Cultural exchange with local people on Koh Yao Noi, Phang Nga | Ground Asia

Author : GROUND Asia | Tag : Thailand, Local Culture, Outdoor Adventure

Across the ocean from the island to the island. Once you hop on the speedboat from Bang Rong Piers at Phuket in about half an hour, you will reach the beautiful island in Phang-Nga province.

This spectacular island surrounded by abundant natural mangrove forest is a habitat for diverse plants and wildlife species and has some stunning beaches. The tranquil and laid back pace of the island allows you the opportunity to see the local way of life unobtrusively. Koh Yao Noi local communities in this area typically work in coastal fisheries, have fish farms and grow rice.

Today GROUND would like to show you around Koh Yao Noi Community. Participate in an activity-based program in the Muslim village of Koh Yao Noi. You will enjoy handicraft demonstrations, tasting authentic Southern Thai food in a pleasant atmosphere with your hosts.

Tourists love to come here and spend a night or two at the homestay, and they can experience the way locals live, which is different from their ordinary life. But if you don’t have time to spend a night, here is the one day trip that will allow you to discover this charming community as well.

As soon as you get off the speed boat, local trekking trucks (a transforming truck that has two long seats at the side and has a roof cover) will be waiting for you. Even though there is no seatbelt for this truck, the driver always drives on the speed limit in this small island in no rush.

At our first stop, the driver will drop you off at the paddy fields. You will have an experience of transplanting rice, which is the first agricultural product of Thailand. After working hard and a long day in the sun, the cold and refreshing coconut juice provided for you—a simple way for the farmers to invigorate themselves after hard work.

The first activity probably makes you lose a lot of energy; let’s gain more strength with organic food. Next stop, you will get to pick up the fresh organic vegetables from the local farm. And learning how to cook Thai food with our lovely local host.

After lunch that you made for yourself, we will have a relaxing activity with batik painting, which is well-known in all Muslim communities. It is like an ordinary painting, but you first draw a line with wax and paint the colour after. You will get to take your artwork back as a souvenir from Koh Yao Noi Community.

The afternoon program will show you more about the career of locals. You will visit the lobster floating farm in the sea; at this place, you can help locals feed the lobsters. After that, the rest of the activities are just having fun and enjoying yourself while you are at this peaceful place. Kayaking is available for you, and you can also enjoy the beautiful beach of the island.

An excellent opportunity to explore the unseen local landscape from a long tail boat ride with an expert tour local guide. Hopefully, you may even catch water buffaloes taking mud baths in the domestic rice patties!

The one-day activity at Koh Yao Noi Community will end here. We will say goodbye to our lovely and kind local host and travel back to Phuket with a good memory of this small island.

GROUND Asia designed unique outdoor programs in summer for students who relish the local culture and new adventures.