The Tausend family (pictured) shared a special reflection about their visit with their two children, ages four and eight:

“I will never forget the palm weaving activity. We walked up to this older woman's home. She was weaving palms on her front porch and invited us to join her. I was a bit worried about our four-year-old because I didn't know if this was something he would be able to do. The grandma was so patient and helped him the whole time -- with every step. She didn't speak a word of English, but her smile and nods of approval made our son’s face light up several times. What an incredible gift to us as a family, but especially to our little one!”

The hands-on, educational elements of Andaman Discoveries’ tours are one reason they have become so popular with families, including the two who joined us last month from the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. The Tausends are internationally-recognized photographers and maintain a blog full of interesting stories and exceptional photography where you can read in detail about the first and second day of their family tour.

The Hoyt family had a very different but equally special moment. Their son celebrated his 13th birthday with community members and a delicious cake provided by Andaman Discoveries, and he won’t likely forget the experience of having “Happy Birthday” sung to him by both his parents and his Thai host family! At the end of their homestay the family said, “The people are very gracious, the food is incredible and the children are as friendly as can be. While here, you won’t be looking at Thailand, you will be in Thailand.”