Top 10 Eco-Holidays: How to be a Thoughtful Traveller

The National, April 16, 2011

One problem associated with discovering your very own paradise is the danger of becoming the unwitting cause of consequences that threaten the very people and places you discover and cherish. Andaman Discoveries works along the north Andaman coast with communities affected by the catastrophic 2004 tsunami to use responsible tourism to their long-term advantage. By taking part in a short one- to five-day village home stay, not only will you gain an insight into another way of life but you'll leave having made a lasting and positive contribution to your host community while helping to maintain the region's unique sense of place.

Tricks to Finding Lodging Without Paying A Fortune

El Universal, March 14, 2011

Voluntourism: This new way of getting to know and interacting with local residents at your destination is turning into a hit. An example is Andaman Discoveries, where you pay around $210 per week as a volunteer. The price includes accommodation, meals, and airport transfers.

Community Based Tourism - Opportunities and threats

Young Press, March 12, 2011

For the 16th year in a row, the TO DO! Award for socially responsible tourism was awarded at ITB Berlin 2011. Among the three winners was the Thai organization Andaman Discoveries, who is committed to the development of communities in the coastal region of Phang Nga in southern Thailand.

Volunteering

CosmoGirl, March 25, 2011

Metro Hong Kong (p.27)

Metro Hong Kong (p.27), March 25, 2011

Ten Real Budget Travel Tips

Gadling Travel Blog, November 29th, 2010

Volunteer tourism, or Voluntourism. This tourism/volunteering hybrid has taken off in the past decade. To give but one example, Andaman Discoveries' volunteer gigs in southern Thailand charge around $210 for a week of on-the-ground volunteering.

2008 SEED Winners Work Together

SEED Initiative Newsletter, March 2, 2010

SEED Initiative (excepted from the Andaman Discoveries Blog)

Seeing the obvious parallels between her work and that of the Ban Talae Nok women's soap group, Mamta Chandarat, one of the partners in the Himalayan Oregano Oil and Sustainable Livelihoods against MRSA initiative (SEED Winner 2008), visited Andaman Discoveries (SEED Winner 2008), in November 2009.

Wave of Change

Verge Magazine, Winter, 2010

Written by Julia Steinecke

Andaman Discoveries ... work[s] with communities to create sustainable income, and arrange eco-tours, homestays and volunteer work opportunities for travellers. In Ban Talae Nok ... the traditional fishing culture has been preserved, while community tourism has supplied a steady income and supported a children's centre and an orchid conservation programme.

Note: requires submitting an email address. Click on pp 16-17.

Green Travel List: Community Projects

Green Travel List, February 21, 2010

Written by Richard Hammond

The simplest way to escape the tourist trail and see what life is like in the real Thailand is to stay in a homestay. Andaman Discoveries runs one of the country’s best organised programmes, born out of the North Andaman Tsunami Relief fund, which places visitors in homes on a rotational basis to spread the benefits around the villages along the Andaman coast.

Villagers Open Their Homes to Tourists

TTR Weekly, February 3-9, 2010

Written by Rapeepat Mantanarat

Since 2007, [Andaman Discoveries] has worked with coastal communities, but evolved from offering emergency services and education to focus on community-based tourism, environmental education, handicrafts ventures, and scholarships.

When disaster strikes

Irish Times, January 30, 2010

A first port of call should be Tourism Concern, which has campaigned for fair and sustainable post-tsunami tourism development. Its Ethical Travel Guide, a book available from its website, is full of information on leading ethical-tourism providers, such as Andaman Discoveries, born out of the relief efforts, which now brings tourists to community-led tourism projects and home stays in Thailand.

Andaman in the Mirror

Fah Thai Magazine, January, 2010

Mikey Leung

"Andaman Discoveries really works on providing services to communities that help them take charge over their own sustainable development," says Bodhi Garrett. "We grew out of tsunami relief, so our connection with the communities comes from helping them rebuild their lives."

