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Pearls are the rarest of all gems and were traditionally
the most desired gem in the world until earlier this century when
marketing wizards for the Debeers Group, convinced the world that
"that diamonds are a girl’s best friend". To promote
general knowledge about pearls and with a specific goal of introducing
you to the famous farm produced ‘South Sea’ pearl is what
lead to the development of this tour. You will see a demonstration
about how the different types of oysters are selected and carefully
implanted with a foreign substance to trigger the pearl creation
process. You will see the growing frames where the oysters are regularly
cleaned, gently rotated, and bathed in special water rich in plankton
nutrients for the eighteen month period required to develop the
special cultured pearls this farm is famous for. The largest pearl
ever grown came from the Naga Pearl Farm. To round out you education
about pearls you will be taught how to distinguish a true pearl
from a fake, and a quality pearl from an inferior one. Finally,
experts will demonstrate how the finished pearls are removed from
the shell measured, graded, and prepared for the export market.
The jetty at Ao Po is the departure point
for the 30 minute boat ride to Naga Island. If you have not
already made other arrangements to visit the Naga Pearl Farm
there are always several longtail boat operators there who
can arrange a boat ride to the island. Barter a price, using
300 Baht per person as a guideline for a return trip. This
tour is included on many of the package tours of the island
or you may book directly bySSS calling 219-870 or visiting
the Naga Pearl Farm office at the ST Hotel on Sakdidet Road.
This full day tour usually begins at 9am
with hotel pick-up and a boat ride to Naga Island. After a
seafood lunch on the beach with time for a relaxing swim your
tour of the farm lasts for about an hour and a half. After
the tour you return to town with a shopping stop at a Thai
handicraft showroom, arriving at your hotel around 5pm.
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