At the southern end of Ngapali beach, the fishing village of Jade Taw has been here longer than any of the resorts. In the late afternoon, the boats come in and the catch is sorted on the beach — a mixture of reef fish, squid, and whatever else the nets have brought up. It is a working village, not a tourist attraction, and the welcome is accordingly low-key but genuine.
Walk through the village in the early morning and you will find women weaving fish traps from bamboo, children heading to school, and monks collecting alms. A small Buddhist pagoda sits on a low hill above the main street. The contrast with the resort strip a five-minute walk north is stark and worth experiencing.