Thailand’s treasured bloom faces grim future

Phuket Gazette, January 16-22, 2010

Bodhi Garrett

The Nakha Water Lily, (Crinum Thaianum) known locally as "Yah Chong," is in critical danger of extinction. The lily is found only in the rivers of northern Phang-Nga and lower Ranong provinces.

Discovering Unseen Thailand

Traversing The Orient Magazine, January 13, 2010

Andaman Discoveries is a social enterprise that combines eco-tours, homestays and volunteer opportunities with handicrafts production, education and vocational training. Formed in January 2005, it has since been nominated as a finalist in BBC's World Challenge 2009 and received the "Best Green Tour Operator" award from the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Founding member Bodhi Garrett reveals how it all came about.

Five Years After the Tsunami

ThingsAsian, December 19, 2009

Written by Jim Algie

Perhaps the most positive development following the tsunami has been the blossoming — particularly on North Andaman, which was also devastated by the tsunami — of ecotourism. One of the pioneers is Andaman Discoveries, an NGO and tour operator started by Bodhi Garrett, an American born in Kathmandu. He lost everything in the tsunami.

Back from the Dead

Southeast Asia Globe, November 15, 2009

Written by Jim Algie

Andaman Discoveries has gone on to win industry plaudits such as Virgin's Responsible Tourism Award for Conservation of Cultural Heritage for its community-based itineraries, home stays, and nature trails. One of its pilot projects took off in Ban Talae Nok (Village by the Sea), near the border of Ranong and Phang-nga provinces.

The Entrepreneurs: Bodhi Garrett

R:Travel Magazine, November 2009

What’s your story? On 26 December 2004, my world changed forever. Before the tsunami, I was working at a small eco-resort on the island of Koh Phra Thong in southern Thailand. Then the killer waves destroyed the resort and its surrounding communities...

Readers' tips ... Homestays

guardian.co.uk, 5 September 2009

Written by Rowena Forbes

If you'd like to extend your interactions with Thai people beyond bartering with tuk-tuk drivers, book a cultural exchange trip with this sustainable development/community-based tourism organisation in Kuraburi. I stayed with a family in a fishing village and got to experience various activities that the villagers undertake to support themselves in a post-tsunami world.

Community-Based Tourism: A Success?

ICRT Occasional Paper, 2009

Written by Harold Goodwin and Rosa Santilli for GTZ

This report identifies Andaman Discoveries as one of the the 28 successful CBT projects identified by experts. Community-based tourism has, for over three decades, been promoted as a means of development whereby the social, environmental and economic needs of local communities are met through the offering of a tourism product. However, whilst many projects have been funded in developing countries, their success (or otherwise) has not been widely monitored and, therefore, the actual benefits to local communities remain largely unquantified.

Have Heart Will Travel

fahThai (in-flight magazine of Bangkok Airways), July/August 2009

Written by Rebecca Kelly

Yes, we’re living through some tough economic times. But instead of staying at home and sticking your head in the sand, read on about the growing number of people choosing to roll up their sleeves and become involved in projects aimed at making the world a better place. Voluntourism is a way for people to combine their tropical trip with a working holiday – and across Asia there’s certainly no shortage of worthy projects on which to lend a hand.

Travel with a Conscience

Green issue of FuturArc, Volume 14, 3rd Quarter 2009

Written by Y-Jean Mun-Delsalle

When you plan for your next holiday, forget chaotic city tours in the polluted urban jungle; opt instead for eco-tours in the wild outdoors. Whether you’re an eco-junkie or a novice, nature-based, ecologically-sustainable tourism that cultivates environmental and cultural understanding, appreciation and conservation is ‘in’, judging by its pace of growth in the tourism industry. Just look around the region to Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand, which offer near-untouched locales that are often overlooked, but are perfect for "green" travellers looking to get in touch with nature.

Socially-Conscious Tour Operators

February 24, 2009

Written by Peter Greenberg, Peter Greenberg Worldwide

It’s great to go green when you travel, but what if you could participate in a tour that directly helps locals improve their living conditions? Thailand-based Andaman Discoveries began as a disaster-relief program to help rebuild the Andaman coast after the 2004 tsunami.

