Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai

Koh Yao Yai
4.5
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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  • Chateau66
    Enkoping, Sweden186 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A quiet island
    A not so touristy island. We were only there for three days so didn't have time to explore it. We stayed at a nice beach, Loh Pa-Red Beach. A place where you can relax, if you want a lot to happen, you probably shouldn't go here. We liked the island and intend to go back.
    Visited February 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written March 20, 2024
  • Hubka Z
    3 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Koh Yao Yai - quiet & hospitable island for total relaxation
    If you’re looking to get away from the doof doof of Bangla road, hectic traffic and big crowds visit Koh Yao Yai. Quiet island with beautifully hospitable locals. We stayed at Elixir Resort which is south of the island, bit further away from where most tourists are in the north. Staff at this hotel are incredibly friendly, helpful and can converse in English. Restaurant food is great..especially the mass man curry…gorgeous!! Dessert- the coconut ice cream with mango (I requested no jelly and whipped cream), absolutely delicious! My only issue with resort which is no fault of Elixir is the beach. Too many rocks and I had an unfortunate encounter with sea urchin splinters in my fingers. We hired a scooter and discover the island top to bottom. Travel to Son Bay Beach which is top part of island on west side; this is a lovely isolated beach with no rocks and hardly any jellyfish. Help the locals out by buying a drink or eating their delicious food. Massages great here too. We loved this part of of trip!
    Visited April 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written April 27, 2024
  • Discover30626424494
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Visit to Koh Yao No and Koh Yao Yai Islands
    For visits to the islands of ko yao no and ko yao yai, contact koh yao no connection directly, there are 2 on the 2 islands for private boat trips and taxis to tour the island in addition to private transfers to Phuket. Very attractive prices and service Watssaap: from France 0066 638 457 992
    Visited June 2024
    Traveled solo
    Written June 15, 2024
  • Cecile B
    Paris, France312 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A nugget away from mass tourism
    To come to the Koh Yao islands of which Koh Yao Yai (the Big Island) is to come and find nature and authenticity. Here no mass tourism, no city center, no shopping center, no entertainment in the evening. People are kind, say hello (sawadika for a woman and sawadicap for a man), are honest and of word. A few scattered hotels. Allow about 40 minutes to go from the north to the south of the island by taxi (about 500 baths) or scooter 250 baths per day (possibility to request a scooter delivered to the port (Leeya Rental whatspp +66622298979 There are at least 5 ports or jetties that allow trips to Phuket, Krabi, Koh Phiphi) so check the schedules and especially the arrival port. From Phuket it is possible to depart from Thian Sin Pier (south of Phuket, 400 baths each way) or Ban Rong Pier (far north of Phuket). On the excursion side, I strongly advise you to go live rather than go through the hotels. Koh Yao connection is installed on the small pier of Hin Kong Pier (before the Sunrise Resort). Uneven value for money on the island to leave the day for James Bond Island, or make the magical tour of the 5 islands including Koh Hong by private Longtail boat or in group. Swimming in an inner lagoon, lunch on a desert island, snorkling... Whatsapp +66638457992 They can also take care of your boat tickets and all your tailor-made excursions
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 3, 2024
  • Dave G
    Sydney, Australia231 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Koh Yao Yai -Simple Paradise
    Love this island so much. It feels like Thailand 40 years ago - so relaxing no over development - easy to get around. This is not an island to visit for a party - but a place to escape the outside world and relax!!! Beautiful beaches.l, amazing local restaurants and access to some of the tastiest seafood Thailand has to offer. Easy access to additional islands, can’t recommend this island enough
