Activities

• Homestay Experience
• Savannah Walk
• Sea Grass Tour
• Visit Pre-tsunami Pak Jok Village
• Making Squid Traps
• Fishing Trip
• Tie Dyeing

Homestay Experience

Previously, several families opened up their homes to Naucrates' volunteers. These families have now come together to form an official homestay group to manage their activities and improve their services. Guests have their own private room, complete with all the basics for a comfortable night's sleep. Meals are prepared by the host family and consist of traditional Thai curries and stir fries. You can't get fresher seafood, with most crab, squid, shrimp and fish coming straight from the boat onto the table for your culinary pleasure.

- (Homestay including three meals:  530 Baht)

Savannah Walk

Take a local tractor to the savannah (golden grass fields) while enjoy the picturesque setting along the way of the rising morning sun that showcases deer footprints and foliage. At the savannah you will observe a magnificent landscape surrounded by a freshwater swamp forest. Melaleuca trees with their peeling paper- like-bark are scattered throughout the area. In the dry season, the savannah turns a golden color, especially when reflected by the setting sun. Sundew is one of many interesting plants found here because it has trap for insects to fall into which provides the plant with nutrients. The golden grass field of the savannah is a rare landscape in Thailand.

Exertion level: easy
Duration: 2 hours in the early morning or evening

Sea Grass Tour

Sea grass beds provide the staple diet for turtles, dugongs and other marine life. A walk to the beach offers education about the rich biodiversity of sea grass and marine animals. You will enjoy stunning scenery, an abundance of wildlife, and learn from the village guides.

Exertion level: easy
Duration: 2 hours during low tide

Visit Pre-tsunami Pak Jok Village

Pak Jok was once a thriving fishing village. It was completely destroyed by the tsunami of 2004, leaving only a concrete road and the bases of a few buildings. A visit to the pre-tsunami village is a sobering reminder of the force of Mother Nature and the power of the wave that claimed so many lives. Your local guide will provide an insight into that fateful day and explain how tsunami recovery efforts re-housed villagers into different villages both on the island and back on the mainland. The village is a short walk from the beach, an ideal location to watch a stunning Andaman sunset.

Exertion level: easy
Duration: 2 hours

Making Squid Traps

Many of the villagers make their living from the sea and squid is a popular catch. The large squid traps are put out to sea, marked with colourful flags, and then hauled in after a day or two. The fishermen make their own traps and you'll see them stacked up throughout the village and on long-tail boats. You can learn how the fishermen make their traps by making your own one under the watchful eye of the villagers and local guide. Use this hands-on activity to talk to the fishermen, as they are keen to share their way of life with visitors. Don't be shy to ask questions; an interested and inquisitive guest is a great guest!

Exertion level: easy
Duration: 1 hour

Fishing Trip

You'll begin with a scenic long-tail boat trip to a nearby seashore. Using their expert knowledge, your guides will help you learn to fish like a local. Relax on the journey. Who knows, you may even bring back a fresh meal to cook with your homestay host.

Exertion level: easy
Duration: 2 hours, dependent on tides

Tie Dyeing

This is great opportunity to see how a community works together while supporting the village. The tie-dye process involves three steps: preparing the materials in which the dye is produced, the dyeing itself, and creating unique and intricate patterns. All the materials (apart from the cloth) are sourced locally, including the leaves: the Deer Ear Tree or Tropical almond and the leaves of Gra Tok Lok or wild passion fruit. The process also requires Rhizophoza mucronata bark and melaleuca plants — these produce the colours of the tie-dye. Take home a souvenir! By purchasing these beautiful, intracate, and reasonably-priced garments you're helping support Ban Lion's cultural and conservation efforts.

Exertion level: easy
Duration: 3 hours