How2 Go Green: A New Wave

February 2009

Written by Jim Algie

Four years after the tsunami, a resurgence of ecotourism projects in the south of Thailand now underline the importance of respecting and caring for the environment. The story features the work of Andaman Discoveries.

Feeling at home in a Tsunami Village

November 2008

Jack Barker

Lucy, aged eight, had been most dismayed at the idea of spending five days in a fishing village homestay. "I want to stay in a hotel," she wailed.

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R:Travel - Cool Old Thai

November 2008

Written by Roger Fulton

The 2008 edition of Virgin Holiday's Responsible Tourism Awards and the World Travel Mart. The article ackowledges Andaman Discoveries' being highly commended in the "Best for Cultural Conservation" category. The article demonstrates how Andaman Discoveries is continues to help Thai villagers make a living from tourism without sacrificing their culture and local way of life.

Andaman Discoveries: Relief to Self-Reliance

www.maketravelfair.co.uk, 4 November 2008

Stephen Chapman

We first met Kelly May from Andaman Discoveries at the World Travel Market, London in 2007 where they won 'Best for Conservation of Cultural Heritage' in the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards. That same year they were finalists in Wild Asia's Responsible Tourism Awards and this year they won the SEED Award for Entrepreneurship in Sustainable Development.

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Spotlight on Bodhi Garrett

UC Berkeley college of Natural Resources, Summer 2008

Aimee Kelley

When the great Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 hit Thailand, Bodhi Garrett was luckier than most of his friends; he was spending the Christmas holiday with family in the United States. But Garrett returned home almost immediately to Thailand’s remote North Anda-man region to help sort out the nightmare of missing persons.

Keeping it local: Community Tourism in Thailand

CNN.com, 1st July 2008

Dean Irvine

For everyone from Tung Nang Dam, the tsunami will always be a vivid memory. However, the biggest challenge facing this beautiful and undeveloped area of Thailand is how to keep back the tide of mass tourism that has engulfed Phuket, a two-and-a-half hour drive down the coast. It is hoped that one way is the successful introduction of community-based tourism to the area and the reason Noi was leading me and my guide Tui, through the forest -- a jungle trek being just one activity during my two-night stay in the area.

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Redbrick

29th February 2008

Emily Gilbert

Redbrick is the Birmingham University's (UK) student newspaper. An ex Birmingham student herself, Emily discusses how Andaman Discoveries changed her perception of eco-tourism, bringing with it a historical account of how the organization began and what it offers today. This is a very positive article which focuses also on the short-term commitment needed to partake in an Andaman Discoveries programme, as well as how it really is for anyone of any age.

Phuket Magazine

Andaman Discoveries Brings Hope and International Recognition to The North Andaman Coast

February 2008

Baz Daniel

This two double-page spread follows Co-Director Kelly May's journey from life as a Bangkok party animal to 'Angel of the Andaman' where she lives and works today. It also explains the development from the day of the tsunami when villages were destroyed and people lost everything, to today, when people with the support of Andaman Discoveries have turned their lives around. In part, this was due to finding new, sustainable livelihoods by offering eco-tours and volunteering in their villages.

Bangkok 101- Andaman Coast: Staying With Locals during Your Vacation

February 2008

In this magazine that acts as a guide for travelers who want to keep off the tourist track, the article about Andaman Discoveries offers some background information to the organization and details the home-stays made available by Andaman Discoveries. It also presents a brief overview of the volunteering and activities guests can do in village.

MAP's Ex-Director Visits Andaman Discoveries Community Home-Stay Program

January 28, 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.

Smart Traveller: Thailand Phuket - Learning about Local Life

January 2008

Here is a guide book for the conscientious traveler. Appearing in the 'activities' section, the article writes of Andaman Discoveries flexibility in offering activities suitable for all ages, before describing in detail some of the activities available- mainly focusing on cooking and Thai cuisine!

Bangkok Post - Two Awards for Andaman Discoveries

January 2, 2008

Achataya Chuenniran

A brief albeit comprehensive article detailing two international awards presented to Andaman Discoveries for assisting tsunami-impacted villages in their efforts to become locales of sustainable tourism. The Virgin Holiday's Responsible Tourism Award and Wild Asia's Responsible Tourism Awards recognize organizations that ethically protect deeply rooted traditions and values.