    Visited January 2025
    Traveled with family
    Written January 6, 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Stacy Dot
Rome, Italy175 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Friends
A hidden gem Koh Yao Yai is still a peaceful island seeped in tradition. We stayed at a new resort Yao Bada Badoo a boutique resort where we rented a private five bedroom villa. Beautiful art and very spacious rooms and ensuite bathroom. It was full board at the restaurant on the resort which is also open to outsiders. Was perfect. Great massage by Chi from Bangkok. The island is beautiful with lots of hidden beaches, jungle and breathtaking views. If you want to avoid tourist crowds then this is the place to visit.
Written February 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Princess_Lionfish
Krosno, Poland6 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
The island exceeded our expectations. Even though it is quite small and you can drive around it in one day, it has a lot to offer.
The island is mostly Muslim, however it does not differ from the Buddhist islands of Thailand (except for restrictions on buying alcohol). People are very friendly and helpful, food is good and in reasonable prices. There is plenty of beautiful beaches where you may see local children bathing or 'KoYaoYaians' having an aerobics class. On some beaches you may even end up alone or accompanied by monkeys taking a dip in a water.
Written March 16, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sue
Scotland, UK7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2020 • Couples
Relaxing, calm and heavenly place one of the best I've ever seen. Take a moped to get around and turn it all around, inside there is a typical village where to shop; eat and stock up on the super sweets that the women on the side of the road sell, they are divine! A truly special experience ... We will be back!
Written August 27, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Discover153337
11 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Family
This so called hidden and recommended spot between Phuket and Krabi is absolutely a disaster. There is no other way to describe it.
There is waste, garbage everywhere. Around there houses, in the sea. We visited a few fishermen villages, there is no way to describe what you see. I had tears in my eyes. You ask yourself if you want to eat anything from the sea again. Due to tides you can see what is left on the ground it is disgusting. There are no canalizations everything goes into the sea. This is not a place for swimming.
There is no escape on the island as it is everywhere the same. Unbelievable how we are able to destroy our planet just like that! We are all responsible for this disaster. Making Europe the clean place ! And letting other countries work for us and do the dirt work for us. No matter what, we want to have everything. It is a shame. I did research before decided to come to Thailand. Last visit was 20 years ago but as I can tell I did not do a good job otherwise I would have found those information.
Hardly to say why tourists come here and if they return…we have a lot to think about…
Written December 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Mazhar506
Cairo, Egypt2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2015 • Couples
- will give you the best tip to easily reach the hotel and ignore any other recommendations;
1) Use whatever you want from Phuket (taxi at 500 BHT from air port) go to BANG RONG PIER To KO YAO YAI (or KO YAO NOI)
2) take speed boat or long tail boat at a price of 200/150 BHT respectively
3) Duration by speed boat/long tail boat is about 25 mins/50 mins respectively
4) Timings start from 06:30 am to 05:30 pm (from both piers)
5) if your flight is outside these timings don't panic, you can have a private long tail boat (can accommodate 8 persons at least), just call the marvelous guy ZAKARIA he will manage it to you at the cheapest price 2,500 BHT plus 500 BHT for the Taxi to Airport if you need (ZAKARIA is working in the BANG RONG PIER Cell Number; +66 81 894 6105)
Written May 27, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

