As soon as the hot season arrives, the destination for relaxation is definitely the sea. Anyway, it's going to be a long holiday like Songkran.

I'm here to present a trip format in case anyone is interested, but let me tell you, it's for food lovers who are sure to enjoy it.



The starting point of this trip was born from the frustration of not having traveled anywhere since New Year's because of the constant work.

Seizing the opportunity, we went on a long trip with the aim of both sightseeing and searching for fresh ingredients from farms that you would never see if you only stayed in the city... It wasn't just about relaxation, but we also wanted to learn more about food, since we already work as food designers.



We started our day in the morning on a Friday in Bangkok. Due to the afternoon traffic, it wasn't until 4 pm that we were actually able to start our journey.

The actual destination was Ranong Province, a province that has recently boomed because of the Burmese Heart Island… But what we were looking for was not the Burmese Heart Island.

However, it is the "soft shell crab farm" that is widely practiced in Ranong Province! (Actually, there are also in Chanthaburi, but we just wanted to find an excuse to travel to the south)



Watch the video


With the knowledge of soft-shell crabs only existing in the menu, I thought, "Oh, it's delicious." You can eat the whole thing, it's super convenient, and you don't have to waste time peeling it. But where does a soft-shell crab come from before it's served to us?



Through internet research, we learned more about soft-shelled crabs. But just knowing wasn't enough, so we traveled over 600 kilometers to experience a live soft-shelled crab farm at least once in our lives.



Thanks to the kindness of our driver who brought us to a farm owned by a man named P'Nono, who was happy to share his knowledge about soft-shell crabs. This made our soft-shell crab trip full of knowledge, fun, and real-world experience.



The crabs used to make soft-shell crabs are these black sea crabs, which are called "poo-dam" by southern people. These black crabs come from Burma. Brother Nono bought them and then started sorting the good crabs and dividing them according to their size.





Normally, shelled animals like crabs or shrimps will molt regularly to grow larger. Every 4 hours, Burmese workers will have to pull the rope to see which crabs have molted. Then they will take the crabs to soak in plain water to stop the crabs from hardening. At the end of the process at the farm, they are sent to the factory to be frozen (but some are frozen at the farm). As we all see in the frozen seafood zone of the supermarket.





Thanks to her kindness, No No On allowed us to take photos and videos without a single complaint. She even explained things in a way that we city kids could easily understand. On top of that, she even relented and sold us 1 kg of live soft-shell crabs for cooking. Getting to buy ingredients directly from the source is one of the joys of being a cook. : )



Soft-shell crab farm information and visits

Nohnoh's farm is located near the Grand Andaman Pier. If you exit the pier, turn right and continue. Inside, there are many crab farms. Drive for about 400 meters and you will arrive.

I don't remember his phone number, but I used to contact him from the phone number of the old soft-shell crab farm owner, Ms. Suchada, phone number 0-7782-2107.





Watch the video


Another place we've pinned as a must-visit is Koh Yao Noi in Phang Nga province.



The journey to Koh Yao was a breeze. We boarded the ferry from Bang Rong Pier in Phuket and arrived at Koh Yao Noi in just half an hour. After a bit of haggling over the price of transportation on the island, a kind motorbike taxi driver took us to the motorbike rental shop without charging us. The shop owner, who was also very friendly, told us that the Dragon House fish farm was not far away and that we could easily reach it by motorbike.



On the way to find Brother Bang Nead's fish farm at Baan Mangkorn, there were no signs at all... It can be said that if you want to find the real thing, you have to find it!



Meeting Bang Nideed in person was an incredible experience. His passion for being a sea gypsy on Koh Yao Noi shone through as he shared his knowledge and stories with us. As we walked along the fish cages, stopping at different ponds, we were amazed by the abundance of marine life. It was like being in a giant aquarium, but with the added thrill of being up close and personal with the fish. This experience was far more immersive than any diving trip or aquarium visit we've ever had.



But what really drew us here was the seven-colored lobster, weighing at least 700 grams! And of course, we had to buy one to cook and eat ourselves, making the 800-kilometer journey worth it! (Thinking about it, the price wasn't exactly cheap, but for the experience... it was worth it!)



Let's cook!!!



Watch the video here.


After a lengthy conversation with Bang Neet, we gathered so much content that we had to create another video clip. If you're interested in visiting Bang Neet's fish farm at Baan Mangkorn, it's not difficult. Just call him and let him know what day and time you'd like to visit. The entrance fee is incredibly affordable, only 50 baht per person. It's an incredible value for the experience you'll receive.



Travel Information to Koh Yao Noi and Visiting the Mangrove Farm at Baan Mangkorn

This section provides information on how to travel to Koh Yao Noi and visit the Baan Mangkorn mangrove farm.

Take a boat from Tha Bang Rong Pier. Our departure time is 11:00 AM. You can check the schedule on this website: http://www.kohyaohomestay.org/journey.html

Boat fare from Bang Rong Pier, Phuket 200 baht/person/trip



It takes about 30 minutes to get there. Once you arrive, you can rent a motorbike or take a songthaew, but the price per person is quite expensive at 200 baht. I understand that prices on the island are higher, but we decided to ride a motorbike ourselves.

Motorcycle rental costs 200-300 baht.



Then he rode along the path to find Brother Bang Nead. He asked the villagers and found out that Brother Bang Nead's fish farm was somewhere near Laem Sai. Try asking around.

The entrance fee to the fish farm is 50 baht/person. Please call and make an appointment with the owner in advance to see when they are available. Don't forget to check the boat departure times if you are not staying on the island. The highlight of the event is the lobster, which costs 3,000 baht/kilogram.

The phone number of Brother Bang Nide is 081-270-7393. For accommodation in Ranong province, this time we stayed at The Hidden Resort Ranong, which is considered the best accommodation for this southern trip.



The resort is located a little far from the city center. You have to go all the way down the alley to find the resort, which is covered by various trees. This resort is located in Ranong, a quiet province. Plus, the beauty and tranquility of the resort makes it a perfect place to relax. If you are passing through Ranong, you can try staying here. However, due to the limited number of rooms, the resort is often fully booked. At first, we chose to stay only one night. But when we actually arrived, we wanted to extend our stay for another night. At first, the staff told us that there was a vacancy, so we were relieved and thought we could tell them in the morning. But after a while, the room was fully booked, so we couldn't stay another night.



Resort website

http://thehidden-ranong.com/



For those who love food with all their heart, this Songkran, try changing your travel style to something like this. It's more than just seeing it through the internet. You could say that traveling far for this is really worth it.





Love Thailand, travel with conservation in mind, and you'll see some amazing things. : )



Note: All photos and videos were taken with iphone 5s,6s,cannon 60D

Comments