The photos make the place look 4 star. However, the resort is a bit worn around the edges and hasn't been kept up properly. A good example was our room. Quite sweet little villa style rooms which if kept up would be charming. However, the door didn't shut without you locking it, paint was peeling inside,and the bathroom had the cheapest wafer thin plastic toilet seat which was terrible to sit on! Also, little things like the beach is nice, but they give no parasols with the sun loungers and there is v little shade on the beach so it is tough to stay out long in the heat, which is such a shame considering that is the whole reason why you go there! Even one of the staff we spoke to said they were looking to renovate over the next year to bring it back to life. which they should! because as mentioned the beach is nice, very quiet and clean, and if the resort was up to spec it could be a lovely getaway. Other than that the staff were nice but strangely difficult to get information out of (if you dont ask they dont tell you anything about the facilities or the island). All in all, its nice enough to stay here, especially great to get away from the awful noise of phuket. just dont expect too much and you'll be happy with the deal!

We were just looking for a sheltered anchorage and stumbled on this place almost by accident on a sailing trip around the islands east of Phuket. We anchored in a beautiful, peaceful bay and went ashore to see what was what. This is why tourists started coming to south Thailand in the first place, and why so many of the once pristine paradises (but not this one) have been ruined. A beautiful, fine white sand beach overhung by shady trees whose branches reached out almost to the shoreline. Crystal clear water ranging from green to blue to grey depending on the sun (which sets gloriously over Phuket island) a few longboats drawn up on the beach and a smallish resort consisting of individual bungalows, some with pools (but there is a perfectly good communal pool.)

The loudest sound comes from the waves lapping up on the beach and the mina birds. A row of tables on a terrace just the other side of a low retaining wall from the beach provide both shaded (essential during the day) and exposed (nice in the evening) dining options or just a place to have a drink and relax. The menu is simple with a modest array of choices but the food is excellent (there was a particularly toothsome duck and lychee curry but it was all good.) Food prices were not the steal that people have come to expect in Thailand but that seemed to us to be increasingly rare on this trip but they are modest by US standards for what was served.

There is a dive shop on the premises and a spa that offers a two hour Thai massage for 800 baht (about one eighth of the rate at the JW Marriott that we stayed at, and loved, on Phuket.)

Service was slow by US fast-food standards but who is in a hurry? We even managed to make it out after dinner just before the reef became too exposed at low tide to get our dinghy over it. The wait staff is friendly, helpful within the limits of our mutual ability to communicate, beautifully attired and generally a pleasure. The proprietor/chef and his Czech girlfriend speak excellent English and are readily available so when we wanted to order a bottle of wine to take with us after our meal, we sorted it out with them to make sure no one opened it.

Apart from the pool and the bungalows, there is an open air reception hall and cooking facilities . Other commercial establishments are available on the island but not within walking distance.

We did not stay in one of the bungalows so all we know about them is what we could see from the outside. They seemed clean, neat and inviting.

After the tourist hordes in Patong and Phi Phi this place was a blessed relief. We were not fortunate enough to have gone to these places when they were still unspoiled but, judging from the pictures, they looked a lot like the Glow/Elixir resort does today. I would come back in a heartbeat, whether I was sailing or not.

If you are looking for a beautiful, peaceful tropical beach resort, this is your spot. It is simple without being primitive, relaxing without being boring (at least for us.) The length of your stay should be based on how long you would like to kick back and relax because that's the deal both at the resort and, as far as we could tell, on Ko Yao Yai generally.

Do not come to this resort if:

You want an organized activity list that will fill up several days;

You really crave the Patong party scene;

You don't like the fact that the staff's English is sometimes almost as bad as your Thai (in fact, if that bothers you, do all of us a favor and go to some other country;)

You think that anything above youth hostel prices are exorbitant; or

You crave marble imported western style luxury in your accommodations.

If these things don't bother you, you will be insanely happy here.

We traveled to Koh Yao Yai on an impulse that I had while looking at a friend's trip to the same place. We looked up the place on internet and the excitement of getting a room with a private pool was the clincher. So after almost an eight hour plane ride, half an hr boat ride and another 1 hr car ride we finally reach Glow Elixir.

Positives: Location, Sunset, Beach, awesome room and friendly staff. The place is so secluded that you actually feel scared at night. The sunset is beautiful and we had taken a Deluxe Pool Suite on the hill so the experience of seeing the sunset with a glass of wine in the pool was awesome. The Bed was a mattress kept on the raised platform which added a sense of mystique in the room. The room we felt was very romantic especially the outdoor shower and the bath tub. The patio or the sala was a nice place to relax. The staff was always smiling and courteous though i don't know if they always understood what i was saying.

The food was good and as both My wife and I like Thai food, we enjoyed the dinner they gave us, but the breakfast was disappointment as there was no variety.

Negative - Location, the money you pay - So the secluded location does become a disadvantage because there is absolutely nothing to do especially if you can't ride a bike. The website says they offer bicycles on rent but they don't. Renting a car to go to any of the piers is super expensive and the boat ride to and from from Phuket is also not cheap. Even to go to Koh Yao Noi we paid 600 Bahts per person to get to the pier and the boat ride took us 50 Bahts pp. So even though the hotel room might seem to come at a cheaper rate, getting around and doing things are really expensive.

Also once the sun sets there is actually nothing to do.

I would suggest that its still worth going there once but be aware there isnt much to do