Koh Yao Noi
Introduction
Koh Yao Noi (“long, little island” in Thai, though it is neither particularly long nor little), is located in Phang Nga Bay between Krabi and Phuket, and is the most up-and-coming destination in southern Thailand.
Ideally situated to offer the visitor a front-row view of Phang Nga Bay’s incomparably beautiful karst cathedrals, Koh Yao Noi is also a well-placed base from which to explore the bay, as the visitor can reach the world-class tropical kayaking destinations earlier in the day, before the crowds from Phuket envelope them.
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If you are looking for luxury romance at a nice price, click here for our market-beating Koh Yao Noi luxury island romance package, which offers benefits normally worth THB 7,800 - completely free.
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Koh Yao Noi is a small island that one can explore in less than an afternoon. The pace of life is slow and peaceful here, and people smile and wave as you pass by.
In 2002, Koh Yao Noi gained worldwide attention after receiving the World Legacy Award for Destination Stewardship from National Geographic Traveler magazine.
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Koh Yao Noi is as photogenic as its presence in the National Park suggests. It consists of pristine beaches, knotted forest and un-spoilt coast-line and offers a great vantage point for relaxing and absorbing the beautiful scenery in the bay. Hat Yao and Buddha Beach are first class beaches. There are lots of dirt trails, which are great fun to explore by motorbike. |
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One of the first things you notice after arriving on Koh Yao Noi is that all the motorbikes have the keys in the ignition. The people on Koh Yao Noi are particularly friendly - and by Thai standards, that means very, very friendly indeed.
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A boat trip out to Koh Yao Noi's neighbouring islands is a great day out: the only difficulty, when surrounded by such a cornucopia of attractions, is deciding which ones to visit. The deserted sand-spit beach on Koh Yao Yai is particularly beautiful, as are the lagoons at Koh Roi and Koh Kadu. |
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Basic supplies can be purchased at Koh Yao Noi's market, but visitors not staying at the 4- and 5-star resorts are recommended to bring along good bread and breakfast cereal, as these are unobtainable on Koh Yao Noi. If you book your visit to Koh Yao Noi on this website, we’ll deliver your grocery supplies to you on pick-up at Phuket, Krabi or Ao Nang. We'll also offer you an unbeatable price!
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Unlike almost all of the rest of Thailand, hiring a motorbike on Koh Yao Noi is a safe proposition, if you know how to ride one, as the Koh Yao Noi roads and dirt tracks are very quiet. A particularly enjoyable day out on Koh Yao Noi is to ride a bike up the dirt trails to the north of the island, immersing yourself in nature while in search of one of the lovely beaches there.
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The ride to Koh Yao Noi's Paradise Beach is a difficult one and not recommended for novice motorcyclists, but nose-following to Koh Yao Noi's Had Yao and Buddha beaches is possible, if difficult, due to the lack of any signage. If you contact us, we’ll tell you the way.
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With its dramatic sea-cliffs, beautiful lagoons and pristine beaches, Koh Yao Noi has everything the traveler needs for a tropical adventure or beach retreat. If you are looking for seclusion, endless stretches of untouched white sand beaches, an island off the beaten track offering adventure and the ultimate in relaxation, then Koh Yao Noi is the destination for you.
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One person’s paradise is another’s purgatory, and Koh Yao Noi charms will not woo everyone. The nightlife is low key and, outside the island’s three luxury resorts, the facilities on Koh Yao Noi are limited. There are a couple of bars, but you may need to bring your own company along, as they are often somewhat empty. Koh Yao Noi is not a good place to come in order to hook up with a member of the opposite gender.
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Koh Yao Noi has resorts in all price-brackets except 3-star, which means that people who like to stay in 3-star style should choose a different destination, maybe Ao Nang, Koh Lanta, Khao Lak or Phuket. |
Koh Yao Noi’s dramatically vertiginous topography make it a fascinating place to explore, and its tranquillity make it a good place for inner exploration too: several spiritual and meditation centres have recently opened on the island.
Koh Yao Noi Tours
Koh Yao Noi Resorts
Koh Yao does not have a three-star resort, so if the two four-star resorts are beyond your budget but you are looking for somewhere better than Lom Lae, you need to choose a different destination. Ao Nang and Phuket have much better ranges of accommodation.
