Koh Yao Noi - A Quiet Island Surprise Off The Coast Of Phuket
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Set a short way off of the busy tourist island of Phuket, Koh Yao Noi couldn’t be further away in vibe than its famous neighbours. Quiet and relaxed with far fewer visitors, Koh Yao Noi is the perfect getaway from the crowded roads and party beaches of Phuket.
How to Get to Koh Yao Noi
From the island of Phuket, ferries leave for Koh Yao Noi (and Koh Yao Yai) from the Bang Rong Pier (Location). The journey takes about forty minutes to an hour in the longtail boat and about half and hour by speedboat. The ferries run every 30 minutes or so and alternate between the speedboats and long tails.
Longtail boats cost 300 baht per ticket (£7.03 or $8.74)
Speedboats cost 400 baht per ticket (£9.37 or $11.66)
The pier fee cost 10 baht per person (£0.23 or $0.29)
There are options to arrange a private longtail boats to Noi, but these were very expensive and in own opinion not worth it for the short hop.
To get to the Bang Rong Pier in Phuket, your best bet is unfortunately the Grab app or other taxi service (unless you are a local), there is a Songtheaw but it is apparently not allowed to pick up foreigners as the local taxis need the custom. As with a lot of transport on Phuket the taxis can be quite costly so attempt to get a group together to share the load! We found Grab worked well on Phuket and was simpler than haggling with taxi drivers a lot of the time.
If you’re starting on mainland Thailand, there are several places you can get a ferry to Khao Yao Noi.
From Krabi town, you can take a ferry from the Chao Fah Pier. Tickets can be booked at the pier, through a travel agent in Krabi or online via 12Go.
When you arrive at the main pier, Manoh Pier on Koh Yao Noi you will need to get to your accommodation. Tuk Tuks will be waiting to take you wherever you need to go on the island, just give the driver the name of your accommodation. When we visited it was 100 baht per person (£2.35 or $2.91) so if you’re staying closer than we were you could save some money and walk.
When Should I Visit Koh Yao Noi?
Like most of the western coast of Thailand, the best time to visit Koh Yao Noi is during the dry season between January and April. During this time, the weather will be dry and sunny and perfect for beach times. This is the peak season for tourists in Thailand so the prices will be higher, beaches more popular and accommodation busier.
We visited during February and we had great weather with only a couple of overcast days and the beaches were quiet. Although our accommodation was fully booked.
Accommodation on Koh Yao Noi
Once you are on the island you are going to need somewhere to rest your head. We opted for the “Koh Yao Beach Bungalows” (Location), a comfy midrange option with nice beds and hot showers. Although more than we would typically spend, these bungalows were in a great location, literally opposite the beach, and each bungalow also had a nice outside space to sit and chill out on in the evenings. As we were with some friends at this point, it was definitely worth the extra to have a nice comfy place in such a good location.
Our accommodation, as we are sure all others would too, offered scooter rental and help with day trips and onward travel. The scooters cost 250 baht per day (£5.86 or $7.29) plus petrol when you needed it.
As with most of the Thai islands you can go as upmarket or budget with accommodation as you want. We would recommend staying on the south east of the island as this had a great combination of beaches, restaurants and bars all within walking distance.
What to Do on Koh Yao Noi
So you’ve made the short hop to the island, now what? Koh Yao Noi has lots to offer both on the island and in the surrounding seas, these are our top recommendations for what to do on Koh Yao Noi.
The Beaches
Of course there are beaches! It is a Thai island! Lounging around and soaking up the South East Asian sun is practically mandatory island behaviour. Koh Yao Noi, whilst not having the massive white sand beaches of some of its neighbouring islands, has plenty of lovely spots to lay your towel down.
Our favourite beach was definitely Klong Jark (Location), eastward facing and, at least when we were there, pretty much deserted. We made camp under a tree and enjoyed the clear waters and shell strewn sands, whilst above us, hornbills flitted in and out of the trees.
Low tide at Klong Jark beach - just look at all those people!