Phuket Magazine - The Visa Run Can Be Fun

Vol. 19, No. 2

Russell Sandford

Andaman Discoveries is mentioned here in a section of an article that covers two double page spreads on how 'doing the visa run can be fun.' The journalist talks of Cucina, a restaurant in Kuraburi, as well as some of the activities, including home-stays, which Andaman Discoveries offers.

Thailand's 'Angel' Picks Up Presitgious Award

The Gazzette (Hemel, UK), December 2007

Hempstead tsunami volunteer Kelly May, who earned the nickname 'angel' in Thailand, has won two international awards, including one sponsored by Virgin Holidays.

The Blue Yonder Is Responsible Travel in Danger of Becoming a Meaningless Marketing Tool?

December 2007

Written by Gopinath Parayil

Andaman Discoveries of Thailand recently won the prestigious responsible tourism under the category Best for conservation of cultural heritage at the World Travel Market in London. Co-Director Kelly May in conversation with TBY team shares how she started Andaman discoveries and how they work with communities in Southern Thailand.

Digital Travel Asia Pacific – Best Ecotourism Practices

December 2007

The International Ecotourism Society

The article highlights Andaman Discoveries prestigious win in the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards and Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Awards and how their bottom-up approach is allowing villagers create a type of tourism that benefits their people and natural resources.

R:Travel – Why it's Cool to be Thai

November 2007

Written by Roger Fulton

A special publication for the Virgin Holiday's Responsible Tourism Awards and the World Travel Mart, the article celebrates Andaman Discoveries win in the Best for Cultural Conservation category. The article demonstrates how Andaman Discoveries is helping Thai villagers make a living from tourism without sacrificing their culture and local way of life. Andaman Discoveries recognizes that the best custodians of Cultural Heritage are the people who make it. They have worked with communities, to empower them and create a sense of place, identifying what villagers see as important, and using this information to develop tourist activities and making productive relationships with the industry, commented Justin Francis, Director, Responsibletravel.com and Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards judge.

R:Travel – An Angel Spreads Her Wings

November 2007

Written by Roger Fulton

A moving account of how Andaman Discoveries Director, Kelly May, changed her life after the tsunami and became known as the Angel of the Andaman. She admits to being a self-confessed Bangkok party animal, but the horrific images she witnessed while volunteering in the tsunami morgue, prompted her to change her ways and leave the party scene for a more meaningful, yet simple existence.

Spotlight – The Day of Change

November 2007

A special publication for the World Travel Mart, celebrating Responsible Tourism initiatives all over the world. This article looks into the work of Andaman Discoveries and Director Kelly May's journey into responsible tourism using all her negative experience to ensure that other people may learn from her mistakes and have a more enjoyable experience when in Thailand.

Discover the Real Thailand

Phuket Magazine (May 2007)

Bret Walberg (edited by Baz Daniels)

The article encourages people to discover a very different Thailand from the regular tourist destinations. The article praises the efforts of local communities to participate in a tourism that celebrates, not destroys their culture and natural environment. Despite being affected by the tsunami, communities are now using tourism to go hand in hand with community-led development to create opportunity from disaster.

Community-Based Tourism is the Way

Bangkok Post (March 2007)

Yvonne Bohawongprasert

A special Women's Day feature on Kelly May, Andaman Discoveries director, sharing her views and experience of helping villagers to develop and promote sustainable tourism in Southern Thailand after volunteering in the Andaman region straight after the tsunami.

Come Stay with Us

Unforgettable Thailand (2007)

Tourism Authority of Thailand

Andaman Discoveries community-based trips and services are featured alongside Thailand's most exclusive resorts, as a more meaningful and respectful way to experience Thailand. Andaman Discoveries' short term Volunteer placement program is also featured as a special two-page article, praising our ethical approach to tourism.