BabyBunnySL
Melbourne, Australia61 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2014 • Couples
Koh Yao Yai Local Taxi/Travel to Krabi

For those travelling to Koh Yao Yai, there is a local taxi service I discovered after having organized all my transfers from Phuket. His name is "Tui", (spelling may be incorrect but pronounced 'too-ee'). He was fantastic and very pleasant. Came across honest and sincere. His current contact number locally is 086-2675931. I recommend his services. He charges a slightly cheaper rate for pre-booking.

I asked him about how to get to Krabi which was my next destination and was correctly advised that there were long tail boats departing from Chong Laad pier at 820 and 915. Santhiya resort informed me that there was no such service. Luckily I chose to trust the local. Koh Yao Noi seems to have much more ferry services to krabi leaving hourly.

It cost THB 500 pre booking for transfer from Santhiya to Chong Laad pier through Tui. The long tail boat ride to Krabi (Tha Len/Ao Tha Len) pier takes about 1 hour and cost THB 200. This pier is about 45 min to Krabi town one way.
Written August 15, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Shubhashis
New Delhi, India99 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2015 • Couples
The beauty of this place haunts you when you are there and long after you are back. It is difficult to believe such places could exist so close to teeming tourist hubs, such as Phuket and Krabi. Imagine biking through dense green forests with absolutely no one in sight for several miles at a time; taking a walk along desolate roads under a clear moonlit sky on a warm night filled with cricket’s song or listening to the waves all day long with astounding rock formations dotting the sea all around you. We spent three fabulous days on Kao Yao Yai. We stayed in the northern part of the island which is majorly uninhabited except for a few small villages. Koh Yao Yai is a longish strip of land, about 25 kilometers end to end with just about a population of 3000 (according to a tourist guidebook that our resort provided us, the entire population of the Koh Yao groups of islands is just about 18,000). Koh Yao Yai however is a prosperous island, which becomes quite apparent as you drive through the island. The two major piers, Khlong Hia and Chong Lad are located on the northern section of the island. Both offer magnificent view of the sea. Boats leave for Koh Yao Noi from the Chong Lad Pier. The drive to Khlong Hia Pier in silence through the green, with very few people in sight was a fabulous experience. Numerous beaches adorn this gorgeous island. On Day two, we explored the island on a rented bike (300 baht for 24 hours - standard rate). On our journey to the south, we first took a detour to the right and drove for about five kilometers off the arterial road to reach a narrow but elongated beach. We drove for about two kilometers along undulating roads with the sea to our left before taking a U-turn when the road became treacherous for a two-wheel drive. We then drove southward along the main road to reach the Kijprasan pier. Here we were greeted with amazing view of clear blue waters surrounded by dense green mountains with sunshine playing hide and seek through the cloud, streaking the shadowy green in different shades. Further down we crossed the Pru nai sub district center which is the administrative hub of the island and boasts of a health center along with other facilities. Driving down we reached the Loh Jark Pier along the southwestern coast. This place is well inhabited with a few big resorts, villages, market, cafe and spa. Further down we reached the pretty as picture fishing village of Ban Laem Lan. It took us a detour of about seven kilometers from the main road and negotiating some rough patches to reach this fabulous spot. The Ao Sai beach is very close to Ban Laem Lan. We stopped on our way back to appreciate the beauty of mangrove forests. The Lo Chak Pier is about 6 kilometres from Ban Laem Lan. On the way we drove down to the Ao Muong beach through thick forests and rubber plantation on both sides. We had our lunch at the local market close to Pru Nai. Koh Yao Yai boasts of amazingly good concrete roads which make driving a pleasure. Beaches, though are often remote and require careful drive through dirt roads. Locals at Koh Yao Yai are warm and friendly. However tourists are expected to respect the traditional way of life and live and dress according to the local standards (we’ve been told so by our resort staff!). Koh Yao Yai, the tiny emerald speck of land amid vast turquoise expanse – an island with amazingly beautiful vistas is an unexplored gem in a country so rich in natural beauty. It provides an unparalleled travelling experience.
Written July 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Phrayzar
Sydney, Australia28 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2019
As others have pointed out, both Islands of this group are quiet and sleepy. We came to both islands for 2 weeks, hoping to find a hidden gem, like the islands used to be. Well, some aspects are like the other islands used to be, quiet, sleepy, not too over developed(but there is lots of clearing under way), and lovely beaches.

The really strange thing is that I have been to Phi Phi, Railay, other areas within Phan Nga Bay, But the sea around these islands is very cloudy and polluted. No chance of snorkelling at all. The other main draw back is that the whole area is an extremely shallow and silty tidal bank. Lots of mangrove and mud flats.

A few semi ok beaches, but not compared to anywhere else in thailand. You can explore the islands with a scooter, but that's about it. Noi has a lot more on offer as far as eating out and getting a drink, but don't come here expecting night markets and street food. It all closes after 7.30PM. Not the end of the world, but if you want to leave your resort at night, it's a bit too quiet.

The other problem for me is the general levels of rubbish and visible pollution. This area of the bay must get most of the detritus from Phuket etc. The beaches are piled up and so are the road sides, mangroves, under all the pier houses etc. Hopefully the island can implement a clean island policy soon, because it's the worst I've seen anywhere, outside africa.

The other problem is the general price level, I'd say that a lot of the places should be almost 50% cheaper compared with other parts of Thailand. We ended up having to scrap one booking and book into another place because it was WAY too basic. At that price, you generally know what standard to expect. We couldn't get a refund, but didn't want to stay next to a rubbish dump.

Just be aware, that if natural beauty is what you are after, most of the other islands will definitely out perform Koh Yao by a long way, mainly due to the geography of the islands.
Written August 8, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ronald_van_e
Rotterdam, The Netherlands7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2015 • Friends
Ko Yao Yai is something of a secret among regular travelers to Thailand as it is one of the few truly magnificent natural places in Thailand with pristine beaches that is not yet flooded with tourists. So don't go there and let it remain the remote, not so easy to reach tropical paradise that it is.
Anyway, if you like a bubling nightlife, bustling seaside resort towns, shopping and plenty of eateries to chose from, this island is not for you anyway. Koh Yao Yai is all about enjoying the simple rustic lifestyle, nature, stunning landscapes and a laid-back holiday. The friendly and helpful population of the various small villages is muslim and it is their wish to not go the way that places such as nearby Phuket or Ko Samoi have gone. The locals want to preserve their traditional way of life and not be overwhelmed by tourism. Having said that, there are some really good, small scale upscale scattered around the island.
Written March 29, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

