Relative to progress here with NATR & Andaman Discoveries, I continue to spend a majority of my efforts towards website and search engine optimization. While we have a great website, we are trying to make it more available to potential visitors. Google AdWords has generated some visits but more importantly been extremely valuable in providing great analysis for successful keywords, referral sources, visitor demographics, site navigation, etc. We have done some outreach/brochure-drops to partners in nearby tourist areas, but we invest more effort into viral marketing (travel hosts, forums, blogs, word-of-mouth-grassroots-goodness). If you have any suggestions on virtual neighborhoods we should be targeting, please let me know!

We continue to get inquiries for ‘voluntourism.’ While we currently provide a responsible travel option, many outgoing types are also looking to ‘do something’ while traveling. Ya, sounds familiar. So, we are developing programs catered to this voluntourist ranging from a few days of participating with existing village responsibilities to longer term research/monitoring projects. I spent a couple days last week in the village of Tung Dap for an R&D trip.

Tung Dap is a village we have supported on a project level but it is not one of the villages where we currently offer homestays. There are fifty people living in Tung Dap and they all contribute to the community’s sustenance. The lack of a CBT committee and associated tourism expectations was quite refreshing and it was apparent that this village is still collaborating at a roots level. I talked with two women who were gutting the fish from the morning’s catch. Through some chicken dancing and Thainglish, I was able to determine that the ~25 kilograms of fish would be salted, hung to dry, and distributed to all the families of the village evenly.

I had a great experience in all the activities I helped in: picking up garbage with the schoolchildren, making squid traps with the fishermen for the next morning’s mission, and fishing in a fresh water pond with my host Nu. While I struggled at grabbing the fish under water with my hands, I did learn to throw the net. To see more photos of my trip, click here.

In terms of recreation and social life, it seems the last month’s theme has been dinner parties. With volunteers coming and going and new homes to constantly warm, it is not hard to find an excuse to all get together. One weekend we visited Jeab’s uncle’s property which borders a stream and national park land. Last weekend, I had a great paddle off the beach of Ban Talae Nok and into an estuary full of mangroves. The amount of mangrove habitat along this coast continues to amaze me. Enjoying the constant breeze and hence ability to do it in this heat, I continue to bicycle around Kuraburi but will need to step up the training soon for the Himalaya return trip in spring.

Oh, and how could I forget…The Rainbow Gathering. I had heard of these hippy fests back at home, but never really knew much about them. We happen to be located just 15 kilometers from this year’s “World Gathering.” Starting on a new moon and lasting one full lunar cycle, the event usually peaks in attendance around the full moon. So sure enough, a group of us headed out for that particular night and had a great time of being “welcomed home.”

Core to its peace and happiness mission, the gathering boasts a no-drug/no-alcohol policy. I really admired this and it made it much easier to engage in real conversation rather than just chaotic-counter-culture-expression I expect at large communal events. After a couple different overnight visits, I left feeling a little mixed. It was a great example of efficient communal living, encouraging acceptance and learning, and consisting mainly of good-willed people. But there was a large group of these “idealists” who appear to shelter their beliefs in their own small circles rather than taking them to more real world scenarios.

Labels: Kuraburi, sustainable tourism, Thailand