Anurak Lodge

The Anurak Community Lodge is an ecolodge in the Khao Sok National Park (southern Thailand) that has created the pioneering ‘Rainforest Rising’ tree planting initiative. Guests staying at the property are invited to get involved and be a part of the forest regeneration project and help planting sapling trees. This comes as an addition to ecotourism activities at the lodge, such as hiking, kayaking, and jungle cooking.

The initial aim of the project is to return 3,226m2 (two rai; 0.8 acres) of former palm oil plantation beside the lodge, to indigenous lowland evergreen forest by 2023. The final goal is to regenerate a further 16,000m2 (ten rai; four acres) of land to have the same biodiversity as the adjacent Khao Sok National Park and ultimately blend into it.

Anurak Lodge has partnered with the Forest Restoration and Research Unit (FORRU) of Chiang Mai University to make sure the replanting process was optimized for the location. The eventual outcome will be to return the plot to the lowland evergreen forest it once was.

Anurak guests pay 300 baht (US$10) to plant a particular species of a young tree in a given location, according to the plan created by FORRU. Guests also receive a Rainforest Rising t-shirt and can opt-in to stay updated on the progress of “their” tree and the project overall.

By planting trees, absorbing all the information, talking to our gardeners, and joining our ecotourism activities, guests get an enriching and insightful “back to nature” experience. They also contribute to the long-term ecological well being of the area.

 

The site was cleared of the forest more than 50 years ago. It was converted first into a coconut plantation, then, 40 years ago, a mixed fruit orchard with durian, mangosteen, and longan. It was cleared again and planted with palm oil around 2007. Palm oil plantations are ecologically sterile monocultures, they are poor habitats for birdlife and animals such as deer, hog badger, civet, Javan mongoose, pangolin, tapir, wild boar, and loris, all of which are indigenous in the area and prefer seed and fruit diversity.

Anurak Community Lodge is working towards the following UN Sustainable Development Goals:

     

Anurak Community Lodge is a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

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