The Moken, also known as the Chao Lay (Sea Gypsies) of the Andaman Sea have lived along the coast of Thailand and Myanmar for countless generations. Their intimate knowledge of the sea easily surpasses that of the world's best marine biologists. The Moken survived the December 26, 2004 tsunami thanks to legends and oral traditions they have kept alive. While half a million people perished to the tsunami in South Asia, not a single Moken lost their life to it.

In Touch with Nature Education was the first group to get the Moken a boat after all their craft were lost to the tsunami. We also supplied them with emergency food rations, fishing nets, mosquito nets and tools to build their own boats. In gratitude the Moken on Koh Surin started sharing their knowledge and skills with Thai students we took to their islands on a 4 day camping trip. The Moken immersion experience was so rewarding and educational that we asked our Moken teachers if they would be willing to teach students from international schools. They expressed an eagerness to do so.

The Moken Immersion program is a 4-day , 3 night adventure that can be added onto our regular Reefs to Rainforests program. Instead of traveling south to Krabi and Trang for snorkeling and intertidal studies, we go to Koh Surin National Park, with the largest expanse of hard corals in all of Thailand.

We view these amazing ecosystems through the eyes of indigenous peoples that still wholely depend upon and steward these resources. It is an experience unlike any other. To view the activities, go to our photo galleryhere.