Thailand Travel Guide – Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi

The two islands of Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi are located in the buttery hole between Krabi and Phuket, making the islands an obvious destination for travellers who want to experience some of the most beautiful islands in Thailand.

In the vicinity of Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi are also Phi Phi, Railay & Ao Nang and Koh Lanta. One can thus visit a wide range of Thailand’s most beautiful islands on a round trip where Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi are part of the itinerary.

In this travel guide to Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi we take a closer look at how to get to the two islands, which hotels can be recommended (personally tested by the writer) and then we will of course give you an introduction to the wonderful islands.

On the map below you can see where Koh Yao Yai is located – the island just north is Koh Yao Noi.

Introduction to Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi

With its location in Phang Nga Bay, famous for its limestone cliffs (if you have visited Halong Bay in Vietnam, for example, you know what we mean here). So it is an area with many picturesque landscapes and beaches with spectacular surroundings.

What also characterises the islands of Phang Nga Bay is that you usually travel there to experience the beautiful beaches, snorkel and go on boat trips to smaller islands to experience these limestone cliffs.

7/11 stores have not yet been established on Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yoa Noi. If you’ve been to Thailand before, you know that the 7/11 stores are really everywhere around the country – almost no matter how far you otherwise thought you were from ‘civilisation’.

On Koh Yao Yai, on the other hand, there is a small shop where they have taken wooden signs and written “7/11” on – it is the closest you get to the famous shop there.

U-tourist islands that are easy to get to

So on both Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi we have some amazing white sand beaches and a couple of relatively pristine islands where there are actually not that many bungalows or hotels.

It is quite unique to Thailand, as the islands are only 30 minutes sailing from Phuket and Ao Nang in Krabi respectively – areas that attract many tourists from around the world and areas that are incredibly easy to get to, both by plane and buses from the rest of Thailand.

These are both islands where there is a super relaxed atmosphere and you can rent a scooter to drive around the island and experience the local villages. There is even a small ferry from which you can cross the two islands (by scooter) in just 10 minutes. On Koh Yao Noi, you will find rice fields and maybe a little more town with some restaurants.

The two islands are a great place to end your tour of Thailand (eg if you come from Khao Sok National Park, which is a very popular destination), as the location is only around 30 minutes sailing and 20 minutes drive from Phuket Airport and from there you can fly to your home country.

Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi are bounty islands in Thailand in extremely quiet surroundings, but very close to major tourist areas, making the islands obvious destinations that we can only recommend taking the road past when the trip goes to Thailand.

Hotels on Koh Yao Yai

Below we look at a number of hotels on Koh Yao Yai that have been visited and tried personally by the writer. You will receive a brief information about each of the given hotels.

Remember, however, that hotel prices are always dynamic and therefore driven by supply / demand.

So let’s get to the first good hotel on Koh Yao Yai.

Glow Elixir Yao Yai – good beach hotel on Koh Yao Yai

A really good hotel on Koh Yao Yai, where you have the opportunity to book a bungalow right next to the beach with its own swimming pool. Of course, these luxury rooms will cost extra, but it’s worth all the money when you can wake up to your own pool, where you can then lie down and look out over the beach.

Their cheapest rooms (superior villa) are in the “second row” from the beach, so you will not be completely out of the way just because you book a slightly cheaper room at the Glow Elixir resort.

The hotel generally has a very cool style, where everything works and the pool area is also cozy. The hotel’s restaurant sets the table down on the beach, where you then sit and have breakfast by the water.

All in all, a very good hotel choice on Koh Yao Yai, where you can both book luxury rooms with private pool or the more common (and cheaper) rooms. It is also a good choice for families, as there is room for two children in each room.

If what you’re looking for is a conveniently located hotel in Koh Yao Yai, look no further than Glow Elixir Koh Yao Yai.

