Background
Ban Talae Nok is a traditional Muslim fishing village dedicated to ecotourism for nature conservation. On December 26, 2004, the village suffered terribly from the tsunami, losing an entire section of the village and 46 lives. As part of its recovery, the village has embraced the conservation of mangroves, tropical forest, and marine life. The homes and traditional way of life in Ban Talae Nok are open to you to. Packed away in your bag as you leave Ban Talae Nok will be cultural mementos of your time: handcrafted soap and batik you made with the villagers.
Steering through the maze of mangroves, local boatmen, will show you forest habitat critical for their livelihood and survival. Walking through the community conservation forest will take you back to a time when the village was surrounded only by tropical forest. Fishing from the beach or on the ocean will give a deeper insight into their way of life and bond with the fishermen. And of course, after a day in the mangroves, chatting with your homestay family enjoying tasty food can only spice up the conservation with tales of faraway homes and fascinating stories of local life.
The Ban Talae Nok Eco Tourism Club consists of several groups (homestay, local guide, handicraft, boat, cultural) managed on a rotational system to ensure fairness to all members when guests come into village. Trips into village include a compulsory donation into the community fund which is used to support village projects such as a recycling and waste project, adult education, and the Ban Talae Nok Youth Conservation Group.
How to get there
Ban Talae Nok village is located in Kampuan district, the southernmost in Ranong province. Pickup is available from Kuraburi or Ranong upon request. The road to the village can be found seven km north of Kampuan town on Highway 4. Look for the wooden Ecotourism Club sign. The larger town of Kuraburi is 40 km south.
Cultural Activities
Homestay
Be a house guest of the villagers of Ban Talae Nok. Simple and comfortable, each homestay offers a private sleeping area complete with mattress, pillow, mosquito net and fan. A rotational system managed by the village ensures everyone gets their turn at being a host. Just as no two families are the alike, the same can be said of each house, which can range from modern to traditional wooden houses.
Nipa Palm Weaving
Traveling through the region you will notice thatched roofing on the more traditional style homes. Ban Talae Nok is a major source of this thatched material made by weaving leaves of the nipa palm together. During this activity, a villager will demonstrate how each section of the roof is made, after it’s over to you to make your own section using nipa palm leaves and a thread of bamboo.
Duration: 1 hour
Handicraft Workshops
In the wake of the tsunami handicraft groups were establish to assist affected families to develop another source of income. In Ban Talae Nok there are two groups: a soap making group and a batik group. Both of which you can join to learn about soap making and the art of batik.
Duration: Soap activities last 1 hour, while batik making can take 2-3 hours depending on the size of your batik
Cashew Nut Shelling
One of the major occupations for the women of the village is to shell cashew nuts by hand. The skill and speed at which each nut is individually shelled is remarkable. After a demonstration, you’ll be able to try your hand at shelling the cashew nuts. This relaxed and informal activity is a great opportunity to ask questions and find out about the lives of the villagers.
Duration: 30 minutes
Outdoor Activities
Note: You may want a hat, sun block, and insect repellant for these activities.
Beach Walk
The beach near the village is seven kilometers long and has a beautiful golden color due the presence of tin. Hawks fly in the sky and shy monkeys come to gather crabs on the beach. Visit the site of the former school and lower village — both destroyed by the tsunami.
Exertion level: easy.
Duration: 1-2 hours
Island Tour
Walk and snorkel on deserted beaches on the uninhabited island of Koh Kwai. The island’s turquoise waters offer diversions such as snorkeling, fishing, and swimming in serene bays. On land, visitors can beach comb, or simply relax under the shade of a tree. This half day trip also includes a delicious barbecue lunch. Mask and snorkel are available on request.
Exertion level: easy to moderate.
Duration: 3-5 hours
Mangrove Boat Trip
Together with a local boatman and your village guide strike out into the network of canals and waterways surrounding the village. This trip will take you through the tangled mangrove forests. You’ll learn about how important this important habitat, which exists between the fresh and the salt water, is so important to the health of the ecosystem and to the livelihoods of the villages. Wildlife you are likely to see include aquatic birds and possibly Crab-eating Macaques and Sea Otters.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Trek through the Tropical Forest
An area of original tropical forest can be found on a hill nearby Ban Talae Nok. With a local guide take an adventure into the forest seeing a variety of wildlife including monkeys, giant black squirrels and exotic birdlife such as white-throated kingfishers and great hornbills.
Exertion level: moderate.
Duration: 2-3 hours
Beach Fishing
It’s time to catch your own dinner! Watch very carefully as two fishermen walk out to sea 20 meters, to about waist high, each holding one end of a fishing net. After hooking the bottom section of net with their big toe, the fishermen will walk slowly back towards the beach, entrapping fish as they go. The fishermen walk up onto the beach and you help them remove the fish from the net. The smaller fish can be released back to sea, while the larger fish are cooked for lunch or dinner. Now it’s your turn to get wet!
Exertion level: easy to moderate
Duration: 1-2 hours
Sea Fishing
Spend a day at sea with the fishermen. Experience the life of a traditional fisherman in a long tail boat. Heading out through the mangroves in a long-tail boat and into the nearby seas and offshore islands spend a night with the fisherman placing and then hauling in traditional fishing nets or squid traps. Learn about the marine life of groupers, red and white snapper, tuna and barracuda. You’ll also learn about sustainable fishing techniques and the variety of traditional traps and nets used to catch squid, lobster, crabs, and fish. And if you are lucky, witness a pod of dolphins that frequent the Ban Talae Nok coast.
Exertion level: easy to moderate.
Duration: 3-5 hours
