Rebecca and Peter of Wild Asia on a mangrove tour.

Andaman Discoveries has again been short-listed for Wild Asia’s responsible travel awards. This annual award was created to identify, share, and inspire best practices in tourism to encourage responsible operators and to promote the evolution of sustainable destinations in Asia. This month we were honored to host Rebecca Thomason and photographer Peter Walker for several days in Ban Talae Nok.

Rebecca, who visited last August as part of the Wild Asia selection committee, was impressed at the amount of progress the village has made in its commitment to community-based tourism. “It’s great to come back to Ban Talae Nok, a year after my first visit. Everyone seems more confident than before. There are more activities and the sense of pride the villagers have in the tourism initiative and their role in it is tangible. You have a phenomenal leader in Pink. Her work with the youth group is awesome. I’m sure with her as a role model the little band of ‘eco-warriors’ she’s creating will be become effective community leaders.”