Early in the morning, be transported for 2.5 hours from a Phuket Hotel to Ban Talae Nok Village, north of Phang Nga. Upon arrival, be welcomed with warm friendly smiles and introduced to a host family. Take a walking tour of the community with a local guide to learn about the history and lives of these villagers. See the area of the village that was destroyed by the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami and learn from survivors how they have recovered.

For lunch, enjoy authentic Southern Thai food with the host family.

Learn a new skill at the handicraft workshop. The women’s group, established after the Tsunami, makes beautifully handcrafted soaps, using only the finest natural ingredients. Watch an informative demonstration and then make soap with the expert guidance of the soap ladies, and keep it as a souvenir. After that, go fishing on the beach with local fishermen and learn some of their traditional fishing techniques.

After a full day of activities, take some time to swim and relax on the beach, and then enjoy a spectacular Andaman sunset. For dinner, enjoy a BBQ on the beach with the hosts and feast on freshly-caught seafood, garden-fresh vegetables, and Thai curries (if weather permits, alternative is dinner with the host family at their home).

Evening cultural activities include sharing stories and experiences with the family and local villagers. Then, have an opportunity to try on their traditional clothing to learn more about their Muslim culture. Spend the night in a simple but comfortable homestay.

Overnight at Ban Talae Nok

After breakfast, participate in a livelihood activity by weaving leaves of the nypa palm with the local villagers to help make traditional roofing from a local mangrove plant. Then, return to the homestay and make a local specialty dessert. Try your hand at grating the coconut and filling the palm leaf with the batter. Then grill and enjoy the delicious snack hot off the fire.

After lunch, walk up a hill for a beautiful view of the islands facing the village and the surrounding sea. In the late afternoon, prepare bags to leave the village and say farewell to the host family. Drive back to Phuket Airport for the onwards flight or to a hotel in Phuket or Khao Lak