Tsunami Relief in the form of Community Based Tourism

Antonio Graceffo (February 2007)

Article explores the reality of community-based tourism and acknowledges the need to properly train villagers to market, promote and manage their own tourism if it is to have real economic benefits.

Meaningful Travel

Harpers Bazaar (February 2007)

Judy Chapman

Acknowledges growing movement towards more "meaning" travel experiences in the travel industry. Andaman Discoveries award-winning volunteer program is recommended as an ethical way to help out with tsunami recovery.

Village Embraces Respectful Tourism

Phuket Post (January 2007)

This article shows how community-based tourism is allowing Southern Thailand villagers to share their traditional way of life with tourists and visitors. The North Andaman Tsunami Relief's training and community development has been instrumental in assisting mutual cultural between villagers and tourists to create a more meaningful travel experience.

Eco-preneurs Making a World of Difference

Asia Spa (2006)

Judy Chapman

Everyone has the ability to make a positive contribution to the world, and it's up to them whether or not to do so. Andaman Discoveries director Kelly May's decision to leave the high flying world of media and her position as publisher of OK! to serve tsunami-impacted villages is used as an inspirational example of how we can all develop a social conscience to make global transformation, one small step at a time.

Dirty Feet and Inky Fingers:
Community-Based Tourism on the North Andaman Coast

Bangkok Post Guru Magazine (October 2006)

Jarad Young, Spring 2006

Article features North Andaman Tsunami Relief grass root tourism training and development in tsunami-impacted villages to assist with sustainable recovery. Community-based tourism is letting villagers develop tourism on their own terms so that they benefit directly and the money goes straight into the local economy.

Voluntourism in Southern Thailand – Community-based Tourism in Action

Eco-tourism.org Digital Traveler – Asia Pacific (October 2006)

Kelly May

Director of Andaman Discoveries, Kelly May, was invited to discuss her ideas on the growth of the more socially and environmentally conscious traveler and their potential role in community development and empowerment as volunteers. Andaman Discoveries highlight the importance of authentic cultural interaction and inclusion for meaningful volunteer placement for both the villagers and the volunteer.

Road to Recovery

South China Morning Post (2006)

Jamie Johnston

As part of their economic recovery, some villages in the North Andaman are using community-based tourism to help them get back on their feet as financial support from tsunami-related aid organizations dries up. Training and support from the North Andaman Tsunami Relief is allowing villagers and tourists to engage in mutual cultural exchange, under the banner of Andaman Discoveries, an ethical, non profit tour service.

The Voluntourists

Lifestyle + Travel Magazine (June 2006)

Jamie M. Johnston

A volunteer with the North Andaman Tsunami Relief's Andaman Discoveries discusses his experiences helping out on a community-led project that focuses on sustainability and community empowerment through small-scale tourism.

My Bangkok

Bangkok Post - The Magazine (January 2006)

Interview with Andaman Discoveries Director, Kelly May, about 'Her Bangkok' of where to go and what to do in town. The article also includes details of her decision to resign as publisher of OK! celebrity magazine and dedicate her life to serving the people affected by the tsunami after volunteering in the morgue straight after the tsunami in 2004.

Beyond the sob stories

Newburytoday.co.uk, December 26, 2005

Charlotte Johnston, aged 29, is a volunteer with the North Andaman Tsunami Relief organisation and has spent the last few months working to rebuild the devastated Thai communities. This article highlights her desire to serve tsunami-affected villagers has found fruition in the determined communities of Thailand.

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Andaman Discoveries to Represent Thailand at 21 Young Leaders Summit

December 2010

Bodhi Garrett, founder of Andaman Discoveries, has been chosen among more than 200 emerging leaders from the Asia-Pacific region to participate in the Asia Society’s fifth annual Asia 21 Young Leaders Summit, to be held in Jakarta from December 3-5, 2010.

Helping Hands, Open Hearts: Community Tourism Gains International Recognition

October 25, 2010

After months of consideration and site visits, Wild Asia’s judging panel has finally selected its 2010 RT Awards winners. Operators such as Andaman Discoveries (Thailand), Heritance Kandalama (Sri Lanka), and Sarinbuana Ecolodge (Indonesia) have surpassed judges’ expectations for their high standards of environmental protection and social responsibility.

