Pi Tui, Pi Nat and Bang Hem from the community tourism team in Ban Talae Nok headed to Koh Yao Yai community based tourism training in partnership with IUCN. The community on Koh Yao Yai would like to open a homestay program and IUCN invited AD and Bang Hem to train them and have an open discussion about how to succeed in running a sustainable community based tourism program. The first day was 
focused on introducing the principles of CBT and how it benefits the community as a whole. Bang Hem discussed his struggles and successes from Ban Talae Nok’s successful homestay program and his ideas on development. On day two the tourism team sat down and brainstormed a program outline that included interactive activities for guests that would also contribute to the protection of the community’s culture and natural resources. We are excited to continue working with the Koh Yao Yai community and are always happy to connect resources.
Reduse-Re-use-Recycle: these three little words are embedded in the core ethics and sustainability policy of Andaman Discoveries and we try our best to be innovative in finding positive ways to enforce these. One fun thing that Pi Tui initiated was making her own laundry detergent, cleaning products, shampoo, soap and dish soap from fruit and other waste products collected at home and stored until fermented. We use these homemade products in our office and decided to teach our homestay communities the technique so they could use them in the village and when hosting our guests. We just had a one day training in the village of Ban Tale Nok with the tourism team and also the students at the local school:)