chocdikrab
Frankfurt, Germany3,452 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2015 • Couples
we stayed on koh yao yai for one week and in relation to the smaller sisterisland koh yao noi we found one more time more tranquility and native thai living than on koh yao noi. we had a beautiful beach resort ( thiw son beach resort , seperate review) on the southend of the chong lad bay, which is located at the northeastcoastside. the bay is kilometers long and at the northend the most interesting. there the beach ends in acute angle and during low tide a huge sandbank interrupts the surface of the water. we thought it is possible to walk to walk to the neighbour island koh yao noi, but this was of course not the case. some lonely beach bungalows are located at this extraordinary place, but there is no shop or anything else...it is neccesary to bring drinks and food if it is planed to stay longer there. the vegetation is reduced, because the basic is mosty sandy and only some coconut palms, some trees and bushes grow there.
it is only possible to swim there during high tide, some sections are a little bit muddy. we had a great time at this beach and we left the place when we didn´t had nothing more to drink. not far away from the beach the biggest village on the northpart of the island is located, named baan chong lad. the sleepy muslim village is not so big and we didnt´t found any restaurants, but there is a school, some shops and one of the mainpiers of the island, the chong lad pier. there the longtailboats to krabi arrive and leaving regulary, it takes maybe one hour to go there.
we took the beachroad up to the northwest and after a short drive we arrived at the baan klong hia, also a small muslim village. there we found a very good seafood restaurant ( ban rim nam restaurant, seperate review) very close to the second mainpier of the northpart, the klong hia pier. there the speedboats from phuket (bangrong pier) arrive regulary for a short stop before they take their route further to koh yao noi.
we followed the island road and after a few kilometers through djungle and ricefields we arrived at the khlong son bay, which is located at the westcoast (seperate review). it is the only beach on the westcoast on the northsection of koh yao yai. from khlong son bay it is possible to take a very dangerous road further to the southpart of the island, but everybody told us it is better to take the road back to the north at first to arrive at the beachroad to the south.
the island road to the south is in a good standard and the landscape is typical for thai islands.
the vegetation alternates between jungle, rubber forests and rice fields and after a while you reach the pru nai sub district as the southern part of the island is called. pru nai village is much bigger than baan chong lad in the north, some bars, simple restaurants and also bigger shops and supermarkets are located there. also ATM and the island hospital are situated.
two more beaches on the westcoast we found there. the first one is loh pared beach...a fine sandy beach with some good resorts and shops, restaurants and massage salons in the northsection of the beach make this place much more lively as the beaches in the northsection of the island. we stayed two times in the afternoon at loh pared beach southsection, which is very lonely and perfect to let dangle the soul. at loh pared beach it is possible to swim everytime, because the rocks are located at both ends and also during low tide it is enough space to swim.
a little bit more in the south we found the loh jark bay, which can be divided into three sections.
the northsection is the most lively section because the loh jark pier is located there, which connects the island with phuket. ferries, speed- and longtailboats arrive there regulary to bring tourists and foods to the island. also some resorts, shops and the "white house beachbar" (seperate review) is located there. the fine sandy beach is very nice in the northpart and shadowzones under big trees are available. the middle section is very stoney and it is not possible to swim there, because fishermen and their boats stay there and it is not enough space to swim. the beach itself is fine sandy and the vegetation lush, but we didn´t found no tourists there. the third section in the south is the smallest and two luxury resorts are located there. it is only possible to swim during high tide and a lot of rocks and big stones interrupt the surface of the water.
from pru nai village it is also reachable a very secret beach on the eastside of the island...named leam nok ok (seperste review)...very difficult to access and the djungletrail is very dangerous to ride with the motorcicle. it was only possible because is was very dry...better is to take for that trip atv`s, which are available in pru nai village.
in the deep south of the island a beautiful pittoresque fishermens village is located in the loh balai bay. from there we arrived to our last visited beach on the eastcoast...called ao sai...a tiny beach very near to the fishermens village. we stayed there for a few hours and no one came to disturb the robinson atmosphere on this fine sandy beach with a great view to the andaman sea panorama.
koh yao yai is a beautiful island, which gives the visitor a great impression about the native life how it was 20 years ago. we had a realy great time there with a lot of adventure and thrill.
we can recomment the island very much for travellers who search for tranquillity and simple life.
Written March 15, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Koh Yao Yai - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2025)

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