Explore Thailand 2015

Kiriwong Village

Nestled at the foot of Khao Luang mountain range in Thailand’s South is Baan Kiriwong, which translated means the village surrounded by mountains.  It’s just a short flight from Bangkok but a world away from its hustle and bustle.

There’s something very peaceful about this village, surrounded by mountains and with clear clean waterfalls. However,Kiri Wong is known not just for its natural beauty but for its people.

The people of Kiriwong have maintained a simple and traditional way of life and it’s worth spending some time here. Why?  Some of the best experiences you can have travelling are when you go beyond the typical tourist spots and see how the locals live.

One of the first things you’ll notice here is the number of fruit orchards. For over 200 years, Kiriwong’s families have been practicing a system of fruit farming known as suan som som, passing it from generation to generation, planting mixed orchards using carefully selected wild seeds from the nearby jungle.

During fruit season, there is such an abundance of new tastes to discover here in Kiriwong. Fruits like Durian, mangosteen and jackfruit but also those beautiful flavours you associate with Thai cooking like coconut and ginger.

The best way to get a true taste of Thai food and a glimpse into life in the village is to homestay with a local family for just 100 baht a night (about AU$4 a night). It’s part of a program of sustainable tourism to empower the community put in place after devastating floods destroyed hundreds of homes in the late 1980s.

The experience of the flood has made the people of Kiriwong incredibly resilient and self sufficient, even dying their own clothes using plants and bark they get from the land. The people of Kiriwong uses finely chopped jackfruit for the colour yellow, the brilliant orange comes from mangosteen and the colour brown from the bark of the Ku Kuang shrub.

The pigments come out in boiling water with the fabric left to simmer for a couple of hours but they use a method of folding the fabric with bamboo pegs and when its dry you’ll see it comes out with a beautiful floral print. Not only is it 100 per cent natural but you can guarantee each piece is uniquely different; you won’t get that at any high street chain stores.

While there’s plenty to experience in the village, you must also take in the national park which includes Southern Thailand’s highest peak at over 1800 metres -- the rich diversity of the rainforest, misty peaks and gushing streams are simply stunning.

For more information, visit www.tourismthailand.org