Community Training in Khao Sok

The area of Khao Sok is getting more and more famous among tourists in Thailand for its stunning natural beauty and peaceful atmosphere. Whereas most people decide to stay in floating camps on Cheow Lan Lake or guesthouses at Khao Sok National Park there is an even more challenging and unique way to discover this remote area.

The community of Khao Phang in the region of Khao Sok and only a 20 minutes drive from Cheow Lan Lake decided to welcome domestic and international visitors to their homes and introduce them to the local way of life by offering homestay experiences. Andaman Discoveries went to visit the Khao Phang community in order to offer practical support and knowledge about the implementation of a sustainable community-based tourism program to the villagers during a two days training. We happily realized that the villagers had already gained experience in hosting guests and had programs set up with activities. Some fun activities are gathering local vegetables in the gardens and then helping to cook them in a delicious traditional Southern Thailand meal. You also enjoy a beautiful river rafting excursion with your local guide. By interacting with the homestay hosts and guides and participating in the program activities we were able to encourage, make suggestions and answer questions that this group had regarding the program. We also taught some basic English so that the families feel more comfortable and confident when receiving foreign guests.  We also included education about the demands and needs of international guests, safety issues and common mistakes made while building up a homestay program within a community in our training.

We are convinced that with their heartwarming hospitality and their new experiences and knowledge in community-based tourism this community will be able to offer a sustainable and interesting homestay program giving way to cultural exchange and responsible tourism practices in an area facing the threat of rapid growth in tourism demand.

Andaman Discoveries is offering a variety of village tours within our surrounding communities in the North Andaman Coast. We are helping visitors to immerse into the local culture and experience the beauty of Southern Thailand’s nature and people in a unique and sustainable way, for more information click here.