Leeled is a small community hidden in the coastal district of Punpin in the southern province of Surat Thani. The region is known locally as the “Amazon of Thailand” thanks to its rich landscape of comprised of the vast ocean and mangrove forests. The locals have been living off the abundant and complex delta ecosystem in Ban Don Bay for centuries, developing a unique way of life and various know-hows. They have set up vocational groups for shrimp paste making, nipa palm dessert and wickerware. The seemingly endless mangrove forest not only protects the shoreline; it is also the habitat of various sea birds, and you can admire its grandeur from the side of a boat in the evening. Thanks to the regional abundance of fresh ingredients, the chili paste here is second to none. The aromatic paste uses large shrimps that are caught with a specialized trap. People also arrange these traps to collect different kinds of fish and mussels which go into making delicious local dishes, while their nipa palm dessert uses locally-grown coconuts. You’ll get the chance you pass under the shade of mangroves on a boat trip – feeling like you are on an adventure through a tropical rainforest. At dusk, the scenery is lit up by the pale green light from the firelies which beams all the way from the canal to the beachfront mangrove forest. The forest at Ban Don Bay is truly a natural wonder to which the locals’ lives are deeply connected.