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September 10, 2018

Travel

Discover a quieter side of Trat with a one-night stay in the fisherman’s village of Baan Laem Klat

Trat province attracts a modest number of local and foreign tourists all year round thanks to its array of fishing villages, pretty beaches and excellent diving and snorkeling opportunities – particularly off the coast at nearby Koh Chang or the smaller Koh Kood. For this “Extraordinary Experience”, however, you’ll be staying on the mainland at a small fishermen’s community that is located upstream on the east side of Trat’s main river.

Known as Baan Laem Klat, life at this fishing village revolves around the water – and the locals rely heavily on what they can catch from it. This gives visitors coming for this “One Night Stay with Locals” a fantastic opportunity to learn about a range of fishing techniques, as well as try lots of delicious seafood. Some of Trat’s delicacies include blue crab, shrimp, mantis shrimp, and a variety of other shellfish. There is also the chance to see rare Irrawaddy dolphins as well as the region’s colorful jellyfish phenomenon, which occurs around November time.

During the morning of your first day, get an introduction to the Baan Laem Klat community before heading off with a local guide for a beach tour. Try to catch some white shell spotted babylon and razor clams along the way.

Fill up with a tasty lunch at the nearby Lan Sai beach. In the afternoon, you’ll be hitting the water again by joining local fishermen on their quest for shrimp, mantis shrimp, and crab. Another fun afternoon activity involves helping to preserve the area by planting mangroves and preparing the land for new plants to grow. This is essential for ensuring the region’s ecosystem thrives in the future.

After a day spent out and about on the water, it’s back to base for dinner. For those wanting to witness Trat’s firefly phenomenon, we recommended taking an evening boat trip out to see the flies illuminate the sky at Khlong Pratoon, which is the best place to see them.

Wake up after a comfortable stay in your waterside homestay then head for breakfast at Yamadaya Beach Resort. For the second day’s main morning activity, join in with more conservation work by helping the locals to spread artificial seagrass into a designated preservation area in the community. Again, this is another important technique that can protect the ecosystem.

Indulge in more seafood-oriented dishes as part of lunch before bidding farewell to your friendly Trat hosts.

To learn more about “One Night Stay with Locals” in Thailand or to book a trip for up to 10 people at a special price, please visit www.1nightstaywithlocals.com or www.facebook.com/AorSorSocial/.

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Travel

Experience Phang Nga from a new perspective at Baan Sam Chong Nuea community

For any native or foreign tourist familiar with Thailand, the southern province of Phang Nga conjures up images of dramatic limestone cliffs rising out of the turquoise waters (forming Phang Nga Bay), as well as the region’s stunning network of mangrove-covered canals and tropical jungles. Plus, let’s not forget those picture-perfect, white-sanded beaches either!

This popular destination, however, can get quite busy in certain places where tour agencies bring boat-loads of visitors each day, especially in high season. So, to get away from it all, we recommend a “One Night Stay with Locals” trip to Baan Sam Chong Nuea Community – thanks to its remote location that still makes for a perfect launch pad for many of the bay’s must-visit sights.

Perhaps the highlight of this specially-curated “Extraordinary Experience” is the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see the sunrise over Phang Nga Bay (at dawn on day-two), with your local guide taking you out on a boat to a secluded viewpoint overlooking the glowing sun which slowly rises above the horizon.

But this trip to Baan Sam Chong Nuea is not only about the sun, sea and sand. Many of the activities are located mostly inland. Starting from the later hours of the morning, learn about the history of this fascinating community at the village’s main center, and kayak through the mangrove forests and swamps while helping out with afforestation at the same time.

The afternoon of the first day provides an invaluable opportunity to learn more about the local villagers, farmers and fishermen’s way of life and how they earn income in this remote region. This involves checking out a shrimp paste-making demonstration, trying your hand at fabric tie-dyeing and observing traditional fishing techniques which use floating baskets, as well as visit a fresh oyster farm (with tasting, of course!)

Apart from the early morning sunrise trip (which is optional for the late-risers), even more adventure around the bay is booked for day-two. Hop into a long-tail boat – locally known as ‘hua tong’ – and observe the stunning beauty of Phang Nga Bay. Along the way, your expert local guide will take you to Petch Pakarang Cave, where you can walk up to discover the highest point for a bird’s-eye view. The scenery of Khao Phing Kan, Khao Tapu, Lod Cave, and Punyee Island is all incredible, making this long trip south (and back again) worth the extra effort.

After a short cruise back to your Baan Sam Chong Nuea homestay, it’s time to pack up your bags and bid farewell to your hosts – until next time!

To learn more about “One Night Stay with Locals” in Thailand or to book a trip for up to 10 people at a special price, please visit www.1nightstaywithlocals.com or www.facebook.com/AorSorSocial/.

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