A Community that is Thriving after the Tsunami

The story of Ban Talae Nok is a story of a Muslim people living near the sea, the men fishing mostly at night just off shore and returning in the morning and the women weaving nipa palm roofing, processing cashew nuts and harvesting shrimp to make fermented shrimp paste. The Mosque serves as a community center for community social events. Until the 1970's, the area around Ban Tale Nok was heavily forested and people depended upon tropical and mangrove forests for food, building materials and fuel. Uncontrolled harvesting of tropical forest resources has severely affected the eco-system and the villager livelihood. Today the villagers realize the importance of conserving these resources. The village has a conservation forest that you can hike through and a mangrove forest conservation and re-forestation project. When the tsunami struck on the morning of 26 Dec 2004, it took away numerous homes and the lives of 47 people including 16 children and their teacher. While there is nothing that can restore what was lost, the village has made a strong recovery with outside help. In addition to the traditional livelihoods, the village has embraced ecotourism as both a means to generate income as well as to preserve their culture and the environment around them. The Ecotourism Club of Ban Talae Nok hosts visitors from all over the world. You can come for a day or spend a month living with the villagers. In Ban Talae Nok you can a number of different activities with the local villagers. A local boatman will take you a tour of the mangrove forests and you can plant some mangrove trees to help with the reforestation. A wildlife sanctuary in the village welcomes visitors to learn about their projects and to learn about the animals that are there. A trek through the community forest gives a you glimpse into what the jungle around the village must have once been like. Spend a night on the sea with a fishing learning about the fish and the different fishing techniques they use. You can also learn the village handicrafts of Batik and soap making. Stay a day or stay a month in a homestay with a local family.