Restaurants and Bars
For Thai seafood, the Laem Sai Seafood restaurant, located at the southern end of the island, is the best choice.
For super-friendly hospitality and haute cuisine at affordable prices, the French restaurant Je T'Aime, located on the roundabout in the island's main market town, is a real treat - the French fries come with a slightly caramelised white wine sauce that will satisfy even the fussiest of epicures. Click here for instructions on how to get there and how to claim a free glass of pastis per person.
For Italian bonhomie and joie de vivre (whoops those are French words) the place to go is La Luna, run by the irrepressible Romano, whose gregarious nature make this a great fun place to hang out. Romano's place, La Luna, is about 5km south of Tackao pier. Click here for instructions on how to get there and how to claim a free Sambuca per person. This website editor, Simon Ramsden, writes : "This is one of my 2 favourite beach bars in Thailand, the other being the "Why Not" on Koh Lanta".
For a party atmosphere, it's best to drop in to La Luna and check up with Romano what's happening that night. Often this entails a trip to the Para bar, which is the island's best late-night hot-spot.
More Images
Here are 3 exceptional images of this lovely island, courtesy of Dora Aurig, the super-friendly proprietress of the excellent Je T'Aime restaurant. Click on any image for a closer look.
Packages
The following packages include a visit to Koh Yao Noi. Click on a package for more information:
Getting There & Away
Click here for a useful site to find cheap flights to Thailand.
Koh Yao Noi to/from Ao Nang
A daily speedboat service runs from Ao Nang at 11am for 500B. Contact us to book. This service will take you to Manoh pier on Koh Yao Noi.
There is also a ferry service that runs daily from a pier close to Ao Nang called Ao Thalane to Tackao pier on Koh Yao Noi, which takes about 80 minutes. A taxi from Ao Nang to Ao Thalane will cost 600B. There is a Song-thaew service from Krabi town for THB 60 but you will have to go into Krabi town first, a journey of up to an hour, then back to Ao Thalane, a journey of 40 minutes, thus completing two sides of a triangle. Ferries depart from Ao Thalane to Koh Yao Noi’s Thakao Pier at 10, 11am and 1pm and cost 120-150B.
From Koh Yao Noi to Ao Nang is the same process in reverse, with ferries leaving Koh Yao Noi at 7:30, 8:30, and 9:30am, and costing 120 - 150B.
Note: In the low season (May-November) only the service from Ao Thalane runs. The speedboat service does not run.
Koh Yao Noi to/from Krabi Town
To get from Koh Yao Noi to Krabi, catch the ferry from Tackao pier on Koh Yao Noi to Ao Thalane on the mainland, which takes about 80 minutes. These ferries run at 7:30, 8:30 and 9:30 and cost THB 120 - 150. At Ao Thalane a songtheow local-style bus meets every ferry - a ride into Krabi Town costs THB 60 and takes about 40 minutes.
From Krabi Town to Koh Yao Noi, take a songtheow local bus from the bus station to Ao Thalane pier. Alternatively, catch a taxi for about THB 500. Then jump on one of the ferries that run from Ao Thalane to Tackao pier on koh Yao Noi, which cost THB 120 - 150 and leave at 10am, 11am and 1pm and cost about THB 120 - 150.
Koh Yao Noi to Phuket
The ferries run from Manoh pier on Koh Yao Noi to Phuket. There are about 6 ferries a day in high season and about 3 a day in low season, but the times they run at change quite frequently. Some of these ferries are speedboats, others are large longtails, the speedboats take 30 minutes, the longtails about 80 minutes. If you'd like to know the latest on the ferry from Koh Yao Noi to Phuket, contact us. You can assume that if you get to Manoh pier just before 9am, you will arive at Bang Rong pier on Phuket by midday at the latest.
From Phuket to Koh Yao Noi, you need to get to Bang Rong pier on Phuket. The journey times are as above, and the schedule is as variable. The last boat usually leaves at 4pm.
Andaman Sky, Co., Ltd, 454/2 Moo 1, Ao Nang, Thailand
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