Santhiya Koh Yao Yai – famous luxury hotel down to the beach

This is a very nice luxury hotel on Koh Yao Yai, where you have the opportunity to stay in rooms with an eminent sea view. Again a hotel located down right in front of the beach.

Santhiya is a chain that is known for having some really good hotels all over the world. This hotel on Koh Yao Yai is no exception and a place where you can book accommodation with peace of mind if you are looking for a large luxury hotel on the Thai holiday island.

There are 148 rooms at Santhiya resort and there are 8 different room types, where you can choose everything from sea views to your own private pool.

Koh Yao Yai Village – Family-friendly 4.5 star hotel

An excellent hotel on Koh Yao Yai, where they grow their own vegetables and go to great lengths to be environmentally friendly. Here the standard is very high, and the many different room types are modern and super nicely decorated.

A really good hotel that has it all; good pool area, free breakfast and free wifi. The only thing that can speak a little against this hotel is that it is located down to a very shallow beach.

However, this may be an advantage for you who travel to Thailand with children and want to stay on a beach that is only very child-friendly – it is the beach in Koh Yao Yai Village at least.

All in all, an absolutely eminent hotel right on the beach, where you just have to be aware that you are affected by high and low tide. However, it can be beneficial for families with young children.

There are also 3 restaurants in the fairly large hotel.

Betterview – new, good and cheap hotel

Another place to stay on Koh Yao Yai may be Betterview. It has a good view of the sea from the hotel’s pool area.

This is another hotel on Koh Yao Yai with free breakfast and free wifi. The hotel can also (like many others) arrange scooter rental for 250 baht a day, which is equivalent to about $7,60.

It is a fairly small hotel with only 12 rooms, but with a restaurant serving local Thai food.

Other Hotel recommendations in Koh Yao Noi

Then we have the neighboring island, Koh Yao Noi, where we will again recommend a number of good hotels. There are several hotels, but on Yao Noi it can be more difficult to find hotels of as good a standard as on Yao Yai, or they may not be all the way down on the beach or have a different clientele than we can traditionally be interested in holidaying with.

Below we recommend the hotels on Koh Yao Noi that we like.

Paradise Koh Yao – fantastic hotel on Yao Noi

We give the hotel our warmest recommendations – it really is an excellent hotel on Koh Yao Noi. It is a hotel you (preferably) have to sail to – otherwise you have to go through the jungle, which can be done, but it is not recommended.

As you sail into the hotel, you sail past these classic, beautiful limestone cliffs, the turquoise blue sea and the chalk-white sandy beach. You will then be greeted by this wonderfully nice hotel, built in a really warm, cozy style and with a nice pool area with children’s pool.

It is an extremely popular hotel – even when reading reviews from other previous guests.

Of course Paradise KohYao has free breakfast, free wifi and two restaurants. It is located right down to the beach, and you can also choose to book these wonderful rooms with private pool. Of course there are also regular rooms.

A really good hotel choice on Koh Yao Noi and definitely the hotel we would recommend using if your budget is for it – whether you are traveling with children or as a couple.

Koyao Island Resort – special bungalows with wild views

The view from the hotel is something in itself. Let it be said at once; This hotel on Koh Yao Noi is not uncommon.

You live in bungalows, but without doors or windows – instead you roll up the curtains and then stand in your room.

So you do not actually get a key to your bungalow – there is no reason for that. When it comes to security, there are many guards on the hotel grounds, so there is no need for an alarm on that front. Inside the centre of this bungalow is a bedroom where (after all) walls have been put around.

So otherwise a completely open bungalow, which is a very special experience. However, the hotel and the area itself are absolutely stunning. The hotel is right down to the beach where the view is eminent.

If you want to experience a different type of hotel in Thailand, you can advantageously choose this. Here you will get a special experience and without a doubt come home with some very special memories.

We hope you find this Koh Yao Yai & Yao Noi travel guide useful. You are more than welcome to write a comment below if you have any questions regarding the trip.

 

Source : https://traveleast.dk/