Koh yao noi – A hidden treasure of Thailand

In this world so full of stress and disagreements, there are not many options available for us to relax our senses. Amidst the ever-growing over-populated cities is the idyllic Koh Yao Noi island, situated in southern Thailand, where a small, award-winning home stay project has fast developed into a top tourist destination.

In 2002, Koh Yao Noi gained worldwide attention after receiving the World Legacy Award for Destination Stewardship from Conservation International and National Geographic Traveler magazine for the eco-friendly home stay programs offered by its local residents.

Actually the Yao Noi is a community-based tourism village offering plenty of fun filled activities and opportunities for discussion and cultural exchange using translators of English and Thai. The in house guests get involved in fishing and make fishing equipment or batik cloth. Some of them work in the rice fields, or visit the housewife working group and also learn how to make the local Muslim Traditional dress!

Everything is pretty cheap on the island. Highly recommend seeing the island is either on a pushbike (mountain bike) or via moped. It’s only 11-12 miles all the way around…so it’s pretty easy.

So how would you reach the island? Long-tail boat ferries make daily trips to Yao Noi from Bang Rong Pier on the east coast of Phuket. The fare is 50 Baht for the one-hour journey, with daily departures from Phuket at 9.30 am, 12 noon and 5 pm. A taxi route will take approximately 25 minutes from the airport.

With no stunning views or fast paced activities like scuba diving or parasailing, the Koh Yao Noi with its quiet roads reveals a place of true harmony and simplicity for the traveler. Come here only to experience leisure time and complete peace of mind coz Koh Yao is all about rice patties, livestock, beaches, water, rainforest and nature at its best!