Kiriwong Cultural Tour
Kiriwong village, situated in the cradle of the Khao Luang mountain range, in Nakhon Sri Thammarat Province, is renowned for its extraordinarily creative and resilient people and stunning natural beauty. Kiriwong’s history is an inspiring story of self-reliance, unity in the face of numerous challenges, and enduring commitment to a simple, traditional way of life.
Founded 300 years ago by thirteen families in a river valley on the southern edge of what is now Khao Luang National Park, Kiriwong has over 3000 inhabitants. For over 200 years, Kiriwong’s families have developed the ‘suan som som’ system of mixed fruit orchards by carefully selected wild seeds from the jungle and then planting various kinds of fruit trees, such as durian, coconut, mangosteen, jackfruit, banana and ginger. This unique local form of organic agro-forestry has been passed down through the generations, and mixes an astonishing number of flora within the same area. The benefits of maintaining biodiversity include soil renewal, nutrient cycling and thus consistently high yields of high quality fruits.
In 1988, Kiriwong was devastated by floods. This was a turning point in local environmental awareness. The community realized that expansion of their Suan Som Rom had contributed to the disaster, and even managed diversity of their mountain orchards couldn’t match the ability of the natural forest to protect the watershed. The need for more sustainable environmental management was clear. The Thai government encouraged the community to re-locate, but they were determined to stay, passing on their way of life to future generations.
Following the floods, Kiriwong community members worked closely with academics, NGOs and government. Together, the community and partners developed a variety of innovative ways to combine local wisdom, modern science and technical expertise to develop sustainable income sources. Their efforts were exceptionally successful. Now, over 20 small-scale community groups produce eco-friendly products including clothes made with natural-dyes from leaves and peels, herbal soaps, wooden handicrafts, and preserved forest fruits.
Kiriwong’s success brought an increase in the number of Thai visitors. Small numbers of foreign visitors also appeared occasionally, lured by trekking in the National Park. Community members were pleased to welcome guests, but concerned that tourism should be carefully organised. They approached Responsible Ecological Social Tours Project (REST), a Thai NGO specializing in Community-Based Tourism, to help them to develop the necessary skills, activities and organisation to manage tourism successfully and sustainably.
Guests are invited by ‘Kiriwong Community Based Tourism Club’ to stay in local homes, and join in daily activities together with host families and village guides. Potential ‘hands-on’ experiences include cultural exchange with local families; fruit-picking in the Suan Som Rom; learning to cook a jungle curry; trying ones’ hand at natural tie-dyeing; meeting the members of Kiriwong’s diverse Community Sustainable Income Generation Groups and admiring their products; or learning about Kiriwong’s history. Between January and June, Khao Luang mountain is open to visitors, and trained village guides from the CBT Club are happy to accompany guests to enjoy trekking and jungle camping in pristine Khao Luang Natural Park, an area blessed with clear streams, gushing waterfalls, and mist-covered mountains.
By developing tourism activities, Kiriwong’s CBT Club members have been empowered to define and present their lifestyles to guests on their own terms. The CBT Club requests that visitors to Kiriwong “are very welcome to come and visit our community, providing they use our club’s services and don’t attempt trekking without a local guide.”
Cultural & background information about the community
Khao Luang National Park covers 570 km2 of Nakhon Si Thammarat province, and includes Southern Thailand’s highest peak at 1,835 meters, giving the park a range of forest types from lowland to montane “cloud forest”. The park is recognized as a biodiversity “hotspot” with an exceptional number of endemic species. Tropical rainforest covering the park is part of the oldest terrestrial ecosystem on earth. Within the park is a large population that present the greatest threat to the forest, and crucial watershed it maintains, through gradual extension of agricultural land, mainly for chemical dependent, export-orientated mono crop.
Conflict with the national park has been a frequent issue of concern in Kiriwong as the orchards of many villagers are within the locally disputed park boundary. CBT in Kiriwong represents the development of tourism as one in a spectrum of strategies aimed at community development and improved natural resource management. Tourism, however, is also a key responsibility of the Thai National Park service, sometimes creating tension over who has the ‘legitimacy’ or ‘right’ to claim park area as ‘their’ tourism resource.
After an initial period of inconsistent dialogue, interrupted by periods of hostility and mistrust, Kiriwong’s community leaders have gradually won the respect of National Park authorities by showing their capacity to control expansion of Suan Som Rom orchards, develop sustainable alternative income sources and manage tourism effectively. Presently, both parties have reached an informal spoken agreement whereby the community is allowed to manage tourism activities in the national park area independently from the national park, provided that tours are organised and tourists are accompanied by Kiriwong CBT Club members.
Overall, developing tourism activities and managing the Kiriwong CBT Club has developed new skills among community members, provided opportunities to share and exchange with visitors, stimulated increased environmental awareness among hosts and guests, and also provided a useful supplementary income source. Rotation systems for Homestays and Local Guides ensure that both the responsibilities and benefits of tourism are shared fairly among CBT club members. Meanwhile, a set of simple guidelines established by hosts for guests ensure that key elements of local culture are acknowledged and respected.
Code of conduct
Kiriwong CBT Club have a code of conduct for trekking in the jungle, and homestay etiquette. Guests are informed of these guidlines by their hosts upon arriving at their homestay, or before commencing trekking. Guests traveling with Go Differently also receive a code of conduct, which can also be downloaded from the web. In general, an open mind; respectful disposition and desire to be an active participant in local life are essential attributes of a CBT traveller.
Range of activities and services offered
Kiriwong’s ideal guests are families with children over 12 years old, and active individuals or small groups with a genuine interest in experiencing local culture and learning about the relationship between local people and the natural world. Activities are based upon hands-on participation in daily life, cultural exchange, camping, and jungle trekking. Accommodation is provided by local families in ‘Homestay’ and food is local and Thai. (Can be a little spicy!)
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