Located in the Andaman Sea, halfway between Phuket and Krabi, sits the one of Thailand’s last untouched islands – Koh Yao Yai. A true paradise of spectacular beaches, coconut plantations, picturesque sunsets, amazing sea life, food and people.

Getting there

Take a local taxi (speedboat) for around USD $5.80 per person, from Bang Rong Pier, that’s situated in the north of Phuket. The speedboat will take you straight to Klong Hia Pier on Koh Yao Yai.

Getting around

To get around, taxis are available, and if you prefer to travel around independently, scooters are available for rent, too. You rent the scooter for the price $7,70 – $9,20 /24 hours.

What you can do 

We spent a few days on the island just cruising around on our scooter. We never ran into crowds – we’d see one or two other tourists at most, no matter if we were walking on a beach or stopped for a coffee.

Mangrove forests are one of the most biologically diverse forests, known as the rainforests by the sea. The kayaking tour gives you the opportunity to see the wildlife (fish, shrimp, prawns, crabs, shellfish, snails..) closely.

Koh Yao Yai has beaches on both east and west coasts. The widest and most attractive beaches are found on the southwest coast facing Phuket and the northeast corner.

People on Koh Yao Yai are so lovely. It is an island of fishermen and farmers, relatively little development and a few resorts and bungalows scattered sporadically across the island’s many deserted beaches. The island is just 5 kilometres wide and 26 kilometres long. Yao Yai has a sizeable community of traditional Muslim fishermen living at the north.