Want to break away from tacky tourist attractions? KELLY MAY explains how community-based projects in post-tsunami villages, off the Andaman Sea, are offering real life experiences.

Written by Andaman Discoveries on 6 Aug 2007 with 0 comments. Be the first!

As the modern traveler becomes more sophisticated, they demand more than what the typical resort or hotel-style holiday can offer. They want a unique experience. Combine this with the chance to travel to exotic destinations off the beaten tourist track and you have the potential for a memorable trip.

'Volun-touring,' as it is known in the tourist industry, is an ideal way to experience authentic village life and really engage with the people who you are working and living with. It also gives people the chance to 'give something back' to the communities that they visit, much more than simply taking photographs or buying souvenirs. It also is based on 'real' and not 'perceived' needs of villagers.

Andaman Discoveries, just off the coast in Southern Thailand, allows socially conscious travelers to become actively engage in villages' community development process using the principals of Community-based Tourism (CBT). Stimulated by post-tsunami relief, past projects have included teaching English, hospitality training with homestay host families, light construction work, planting community gardens, beach clearance and mangrove forest restoration.

The North Andaman coast is an extraordinary region of ecological and cultural diversity and interest. Compared to other areas of natural beauty in the region, it is remarkably undeveloped and many communities still survive by their traditional livelihoods.

The Muslim, Buddhist, and Moken communities that live alongside each other here exude a warmth and generosity of spirit that is rare to find nowadays. Most villages along the coastal belt are predominantly fishing communities that survive on the bounty of the sea to which their fate is inextricably linked. On 26th December 2004 when the tsunami hit, these communities were devastated by its impact but their resilience and incredible recovery has become a source of inspiration to visitors.

"The local communities were openly welcoming and were pleased to involve me in their community," noted Helena, a recent volunteer. "I believe this positive reception was a direct result of the work ethic of Andaman Discoveries to empower the local people to develop sustainable projects that fit with their lifestyle and culture."

Each volun-tourism project requires both the support and input from villagers if it is to be sustainable and successful within the framework of CBT.

Volunteering is no longer just for students or people taking a professional break, people of all ages and backgrounds have something to offer, which can have positive consequences for communities. Even being a pretend 'pilot' tourist in villages developing CBT, can have real empowering results for the guides and homestay host families given the chance to put into action the skills they have learnt in training workshops.

A contribution to the village Community Fund, included in each trip, means that all villagers benefit from having volun-tourists and tourists in their community, not only those directly engaged in CBT.

Having volunteers and tourists in village provides encouragement to the villagers that CBT is a sustainable model with real economic benefits to the community. This reduces the need for villagers to leave the village in search of work in larger cities and the demands on the surrounding natural resources, allowing for environmental conservation.

The success of previous 'volun-tour' trips has highlighted the numerous benefits of well-managed and community-led 'volun-tours.' Such tours provide a chance for equal exchange between the 'host' and 'guest'. The existence of a community fund also allows the whole community to benefit, not only those people directly engaged in tourism.

If you want to discover a captivating part of Thailand and learn about traditional ways of life, then try out volun-touring and contribute to the conservation of this outstanding natural environment