Month: September 2018

The southern province of Yala offers tourists the chance to beat the crowds and truly get away from it all. This “One Night Stay with Locals” takes you to a location known as the ‘Chulaporn Pattana 9 Tourism Community’, which offers a comfortable homestay-style accommodation, amenities and other onsite learning activities. It’s also a great base to explore some of the region’s most popular attractions, including waterfalls, nature reserves and mountain trails.

The starting point of this “Extraordinary Experience” in Yala is at Sapan Kwaen, which roughly translates to the ‘hanging bridge’. This marks the gateway into the forest, where you’ll be following a nature path through to a waterfall in the morning.

After stopping for lunch, continue on foot to the beautiful Halasa Waterfall while watching out for all of the wildlife along the way. Your guide will be able to help you hear (and hopefully see) some rare hornbills that nest in this forest. At the waterfall, you’ll be greeted with crystal clear waters cascading down from the top of the limestone cliffs – from a height of over 100 meters. The waterfall is located inside one of Yala’s tropical forests called the Hala-bala Wildlife Reserve, which is home to an abundance of wildlife.

After your morning and mid-afternoon adventures come to a close, you’ll be able to escape the heat and soak up some culture at the Malayan Communist Party Historical Museum, before heading back to the community for dinner and a well-earned rest at your homestay.

On the morning of the second day, head out with the guide early, making your way up to a lofty lookout point atop Khao Hin Yok. From here, you’ll be able to observe the sea of mist that rises above the rainforest – with the songbirds and other sounds of the jungle acting as Yala’s natural alarm clock.

Following this, it’s back to base for breakfast, then pack your bags and say goodbye to your friendly local 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/.

This “One Night Stay with Locals” takes you to Phetchaburi province, just a 2-3-hour car or bus ride from Bangkok. Most people who come to Phetchaburi for their holidays are local Thais looking for a relaxing escape from the hustle and bustle of the capital for a few days – which generally involves booking a hotel in one of the province’s popular seaside hotels or resorts.

However, this carefully-curated trip takes you well off Phetchaburi’s beaten path, and into the local community of Baan Laem Pak Bia.

This quaint community is situated close to the banks of the Phetchaburi River, which means that there is an abundance of seafood to be caught – and eaten – right on your doorstep, including mullet, crab, shrimp, and other shellfish.

Kick off your “Extraordinary Experience” at Baan Laem Pak Bia with a warm welcome into the community, which comprises some storytelling, local herbal drinks and snacks.

Once suitably refreshed, the day’s main activities begin with several agricultural demonstrations and visits, such as checking out how the locals sell and grow sea grapes, a stop off at a hydroponics vegetable farm and observing a blue crab fishery bank demonstration and fish market.

During the afternoon, one of the highlights of this trip to Phetchaburi awaits with a boat tour along the shoreline, providing an excellent opportunity to observe the chilled-out way of life of the local fishermen. When you stop off at a sandy beach, you can also collect some of the pretty shells to keep as your own personal souvenirs – or take them back home for friends and family (just don’t tell them that their gift was free…)

Afterward, the boat tour will take you back to your community homestay for dinner, which includes a show (with karaoke, too!), before you bed down for the night in Phetchaburi.

Wake up lazily in the following morning for a relaxed breakfast before heading off with your guide for more fun activities close to the Baan Laem Pak Bia community. Observe a tie-dyeing demonstration followed by a Thai dessert-making session. Before lunch, try your hand at basket-making using narrow-leaf cattail or lesser bulrush.

One of the highlights of this trip is scheduled for the afternoon of day-two. Your guide will take you straight to the recommended ‘Laem Pak Bia Royal Project’, which is a water treatment project that uses natural processes to maintain mangrove forests. You’ll be able to learn all about this fascinating project, as well as the highly-technical methods that go into preserving the local mangroves – one of Thailand’s most iconic natural plants. At the center, there are also some world-class bird-watching opportunities for the avian enthusiasts out there.

On the way back, stop off and browse for some hard-to-find local community products at some shops. Once you arrive back at the community homestay, it’s time to pack your belongings, bid farewell to your hosts and head back home.

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/.

One of Southern Thailand’s most unique canal-side communities awaits on this “One Night Stay with Locals” in Trang province. ‘Bo Hin’ is the name of the farm stay where you will be based, which provides surprisingly comfortable, waterside accommodation for groups of eight or more people.

Once you have arrived at the homestay, one of the first things that you will notice is the array of floating baskets that are bobbing on top of the water nearby. These have been made and set by the local villagers in order to catch fresh seafood that passes along the waterways linked to the sea.

After arriving in Trang in the morning,  you’ll reach the Boh Hin community and homestay just after midday. The first activity on your agenda is to take a local boat out to the region’s lush mangrove forests to discover the unique ecosystem in this part of Thailand, especially along the Sikao Canal.

For those who are seeking a little R&R after their long trip south, a mud spa at a nearby saltwater hot spring is the perfect remedy for tired feet and legs. During the latter part of the afternoon in Trang, you’ll travel to Boon Kong Bay, which is surrounded by dramatic limestone mountain ridges and cliffs. Next, you and your group can head out with a local guide into the open sea; your destination is Lor Lor Island where you can have fun on the pretty strip of sand, as well as swim in the lukewarm waters off the coast. After your fill of island fun, it’s back to Kep Tawan Beach to watch the sunset over the ocean.

By the time you have arrived back from your sea adventure, it’s time for dinner in the community, which includes freshly-cooked seafood plucked straight from those floating baskets (which you may have noticed near to your homestay). After dinner, take part in a knowledge exchange with the community and then enjoy some leisure time before bed.

Speaking of bed… you might want to set your alarm clocks early so that you can get up in time to see the sunrise above Sikao Bay – which is right in front of the accommodation. Afterward, an all-inclusive breakfast is served onsite.

During the rest of the morning, you’ll have time to learn more about the traditional way of life of the local community that surrounds you. For example, there is a chance to observe the community’s seafood processing facility at ‘Pla Kem Kang Moong Group’ and at ‘Teoi Panan Basketry Group’, you’ll learn how to make handmade baskets using extracted taken from the local Teoi Panun trees.

Around lunchtime, head back to the community to bid farewell to your local hosts and head home – marking the end of this “Extraordinary Experience” in Thailand’s southern Trang Province.

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/.

From southern provinces that you may already be familiar with such as Phang Nga and Chumphon, to the more remote northern provinces of Lampang, Nan and many more, 13 destinations have been carefully chosen by Thailand travel experts as part of this newly-launched “One Night Stay with Locals” project. Not only are these villages very remote (meaning you will beat the crowds even in high season), there is also a huge variety of community-focused activities available, such as getting your hands dirty picking fruit in orchids with the locals, taking tractor rides through the jungle to waterfalls or heading out on fishermen’s boats to find the catch of the day!

Spanning across four provinces (Lampang, Chiang Rai and Nan) there are four different communities to visit in the north of Thailand as part of this One Night Stay with Locals program – each one as fascinating as the next. Tucked away in the mountains of Lampang, there is the chance to go miang leaf picking with the locals at Baan Pa Miang, as well as learn how to make (and eat) the popular dish using this produce. Neighboring Chiang Rai province has two destinations to choose from: the laidback Pangha Homestay near the border with Myanmar where you can learn all about the Tai Lue people and the old-age craftsmanship, or Baan Tha Khan Tong, a thriving community next to the Mae Kong River that combines elements of Isaan and Lanna culture. To truly get away from it all, Nan province’s Sila Petch village feels like it is in the middle of nowhere, yet there are still plenty of friendly locals to show you around the area and guide you through the forests to a waterfall.

In addition, Baan Khiri Wong Kot in the northeast of the country (Udon Thani) lets you experience a true taste of Isaan – especially the deliciously spicy food, rural countryside and famously friendly Isaan hospitality from the locals.

Tourists also flock to Thailand’s southern provinces for the beaches, boat rides and adventure activities. At our handpicked southern communities, you can still experience all of this and more – just with none of the crowds. For example, at Phang Nga’s hidden Baan Sam Chong Nuea community there’s a chance to explore swamps and mangrove forests with a local fisherman while helping to afforest the area. At Pa Tew (Bang Son) in Chumphon, most of your time will also be spent on the water while eating as much seafood as you can, rafting and spotting fireflies in the evening.

Other local communities waiting to be discovered are located in the less-frequently visited provinces of Phatthalung and Yala. These include the stunning Tamod Community where you can join in with a range of sufficiency economy educational activities, as well as kayaking and taking in the sunset over the reservoir, while Yala’s Chulaporn Pattana 9 Tourism Community boasts a gorgeous combination of forests, mountains and rivers.

Other choices of local communities that you can visit includes Bo Hin Farm Stay in Trang, Phrom Lok in Nakorn Si Thammarat, Laem Pak Bia in Petchaburi and Laem Klat in Trat.

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/.

Stretching 400km across of a remote section of the ‘Thai Highlands’, the Phee Pan Nam Mountain range is home to dense tropical forests, sandstone peaks that rise above the clouds, and networks of gushing streams feeding some of Thailand’s major rivers. A particular point of interest in this unique area is the people who live here almost hidden away from the rest of the world, allowing their traditional cultures and ways of life to remain preserved.

One such community of local villagers can be found at Baan Pa Miang, which is comprised of a small collection of homes and simple shops surrounded by the lush Miang forest and a coffee plantation. This 2 day / 1 night trip takes you into the heart of this friendly community, which is located in Thailand’s Lampang province.

Surrounded by greenery in all directions, life at Baan Pa Miang revolves around the forest, which gets its name from the abundance of miang leaves that grow here; these are collected and used to make miang kham – a type of northern Thai snack that roughly translates into ‘one bite wrap’ (due to the fact that you can eat the little parcel all in one go!) While visiting the village, you’ll have the chance to wander through this majestic forest to find some miang leaves of your own before heading back to base to discover how to wrap, prepare and – most importantly – eat this local delicacy, which is normally filled with spices, herbs, nuts and dried shrimp.

Another community-based activity takes you to see a nearby coffee plantation that grows and sells Arabica-style coffee beans. Discover how local villagers have mastered the art of coffee growing and pick up a bag of these richly-flavored beans to take home – or grab a cup for an afternoon energy boost. It’s then back to the village to enjoy a traditional ‘Bai Sri Su Kwan’ ceremony before dinner and music with your friendly hosts.

As well as trekking through the forest, you’ll also be able to literally rise above it. The morning of the second day presents another “Extraordinary Experience” to see the sunrise and misty clouds at Giew Fin. Here, the spectacular views stretch across Lampang and into neighboring Chiang Mai province from the very top of the Phee Pan Nam Mountain Range.

If you’re planning on visiting Baan Pa Miang in the winter, green isn’t the only color you’ll see covering the countryside. The colder months from January to March are when the region’s orchid trees begin to blossom, with bright white flowers making this little hillside village even prettier. This time of year also coincides with the local ‘Bauhinia’ vegetarian festival… just remember to bring some warm clothes to stay snug at night during your One Night Stay with Locals!

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/.

Nakorn Si Thammarat is one of southern Thailand’s seaside provinces, situated on the east coast of the Malay Peninsular with much of its coastline overlooking the Gulf of Thailand.  The community of Baan Phrom Lok, tucked near the Phrom Lok Waterfall at Khao Luang, is known for their outstanding practice of growing fruits and vegetables chemical-free, and their beautiful scenery on the highest point of the southern region of Thailand.

Meet the friendly folk of Baan Phrom Lok community upon arrival before proceeding to learn about village’s hybrid agriculture system called as ‘Suan Somarom’. This method of sustainable farming involves growing organic fruit and vegetables without the use of any chemicals. The best way to appreciate how the locals grow and harvest their crops here is by physically getting into the surrounding fields and plantations for a closer look!

The afternoon of the first day provides time to walk through the nearby forests, inspect the locally grown produce, including special herbs to treat venom, as well as plenty of delicious fresh vegetable which are both consumed and sold by the farmers.

Even though Nakorn Si Thammarat is a seaside province, the activities on this trip mostly involve inland adventures, such as hiking through a forest that leads to the highest mountain in the region. Once you’re close to the summit, the foliage at this higher altitude is the home to many ancient ferns and plants, referred to locally as the ‘cloud forest’. Along the way, you can stop off at the village’s namesake Phrom Lok Waterfall for a quick dip or take some Insta-worthy photos.

After your mini-hike through the forests of Nakorn Si Thammarat, you’ve earned a well-earned rest and a hearty dinner – so it’s back to the village to get further acquainted with your hosts and the homestay for your “One Night Stay with Locals”. As dusk closes in, you can also participate in a fun ‘batik’ fabric making class and learn how to make (and eat) local snacks after dinner.

An exciting morning is in store on day-two at Phrom Lok community. Rise early just after dawn for an invigorating bike ride through the village to the local morning market where you can have a quick look around for a bite to eat or souvenirs to take back home. It’s then back for breakfast in the village, ready to take on the day’s main activity: a tour to a local rubber plantation where you’ll learn about rubber tapping, as well as a visit to a mushroom farm, and craftsmanship demonstration teaching you how to make household brooms from grass.

Before lunch, there’s time to squeeze in a visit to Wat Khao Khun Panom and Tak Fah Cave, following the trail of King Taksin who covered the same route hundreds of years ago. After your sightseeing fill for the day, it’s back to the homestay for one last time to enjoy a leisurely lunch and witness the ‘Manorah’ dance – rounding off your “Extraordinary Experience” in Phrom Lok, Nakorn Si Thammarat.

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/.

Venture right in the heart of the wilderness of Nan province, with this “One Night Stay with Locals” at Sila Petch community. While tourists may flock to nearby Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai in their millions, Nan province promises just as spectacular scenery, with mountains, jungles, rice paddies, wide rivers and cascading waterfalls all to see – just not as many other people to run into!

Many of the local villagers here at Sila Petch are of Tai Lue origin, an ethnic group mostly spread over Southern China and Laos. Upon arrival, learn more about their unique traditions and way of life, which stretches back hundreds of years, with a welcome ceremony and introduction to the community.

One of the best ways to learn more about a culture is to participate it yourself, and you’ll have the chance to do that by trying your hand at some Tai Lue weaving at a local knowledge center. Other fun and educational activities planned for your afternoon in Nan include picking local vegetables at a farm and inspecting the rice paddies the sit in the foothills of the famous Luang Phra Bang Mountains.

After returning to the Sila Petch community in the evening, soak up even more culture as you experience a traditional Bai Sri Su Kwan ceremony, Sa Lo So Sueng Show and Tai Lue dance. This is all before one of the highlights of your “Extraordinary Experience” in Nan – enjoying a northern-style ‘Khantoke’ dinner that involves sitting in a circle and sharing a range of small dishes together with your hosts, including fresh vegetables, spicy dips, grilled meats, sticky rice and herbal sausage.

Your homestay for the night is in the style of an old-age Tai Lue house, with the sounds of the nearby river creating a peaceful atmosphere as you fall asleep. Don’t go to bed too late though, as the next morning you’ll need to wake up at 6.00am for a visit to a local market and then a merit-making session (the monks from a nearby temple walk in procession in front of your homestay).

You’ll need a hearty breakfast of own, as the rest of the morning is packed with more activities. After visiting the Sufficient Economy Learning Center, your mini-hike through the forest and to Sila Petch waterfalls begins! Pass Luang Pho Phu Kha Shrine, Bo Namthip, Stone Bridge and Mon Lue Si, learning more about the surrounding nature and community’s history as you go. By the time you reach the waterfall, it’s more food awaits (lunch), with the chance to cool off in the refreshing water before heading back.

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/.

Thailand’s southern Phatthalung province is generally overlooked by tourists, who tend to opt for neighboring Trang or the holiday hotspots of Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga. And while this province may not boast any real beaches, there is still plenty to discover both on and off the water that runs through intertwining streams throughout the rugged landscape.

Your homestay for the night on this “One Night Stay with Locals” trip is located in the old Tamod Community, which is tucked away out of sight in the Buntad Mountain Range and near Thale Noi. The mountains and adjacent river produce some stunning scenery, which you’ll be exploring via road and kayak. The community is also well-known locally for how it uses past knowledge from floods to create suitable water management systems, which you can learn all about on this trip.

Arrive relatively early on day-one at ‘Lhad Ton Sai’ – the name of your homestay in the Tamod community. After getting acquainted with some of the friendly southern locals (and trying to understand their unique regional dialect), you head off again to pay respect to Pho Tun Chuay at Wat Tamod temple with the chance to try some tasty (and a bit smelly) fried durian at the nearby clean-energy OTOP center.

After lunch, learn more about the community’s endeavors to create a sufficient agricultural economy. This is before another “Extraordinary Experience” of the trip – kayaking along the river until dusk falls, when it’s time to watch stunning the sunset at Kuan Ta Kom (or over the reservoir). To round off a memorable evening in Phatthalung, enjoy dinner together and head back to your quaint homestay for some sleep.

In fact, you’ll probably want to hit the pillow quite early, because the early morning of day-two presents an opportunity you won’t want to miss: seeing the sun rise and the sea of morning mist rise over the mountains like a silky white blanket. This is from a lookout point at Kuan Ta Kom.

By the time you’re back down, breakfast is served at around 8.00am before heading out for more community-focused activities. These include a trip to the Apis Cerena Knowledge Center, learning how to make crispy rotis (one of the all-time favorite Southern Thai snacks) and lunch ‘Krua Roi Sai’ style at Lhad Ton Sai.

Before heading home, there is time in the afternoon to participate in a knowledge-building activity at Soon Ruam Jai Song Sasana as well squeeze in a refreshing visit to Lan Mom Jui Waterfall to beat the heat.

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/.

Life in Chiang Rai’s quiet “Baan Tha Khan Thong” community revolves around the nearby Mae Kong, the world-famous river that marks the border between Thailand and neighboring Laos towards the north. As a result, many of the fun and educational activities that await you here on this “One Night Stay with Locals” trip are based on (or close to) the water. For example, there’s a chance to take a boat trip out on the river to admire the majestic scenery from a different perspective, with the green rice paddies and steep mountains forming a picturesque backdrop.

There’s also plenty of things to do and see on dry land, with this sleepy village being home to Sacha Inchi tea making, cotton weaving, and brown rice milling. You’ll be able to learn all about these traditional agricultural practices directly from the locals, who are happy to share their knowledge and let you get your own hands dirty by helping out, too.

Of course, one of the best things about going on an adventure to a new place in Thailand is the food, and on this trip you’ll be discovering many exotic flavors and exciting northern dishes that are hard to find anywhere else in the country. Some of the culinary highlights that Baan Tha Khan Thong promises include grilled sticky rice and pumpkin with egg, parm pla, jaew bong, and fresh vegetables. A traditional Khantoke dinner is also served up for dinner, which consists of a variety of Northern Thai dishes arranged together on a short, round table with spicy dips, sticky rice and more fresh vegetables; it’s the perfect way “Experience the Extraordinary” Lanna cuisine while socializing and exchanging thoughts with your friendly hosts.

As well as the delicious menu, the evening provides the chance for visitors to soak up this unique community’s culture, which is a colorful hybrid of Isaan (Northeastern Thailand, which is where many of the villagers originate from) and Lanna (the local word describing Northern Thai culture). This fusion can be witnessed in the form of art, with Bai Sri Su Kwan and Hae Khan Toke ceremonies, showcasing their vibrant clothing styles, music and forms of dance.

After heading off to bed (with a full stomach), you’ll wake up the next morning in your charming homestay with the fresh breeze blowing over from the nearby river. There’s some more time in the morning for a leisurely breakfast and further knowledge exchanges with your hosts before bidding farewell to Baan Tha Khan Thong and Thailand’s most-northern province, Chiang Rai.

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/.

This actioned packed “One Night Stay with Locals” promises adventure, fun activities and lots of deliciously spicy food (this is Isaan, after all!) The journey takes you up to the northeastern corner of Thailand to Udon Thani province, where you’ll carry on deep into the forest until you reach a mountainside community known as “Baan Kiri Won Kot”.

The friendly locals will be waiting to give you a warm welcome into their homes, as well as show you around the village and provide a ceremony to mark the beginning of your stay. Now, the adventure really starts with a tractor tour of the nearby rice paddies and jungle, before making your way to a nearby waterfall for lunch and perhaps a dip in the refreshing water.

The afternoon provides an opportunity to learn more about the Baan Kiri Won Kot community, and how the locals live and make money off the land and natural resource available to them. For instance, there’s time for a lively fruit picking session at a nearby orchid and you can stop by one of the many shops along the route back to pick up some local souvenirs to take back for your own friends and family.

Before bedding down for the night in your rustic but comfortable homestay accommodation, your hosts will treat you to another ceremony showcasing their unique northeastern Thai culture. You won’t go to bed with an empty stomach, either, as a traditional ‘Palang’-style dinner is served up, including many vibrant Isaan dishes you probably know and love – as well as some you may never have tried before! This style of eating involves sitting in a circle on mats on the floor, which is a great way for you to get to know more about the local villagers and exchange ideas as you tuck into dishes such as grilled chicken, somtam, sticky rice, grilled fish, and dill soup cooked inside bamboo.

After a good night’s rest, make sure you set your alarm clock early, as you don’t want to miss seeing the morning mist rise over the mountains. You’ll be heading up on the tractor to a viewpoint to catch the sunrise and the sea of clouds cover the jungle down below. It’s the perfect way to start the morning while sipping a cup of locally brewed coffee, rounding off this truly Extraordinary Experience in Udon Thani.

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/.