On a day out with the scooters we also explored Long Beach (Location) and its diminutive neighbour; Little Long beach (Location). These two beaches were a little off of the beaten path (no paved approach on the scooters) but were beautiful and wild. Due to their remote location, there were only a handful of people there, so you pretty much had both beaches to yourself. There were signs that Long Beach used to have drinks stands and even a bar but it looks like these were victims of COVID and have not reopened so make sure you bring your own drinks and snacks.
Google Maps also shows another beach/ bay called Mankei Bay (Location) at the far north of the island; we would not recommend the scooter ride up there. The ride up and down is on a mixture of dirt roads and raised concrete paths only a couple of feet wide. We eventually gave up after 20 minutes and an incident involving a ditch and our scooter…. The lovely Thai man who came to help us said he sees lots of people come off on this road and he doesn’t understand what we are trying to get too, as there is only a resort and a large tree at the end of the trail. This leads us to believe that the beach may be part of the resort but, due to our ditch based mission abort, we cannot confirm this!
The Island of Ko Nok
The island of Ko Nok requires no longtail, speedboat or even kayak to reach it. At low tide you can just wander across a sandbar from the mainland to this tiny island. Park up your scooter (or just walk) next to the Stella restaurant (Location) and just walk down the sand. The island is small but the short walk there is definitely worth doing. As we wandered down the sand, with the sea either side of us, we scared away armies of tiny crabs. As we walked, the crabs rippled and flowed away from us, ducking into their burrows. The Island itself is small and rocky but gives a nice view of the island and, as long as you don't mind scrambling over the sharp stones, a good view out to sea.
Sunrise on Koh Yao Noi
If you are staying on the eastern side of Koh Yao Noi, then you are in prime position to catch an astounding sunrise. We and our friends groggily rose one morning and crossed the road between our accommodation and the beach. We set up camp and watched as the sun rose directly over the sea.
Sometimes an early morning start is worth it!
The sky rolled from the darkness of night through velvet purples and pinks before the warm light of dawn crept over the horizon. This sunset was extra special to us as it was nearly time for us to say goodbye to our friends. We are not morning people but sunrise on a Thai island is always worth waking up for. It was magical!
Hornbill Viewpoint (Location)
In the eastern village of Tha Khao, on the east coast of the island sits a large gaudy statue of two hornbills. This statue marks the entrance to the Hornbill Viewpoint. A short sharp walk up a set of stairs lies a large viewing platform. We had read in reviews that the Hornbill Viewpoint had been optimistically named as it isn’t the best place on the island to see these bizarre birds so we were not too hopeful about our chances. Sure enough we looked out from the viewing platform and saw no yellow beaked avians. We did hear monkeys and the view was worth the short climb so we didn’t feel cheated, we also noticed a path down to the coast that ran under the viewpoint and decided to investigate.
Our curiosity was immediately rewarded, just under the viewing platform and only a few metres from where we all stood, perched a hornbill! They really are strange looking birds with their large curved yellow beaks topped with what looks a little like a jet engine! Not to undercut the excitement of the moment but we would later find that they are not exactly rare on Koh Yao Noi, after this initial encounter we saw them quite frequently, perched on trees next to the beach or just flying about.
The little path that we had followed, drops down to a picturesque little cove which was also definitely worth an explore. If you’re after a beach to yourself, then you’ve found it here!
There is no entrance fee to the viewpoint, just park up next to the pier and cross the small concrete bridge.
Boat Trips
Like all the Thai islands, you can organise boat trips around the surrounding islands from Koh Yao Noi. Koh Yao Noi has an advantage over Phuket for this as it is closer to the day trip islands of James Bond Island, Koh Phi Phi etc so you will spend less time travelling and more time enjoying the sights. Having come from Phuket and having done a boat tour there already, we decided to book a private boat for us and our friends to explore the 4 Island tour. This turned out to be a fantastic decision!
We spent the day on our own long tail bouncing between different islands, climbing viewpoints, snorkelling around and lounging on beaches. The day included everything, from the snorkels, to water and lunch. You could have done it slightly cheaper as part of a boat but we and our friends felt like treating ourselves and got a private longtail boat.
Boat smiles - it was so nice to see our besties from home!
