work. Standing together on the threshold of 2010, we can reflect our successes while looking to the challenges ahead. Your continued support and generosity not only motivates us, but makes Andaman Discoveries’ work possible. We look forward to your encouragement and assistance as we face the challenges and accomplishments of a new year. Thank you for being a part of the story.
- The Andaman Discoveries Team
Labels: Ban Talae Nok, Children’s Day, North Andaman Region, responsible tourism, tsunami
Easy Being Green
Andaman Discoveries Wins TAT Award
Andaman Discoveries has been chosen as Best Green Tour Operator for 2009 by the The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). “The Green Awards are a symbol of TAT’s recognition of outstanding quality and reliable tourism products offered by hoteliers and tour operators,” said Joanna Cooke, Marketing Manager for TAT UK.“It is a great honor to receive the award from TAT,” said Andaman Discoveries director Thamrong "Tui" Chomphusri. “Our work is acknowledged in Thailand, and it strengthens our partnerships and also makes the villagers proud for their hard work.”
The TAT Green Awards are intended to highlight and further promote Thailand’s dedication to the conservation of its natural and cultural resources, and to support sustainable tourism development. The winners were chosen in partnership with responsibletravel.com, based on previous entrants into the Responsible Tourism Awards between the years. Andaman Discoveries thanks the judges for this prestigious honor.
Labels: best green tour operator, green award, Tourism Authority of Thailand
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
