Koh Hee Homestay & Karen Craft Village

About Koh Hee Homestay & Karen Craft Village

Located in the peaceful Webi Village near Mayabunder, Koh Hee Homestay and the Karen Craft Village offer one of the most authentic cultural experiences in the Andaman Islands. The village is home to the Karen community, originally of Burmese origin, who settled in the islands generations ago and continue to preserve their traditional lifestyle, craftsmanship, farming practices, and food culture.

Unlike commercial tourist attractions, the experience here feels slow, local, and deeply connected to village life. Visitors can explore handmade bamboo and cane crafts, interact with local artisans, enjoy traditional Karen food, and walk through quiet village surroundings filled with greenery and wooden homes. The craft centre also supports local families by promoting handmade eco-friendly products created within the village itself.

Koh Hee Homestay adds another layer to the experience by allowing travellers to stay inside the village and experience the calm countryside atmosphere of Middle Andaman away from crowded tourist areas.

How to Reach Koh Hee Homestay & Karen Craft Village

Koh Hee Homestay and the Karen Craft Centre are located in Webi Village near Mayabunder town in Middle Andaman.

Travellers can reach Webi Village by:

• Private cabs
• Auto-rickshaws
• By Walking
  

The village lies around 1 km from the main Mayabunder market area and is easily accessible by road. Private cabs are the most convenient option for travellers exploring multiple attractions around Mayabunder and nearby villages.

Read More: How to Reach Maybunder from Port Blair

Best Time to Visit Karen Craft Village

October to April (Best Season)

October to April is the most popular time to stay at Koh Hee Homestay. The pleasant weather makes it ideal for exploring the Karen village, interacting with local artisans, enjoying outdoor seating areas, and visiting nearby attractions around Mayabunder.

Monsoon Season (A Cozy Village Experience)

The monsoon months bring a different charm to Koh Hee Homestay. Frequent showers, lush greenery, and the peaceful village surroundings create a quiet and relaxing atmosphere, making it an excellent choice for travellers looking to slow down and experience local life. The property remains a pleasant place to stay even during the rainy season.

Try Traditional Karen Meals: Even if you’re not staying at Koh Hee Homestay, you can still enjoy authentic home-cooked Karen cuisine. However, meals are prepared on request, so it’s important to contact the homestay in advance and make a reservation before visiting. This gives the hosts enough time to prepare fresh, traditional dishes using locally sourced ingredients.

Read More: Best TIme to visit Andaman Islands

Things to Do at Koh Hee Homestay & Karen Craft Village

The experience here is less about sightseeing and more about slowing down, interacting with locals, and understanding one of the most unique communities living in the Andaman Islands.

Stay at Koh Hee Homestay

Koh Hee Homestay offers travellers a chance to stay inside a traditional Karen-style eco hut surrounded by peaceful village greenery instead of regular hotels or resorts.

The stay experience feels simple, cozy, and deeply connected to Karen culture and countryside life in Middle Andaman. One of the highlights here is exploring the homestay compound itself, which is filled with medicinal plants, tropical trees, bamboo sections, and organic gardens maintained by the hosts.

Guests can also take a small walkthrough around the property with the founder, Mr. Saw John, who often explains the uses of various medicinal plants, local farming practices, Karen traditions, and stories connected to village life in Webi. The overall experience feels more personal and cultural rather than commercial tourism.

Try Traditional Karen Food

Food at Koh Hee Homestay is not restaurant-style dining, but a proper homemade Karen community food experience prepared using traditional family recipes passed down through generations.

One of the highlights here is the sticky rice used in many dishes, which has a richer texture and deeper flavour compared to regular rice commonly eaten elsewhere. Guests also get to try traditional Karen dishes like Steamed Mopheto – a chewy Karen rice cake made using black sticky rice and filled with roasted coconut and jaggery.

Several vegetable dishes are freshly prepared using ingredients sourced directly from their own farm and kitchen gardens around the property, creating a very authentic farm-to-table experience. The food feels simple, fresh, organic, and deeply connected to Karen culture and village life in Webi.

Shop Traditional Karen Crafts

Koh Hee Homestay also showcases various handmade daily-use products crafted by local Karen artisans using bamboo, cane, and sustainably sourced local wood.

Visitors can explore and shop for traditional baskets, mats, trays, eco-friendly household items, handicrafts, decorative pieces, utensils, wooden statues, and locally used fishing equipment made using techniques passed through generations within the Karen community.

One of the most interesting traditional items displayed here is the Karen-style wooden bow that shoots small stones instead of arrows, once commonly used in village life and forest activities. Travellers can also spot handmade cow and elephant bells, keychains, and several unique wooden crafts that reflect the simplicity and practicality of Karen culture.

Unlike factory-made souvenirs, most products here are handcrafted inside the village itself using natural local materials. Buying crafts here directly helps support local Karen families and artisans.

Read More: Shopping in Andaman

Explore Nearby Attractions

Koh Hee Homestay and the Karen Craft Centre can easily be combined with nearby attractions around Mayabunder and Webi village.

Travellers often visit:

• Karmatang Beach
• German Jetty
• Aves Island
  
  

The peaceful countryside roads around Webi Village also make the drive itself very scenic, especially during early mornings and evening hours.