Thailand Cultural Discovery
Staying as a guest of a community can be a highly rewarding experience, adding real meaning to a holiday and creating opportunities for a genuine cultural exchange leaving all parties wiser and more enlightened to cultural differences.
Koh Yao Noi is a tiny island in Phang Nga Bay, the sea that lies between Phuket and the Thai mainland, where the population is overwhelmingly Muslim fisherfolk who still living a largely traditional existence, and who are well aware of the dangers of mass tourism development in their villages.
Phang Nga offers the classic sea images of tropical islands, palm fringed beaches, coral reefs and teeming marine life. It is therefore, obviously, in the cross-hairs of the big tourism developers who, having already exploited Phuket to the full and much of the Krabi mainland too, are eagerly searching for new places to plant their big hotels and bar strips.
This local initiative is designed to help reinforce the independence of the people of Koh Yao Noi, helping to protect their mores and customs from unwanted interference, and allowing them to choose the kind of visitors that they want to welcome – those who will respect them and their way of life. If you are one of those people, this will be a rewarding addition to your visit to Thailand.
In October 2008, Guardian journalist, Andrew Spooner, paid a visit and this is what he had to say bout his visit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2008/nov/11/thailand-ethical-holidays-homestay.
On arrival at the island, your guide will first bring you to the Community’s “CBT Club”, the meeting place for leaders of the Community Based Tourism initiative on the island. There will be short briefing about the community, its history and present life, and there will be a chance to discuss plans for your stay – what you would like to see and learn, what aspects of their community most interest you, etc. Thereafter drive to the home where you will be staying. meet your hosts and have a family lunch with them.
Afternoon take a tour of the island, during which you may visit:
Rise at around 6.30 when the community begins to go about the daily routines of life. Breakfast will be served by your host family, before setting off to the jetty to join community fishermen on their boat for a morning of traditional fishing (net throwing). Stop for a picnic lunch on one of the thousands of islets in the bay. There will be some time for some rest and relaxation, snorkeling and swimming too. 
After lunch discover more about the fishermen’s techniques, for example bringing in the catch from crab nets set the previous evening.
Arise 6.30. After breakfast with the family, set off for your chosen day’s activities which may include, for example:
