Thailand: Marine and Rainforest Service

Arrive at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) where you’ll meet your Rustic Pathways Flight Leader who will help get you checked in and through security before traveling with your group to Thailand. Get acquainted with fellow Rustic travelers before boarding your flight.

We lose this day crossing the International Date Line. Don’t worry though because we get it back on the return flight.

Sawat dee kha and welcome to Thailand! Meet the rest of your group and hop on a quick afternoon flight to Krabi in Southern Thailand. Relax with a swim in the pristine ocean, the perfect cure for jet lag, and enjoy delicious Thai seafood caught right off the coast. Settle into the rhythm of life on Thailand’s majestic Andaman Coast.

Take a boat to the seaside village that will be your home for the next four nights. Tour the village, meet the elders and learn about the bountiful marine ecosystem offshore that provides a sustainable living for the locals. Settle into your homestay and help the fisherman set crab traps in the afternoon before returning for a group dinner and games.

Live and work alongside the locals in a traditional fishing village . Each day you will start early, setting crab traps with the villagers before returning to participate in ongoing marine conservation projects to preserve the fragile marine resources offshore . Help restore the mangrove forest by planting seedlings at the mouth of the estuary. Learn how to make traditional Batik fabrics using wax and dyes to produce intricate patterns, and make delicious traditional Thai desserts.

Rise early with the village fishermen to collect the crab traps that you set the day before and return for breakfast. After a hearty meal, roll up your sleeves and start the day making concrete fish houses onshore, which will be placed offshore as an artificial reef to increase fish habitat. Work in the village seagrass nursery and then kayak along the coastline to learn about how Ban Mot Tanoi village restores local seagrass beds to make habitat for the diverse sea creatures that support this rich aquatic ecosystem. This is one of the few remaining habitats in Asia for the endangered dugong as well as countless other marine species. Plant seagrass seedlings and keep a sharp eye out for the elusive dugongs.

Hop in longtail boats and meander through the mangroves of the Trang estuary to a nearby limestone cave formation that was once a pirate hideout! Explore the cave and learn about the limestone karst formations that dominate the geography of Southeast Asia. Relax on the beach in the afternoon and then enjoy your final night in Ban Mot Tanoi with a beachside farewell BBQ feast.

Journey North to Krabi province and team up with the local ecologists to learn about efforts to preserve and restore Thailand’s Southern forests. This is a complicated process which needs to account for specific environmental factors and plant phenology. The team has developed their own Framework Tree method, which uses specific fast growing, native tree species to get a canopy in place that will attract pollinators and seed dispersers.
Help the team in the nursery, sprouting, potting, and planting a host of native tree species before a lunchtime swim in a spring-fed emerald pool. Head to a nearby private reforested area in the afternoon to learn about individual citizens efforts to restore the lowland rainforest before driving north to the beachside paradise of Ao Nang.

Hop in an iconic long tail boat for ay long adventure exploring the tropical archipelago and limestone spires that rise above the ocean off of Ao Nang’s coast. Lay out on pristine white sand beaches and snorkel amongst the colorful cornucopia of Thailand’s vast coral reef systems. Head back to Ao Nang in the afternoon for beachtime and a brilliant sunset to cap off a day on the high seas.

Travel by van into the mountainous spine of the Malay Peninsula to Khao Sok National Park. The park is home to diverse flora and fauna that inhabit the dense jungle covering towering cliffs and mountains. Take a night hike with guides to learn about one of the world’s oldest tropical rainforests and the nocturnal life that explodes into action once the sun goes down. Finish the day with a bonfire, BBQ, s’mores, and live music from a local guitarist.

Pack a lunch and head out on the trail head and uip the Khao Sok river trail to explore one of Thailand’s most pristine rainforest. Along the way, local guides will point out the many unique species endemic to this rainforest that are found nowhere else in SE Asia. On your way back explore the river to catch and learn more about the amazing insects that use the watershed as a home and breeding ground. Finish up with a campfire and dinner under the stars.

Spend the day touring the aquamarine water wonderland that is Cheow Lan Lake. Take longtail boats deep into the heart of the lake’s vast complex of cliff-lined bays and inlets. Swim in the refreshing water and hike through lush rainforests. Be on the lookout for many unique and endemic species that are found only in this natural paradise.

Say goodbye to the lush mountain forests of Khao Sok and continue your journey northwards to the beautiful beach of Khao Lak. Check in to the hotel and explore the beautiful beach as the sun sets.

Wax your board and head into the gentle surf for a morning surf lesson. The sandy bottom beach and easy rolling waves makes this the ideal place to learn the secrets of catching a wave as the instructors give you tips on how to balance on your board and paddle into the wave. As you get more comfortable you can start to practice your bottom turn and hang your toes on the nose.

Give thanks to the beautiful marine environment that you have called home for the past 2 weeks and do your part to keep the coastline pristine with a beach clean up. Learn about the issue of plastic waste in the ocean and what locals are doing to combat the problem as you comb the beach and find all sorts of interesting items that wash up in addition to plastic, there are all sorts of shells and organisms that make this dynamic tidal habitat their home. Finish up with a final dinner and reflection on your last night in Southern Thailand.

Your Program Leaders will take you to the airport for a flight to Bangkok for your connecting flight home or to your next Rustic program as you say goodbyes and reflect on your adventure.
If you’re staying in Thailand, your Program Leaders will take you to your next accommodation to meet your new group. If you’re continuing on to another Rustic Pathways destination, you’ll board a connecting flight to that country.