Grassroots Tourism Project Recognized by BBC World Challenge

September 2009

The World Challenge is a global competition hosted by BBC World News and Newsweek magazine, in association with Shell. The 12 finalists for this year’s competition were selected from more than 900 nominations on the basis of their innovation at grassroots level in "countering socio-economic and environmental issues."

Thai relief project in World Challenge 09 final

July 15, 2009

Thai relief venture, Andaman Discoveries, has been selected as a finalist in World Challenge 09, the worldwide competition seeking to identify and reward projects and businesses which bring economic, social and environmental benefits to local communities through grassroots solutions.

From Tsunami Relief to Self Reliance: Community tourism in Thailand recognized by prestigious awards and DEFRA Minister

November 2008

Andaman Discoveries, a grassroots responsible travel group in Thailand, has won the 2008 SEED Award, Travel+Lesiure Global Vision Award and is a finalist for the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Award. Hilary Benn, Minister of DEFRA will honor Andaman Discoveries for their contribution to sustainable development.

Community Tourism Efforts Win SEED Award

September 4, 2008

In the last two years, community tourism has generated over USD 20,000 income for villagers, while also generating funds to a children’s center, orchid conservation, and other community development projects.

A New Kind of Tourism for Thailand: Community-Based Efforts Gain International Recognition after the Tsunami

December 2007

Nartladda Klongwitti, or Chim as her friends call her, smiles as she welcomes the group of foreigners 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 Tung Nang Dam, a village of 35 houses situated in between the coral reefs and dense rainforests of Southern Thailand.

Andaman Discoveries Short-Listed for Two Prestigious International Responsible Tourism Awards

October 2007

The tsunami brought a great number of changes: entire villages were relocated, livelihoods were impacted, and loved ones lost. Inspiringly, many communities have created new opportunities in the wake of loss, especially in the area of eco-tourism. As a result of its efforts working with these communities since the tsunami, Andaman Discoveries has been short-listed for two International Responsible Tourism Awards, including the biggest and most prestigious in the world, the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards.

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Travel with a Difference – Sustainable Choices in Asia

The Green Journey

by deborahchan on Nov 4, 2010

If you’re planning for a holiday get-a-way and looking for something different other than the usual fare, why not consider spending your time and money with operators who are committed to environmental sustainability and social responsibility?

Volunteer in Thailand!

Le blog de Pistes-Solidaires (French)

Laura Pelegrina, Andaman Discoveries Intern

Je me présente, je m’appelle Laura et je fais mon Service Volontaire Européen en Thaïlande qui s’inscrit dans le cadre du Programme Jeunesse en Action subventionné par la Commission Européenne avec l’association Andaman Discoveries, envoyée par Pistes Solidaires. Je suis ici pour une durée de 8 mois et pour développer de nouvelles compétences dans le tourisme communautaire mais aussi pour partager et découvrir une nouvelle culture.

La famillle Prat en Thaïlande: Ban Talae Nok

The Prats Family, February 22nd, 2010

It's ecotourism, but not as we know it

Ecologist

Jeremy Smith, October 5th, 2009

Stay with Andaman Discoveries in the homes of the Muslim fishermen and women of Ban Tale Nok on Thailand's Andaman coast, and you'll be helping villagers who lost a third of their number to the 2004 tsunami to rebuild their lives on their own terms.

7th Site Visit: Andaman Discoveries, Thailand

Wild Asia's Responsible Tourism Awards

Friday, September 18, 2009

Andaman Discoveries, previously known as North Andaman Tsunami Relief, stemmed from tsunami relief pioneered by Bodhi Garrett to serve communities he had lived with and respected. After the initial rebuilding of homes through community-driven tsunami relief, it soon progressed into long-term post-tsunami development programs.

Ban Talae Nok: tsunami village

Sarah Warwick

August 17, 2009

For somewhere as remote as Khuraburi (and Ban Talae Nok is further out on a limb from there) organisations like Andaman Discoveries who can encourage people into the area are invaluable. More and more projects are springing up that allow all kinds of tourists to spend a short time on their holiday helping others and experiencing local culture, which can only be a good thing.

