Imagine waking up on Phang Nga’s Koh Yao Noi with this as your view. By Andrew Hiransomboon

While only one pickup truck-wide in some places, Koh Yao Noi’s 20 kilometers of road have for the most part been converted from dirt to sturdy concrete, so you now can complete a tour of the entire island by songtaew in an hour or two. In addition to mangrove forests, rubber plantations and aquaculture, your guide will almost certainly point out “the” 7-Eleven as well as the post office, ­hospital, electricity generating plant and at least one of the island’s two ATMs. That the locals are still excited enough about a mini-mart to make it part of your itinerary (the driver will most likely offer to stop so you can do some shopping) tells you how “sleepy” and isolated Yao Noi, population 4,000 or so, has been until recently. At the same time it’s a sign that it’s unlikely to remain quiet for much longer. 

Located in the middle of Phang Nga Bay between Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket, Koh Yao Noi is, as you would guess from the name, the smaller of the two Koh Yao islands. Its roughly 50-square-kilometer area is still occupied mostly by forests, rubber tree and palm plantations and the occasional paddy. There are just a few medium to high-end resorts operating on the island, with perhaps another dozen or so guesthouses and other budget accommodation located primarily along “the” concrete road that circles the island.

Like Koh Lanta and Krabi’s Railey, development on the Yao islands is the inevitable result of Phuket’s popularity. As it gets more expensive and crowded on Phuket, neighboring provinces are attracting more travelers who are looking for that increasingly elusive isolated island feel.

Other resorts can claim bragging rights for being there first, but it is the arrival of Six Senses (on both Yao Noi and Yao Yai—their destination spa concept will be unveiled there later this year) that has raised the profile of the islands as a tourist destination—and raised the bar for present and future competitors.

Forty-five minutes away from Phuket International Airport by resort limousine then a slick all-white Gulf Craft speedboat (B9,000 per person, roundtrip), the Evason Hideaway & Six Senses Spa at Yao Noi sees the Six Senses group at the top of their game. As is the case with their other “Hideaway”-branded properties, accommodation consists solely of 56 pool villas. The basic unit is over 150 square meters, including a pool that is actually big enough (18sqm.) to swim in. (Even the bathtubs are bigger than the pools in what some resorts are calling “pool villas” these days).

Designed to maximize the view, they’re rectangular, so you can enjoy the stunning panorama of Phang Nga Bay’s tiny limestone islands from your outdoor sala, swimming pool, bedroom, outdoor shower, or the above-mentioned tub in your huge split-level bathroom. It sounds like a cliché (or at least something that was written by their sales department), but it is easily worth the five-star prices (one night in low season starts at B23,800) for the view alone—just be sure to book one of the higher hillside villas. Another of the Evason’s outstanding features is that there is plenty of space and vegetation between each unit, so you won’t feel like you’re sharing your romantic holiday with your neighbors.
Next door to the Evason is the seven-year-old Koyao Island Resort. Owned by the firm that developed the Evason, this four-star property has just 15 villas on its 16,000 square meters, all with sea views. The decor and furnishings are sparse yet stylish; no air-conditioning, but the rooms can be opened up to face the sea and the thatched roofs allow hot air to escape. Rates start at around B4,000 during low season (up to B11,650 during high season). In addition to price, one big advantage Koyao Island Resort has over the Evason is the close proximity of the bungalows to the sea—and it boasts a much nicer expanse of beach, as well.

Another interesting option is Koyao Bay Pavilions, a small, expatriate-managed and owned property on the island’s southern tip. There are three “Pavilion Suite” villas—all with sea views—clustered around the swimming pool, plus two larger cottages that face the resort’s rice paddies. Pavilions feature an indoor bedroom and open air living room, lots of charming antique furniture but no wifi and no air conditioning unless you request it. Rates (inclusive of breakfast and a two-hour massage) begin at B4,500 during low season and jump to B14,500 during peak season.

The Paradise Koh Yao can’t compare to the others in terms of charm and style, but it’s tops when it comes to location and setting—an isolated beach in the north of Yao Noi that is framed on one side by a spectacular limestone cliff that is perfect for climbing. Its 70 (and counting) units are mostly apartment-like rooms (B5,200 for a 54sqm. studio during low season to B16,000 for a 62sqm. room with a Jacuzzi on the patio), plus a handful of beachfront “pool villas” (B17,000-21,000) with small (11sqm.) pools. In addition to having on-site rock climbing instruction, the Paradise is also a good place if you’re interested in trying other outdoor activities, including scuba diving, sea canoeing and mountain biking.

What (Not) To Do

If your idea of a holiday includes jet skis or banana boats, beer bars or nightclubs, boutique shopping or even beach vendors, you’ll be bored out of your mind on Yao Noi, cowboy. No traffic jams or Starbucks, either. If you absolutely must flex your muscles, any of the above resorts can set you up with a mountain bike, kayak, snorkel set and the like, or, for B500 and up per person, you can take a spin around the island on a guided songtaew trip, with potential stops including an aquaculture farm, fresh market, fisherman village, rubber plantation or a witchdoctor who might even be able to improve your love life. And then there are always day trips to explore Yao Yai or those spectacular islands you’ve been staring at across the sea.

What to Eat

If we had a complaint food-wise, it would be that the resorts don’t offer enough (any, in most cases) southern dishes, and the Thai cuisine they do serve is toned down. For more authentic yet still reasonably tourist-friendly fare, head to Koh Yao Lam Sai Resort & Seafood, a very basic open air restaurant that looks out across the narrow strait to Koh Yao Yai. There’s a written menu, but as fresh seafood is the focus, consider this as a guide and be sure to ask what they have (and don’t have) that day. The chow here is fantastic—and cheap, too: most items are around B150. Live fish and shellfish are kept in underwater pens made of nets; when we last visited, a whole seabass weighing 1.3 kilos and cooked to order was B550, and “Phuket” lobsters were B950 each. If you’re lucky, you might be there when a small boat full of fishermen stops at the restaurant pier to sell their assorted catch of the day; you can even walk down the long narrow ramp and choose one yourself.

Live Like the Locals

Finally, we don’t have any first-hand knowledge of the Baan Laem Sai Homestay project, but if you’re looking for a more humble and enlightening experience, they offer various opportunities to fully immerse yourself in the local way of life starting at B830 per night per person. The “Three Provinces in Three Days” package, for example, includes a visit to aquafarms, boat trips to several islands, exploring caves and all meals (B5,136 per person, sharing a four-person bungalow).