The Rawai Village is an important place to visit for anyone who is interested in history and culture, not only ofThailand but also of the world. It is located to the South of the island of Phuket, but is reachable from resorts at the Northeastern end like COMO Point Yamu, Phuket, in less than an hour. Thus, there really is no excuse for you to skip a visit to this island that is living, breathing testimony to the history of the world.
Rawai Village is home to Moken. They are a group of, for the lack of a better term, “seagypsies” who are thought to be among the first island settlers. The roots of Moken can be traced back to Nicobar and Andaman Islands. Despite generations being passed since they settled in Phuket, the Moken are strongly committed to the customs and beliefs of their people, to the point of alienating everyone else. There are two distinct groups of Moken: one group preferring to settle near the shore, and the other dwelling towards the inner of the island but leading a nomadic life. Although numerous attempts have been made by the government of Thailand to make amends between these two groups, none of them have been successful to date.
The shore-dwelling Moken do interact with the local populace to a great extent. If you have taken a private charter or cruise from a luxury resort in Phuket, chances are that you have met one of them as they do serve as guides for trips to the seas, when they are not fishing. This fishing lifestyle is facilitated by the presence of a fishing harbour – albeit small – closer to the village. There is also a beautiful stretch of beach at Rawai with swamp oaks and coconut trees. The Rawai Village is thus an ideal place for a spend-the-day excursion when in Phuket.
Fritzjames Stephen is a travel writer, who writes content based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life. Google+