Richer or poorer

Tea Stains

August 11, 2009

My second homestay was in Tung Nang Dam village. The only way to the village is by boat through mangroves. When the boat dropped us we walked across a long, narrow pier with random planks missing and then through cashew orchards, bamboo and rubber plantations until we arrived at the village. By this time in Thailand I was au fait with rubber trees - they are a regular view when travelling outside Bangkok - but I was still fascinated by them. On my last evening I told my host family the story of copying the picture of a rubber tree collecting sap from my Granddad’s encyclopaedia.

UCLA Thailand Summer 2009

UCLA Thailand Summer 2009

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Study Tour Participants, Summer 2009

Today we went to Ban Talay Nok village. We learned from the youth at the community center about their six sustainability projects that were an organic garden, recycling/composting program, fence and tree improvement, biofertilizer production, mangrove restoration, and their green house competition. For the mangrove program, they were in the process of getting government permission to be able to dig the land to plant mangroves. The planting process will take 11 months and the entire project will take two years in order to determine if the planting was a success. The kids ranged from age four to 20 and it we all thought that it was a good idea to teach about sustainability from such a young age.

Day 1: Ecotourism in Thailand: Day One!

Day 2: Thai Pancakes and Gibbon Apes: Day 2 of Our Homestay!

Me Ra Koh Photography

Me Ra Koh, March 27-31, 2009

We wanted the kids to witness how simple the Thai homes and lifestyle are while at the same time see how happy and content everyone is. And if possible, we wanted to give back to the Thai people as a family.

Village Life

A Breath of the Exotic...

Emily Blackman, January 21, 2009

One of the many traditional Thai-style meals we ate on a woven mat, laid flat on the "dining room" floor. On Xmas day we filled our bellies with a unique spread of spicy manta ray, egg and cabbage salad, dried-fried fish and cucumber.

Thailand: Homestay with Andaman Discoveries

Briefcase to Backpack

Michaela Potter, December 9, 2008

Of all the places we would visit on this trip, the last place I thought Michael would be able to relate to the most was a small Muslim Village in Thailand. But surprisingly, he eased right into sleeping on a mattress on a floor under mosquito netting with roosters crowing at 2am, speaking a completely different language from anyone else around us, and feeding baby goats twice a day. But he compared it to consulting –- traveling endlessly from one hotel to the next, needing to learn a new dialect or corporate speak, and understanding a new corporate environment and supporting it.

Sun, surf, batik

Paths of Molten Wax on Volatile Cloth

Rushyan Yen, August 12, 2008

One scholarship, 14 months, 11 countries, 1 artist and a suitcase full of fabric - this is her exploration of batiks around the world. Here she visits Ban Talae Nok.

Les villages du tsunami

L’équipe de Partir Autrement sur la route

The Canadian Travel Show, April 14, 2008

Il faut 8 heures de train et trois heures de voiture pour atteindre Ban Talae Nok à 450 kilomètres au sud-ouest de Bangkok. Je suis accueilli par Donkordeet Nimnnan et son épouse Umai Harnjit, une des dix familles du village qui participent au projet de tourisme communautaire.

Andaman Discoveries

Only In Thailand

Chris and Carol, February 25, 2008

A few months ago I met up with a lovely lady called Kelly and we had a long chat about the organisation she runs, Andaman Discoveries.

Kuraburi - Tung Nang Dam

Greetings to the New Brunette

Lisa Sampson, January 24, 2008

As part of my four weeks volunteering in Thailand, I spent the first five days on a 'cultural immersion' programme. The first day I arrived in Kuraburi, I had spent the say travelling from the top to the bottom of the country.

Community Based Tourism and Tsunami Relief in Thailand

Sustainable Travel

Bret Walberg, August 30, 2007

Andaman Discoveries, in Southern Thailand, offers customized volun-tour trips that allow socially conscious travelers to become actively engaged in the villages’ community development process, using the principles of community-based tourism.