We negotiated with a travel agent in a shack on a beach (you’ve got to love Thailand) for a private longtail boat for four people and it cost 2500 baht in total (£58.58 or $72.86) for the day.
Exploring the Island by Scooter
Koh Yao Noi is not a large island compared to its neighbour Phuket, but it is not a tiny island like Koh Lipe either. Walking from the east to the west of the island would take the best part of an hour and north to south would take longer still. There are taxis available on Koh Yao Noi but you would have to pre book them or get someone to arrange one as they are not frequent or possible to flag down from the road reliably. Scooters therefore, are essential. They are also not expensive at 250 baht per day (£5.86 or $7.29) plus petrol, and are also great fun!
With a scooter you can go all the way around the island on paved roads, the island's main road (if you can call it that) circuits the centre of the island. As the road is circular you can ride all over the main parts of the island, below is a route starting in the south east but you could start it from wherever you rent your bike from.
Ride up to Klong Jark Beach and have a paddle, then ride the picturesque road over the hill and down to Tha Kao village. You can park here easily, in a carpark near the pier and go to visit the Hornbill Viewpoint, or check out the local shops and restaurants. You can also grab a coffee from our favourite stall (more on this later).
After Tha Kao village, leave the village going north, and ride up over some beautiful hills. Continue following the road until this (Location), follow this road keeping left at the fork in the road. Stay on this road north until you reach the junction of Tong Do Pier. The Tong Do pier is worth a walk up as it sticks out over mangrove forests and into the sea. If you visit at low tide you should see lots of hunting wading birds trying to snack on the crabs and also some mudskippers hopping their way from puddle to puddle. Time this stop right for a lunch break and treat yourself to some seafood at Pradu Seafood Restaurant (more on this later) From Tong Do Pier, you can either continue north up the island then double back or continue round as we did.
Drive south and follow the tree lined road until it finally curves left next to a public park. If you are not tired of piers you can park up here and go find another pier (Location) on the other side of the park. If not the road curves around and into the main town of the island. In town there are restaurants, street food vendors as well as souvenir, alcohol and clothes shops. This is a good place to stock up on snacks and supplies (the ubiquitous Honda Click scooters have a good sized storage space under the seat). There is even a 7/11 if you are craving a cheese toasty!
After the town the road continues down south before curving east and back up to the coast you started from.
If you don't mind a little dirt track riding then in the north of the island, just past Tha Khao Village you can explore Long Beach and Little Long Beach. We did push a little further to try and reach the very north of the island, but due to an aforementioned rendezvous with a ditch we did not get all the way and cannot really recommend it!
Scooter tips:
Insist on a helmet for every driver and passenger. We really don’t understand why you wouldn’t do this, but we see so many holiday makers riding without one. It’s such a simple thing to wear a helmet and you would feel disgustingly stupid if you chose not to and something bad happened.
Your bike may not have a great deal of fuel in it when you rent it! Always check the fuel gauge and top up if needed. Luckily fuel is very inexpensive on Koh Yao Noi, just pull up anywhere with a pump, pay for however much fuel you want and they will fill you up. You can also buy fuel by the bottle from most stores. Just look out for repurposed coke or liquor bottles filled with an orange liquid.
Cars and vans are not common on Koh Yao Noi but they are there and the roads are not massive, just be aware.
The roads vary in quality across the island, be wary of potholes and speed bumps as there are lots of both!
Other Things to Do on Koh Yao Noi - What We Missed!
The Island of Koh Yao Yai
Noi’s larger southern neighbour is much less popular with tourists (not that Noi is busy) and much more sparsely populated. You can catch the ferry several times a day to hop across from Noi to Yai, check with you accommodation for times, or head to Manoh Pier (Location). If you are coming from Phuket the ferry stops at Yai after Noi, and Koh Yao Yai does look (from the internet at least) beautiful. Next time we will split our time and stay on both islands
Kayaking
From the eastern beach, right outside Ciao Bella you can rent kayaks and set off around the coast of the island. We have done this before in Koh Mook so we were super excited to do this. The weather, however, apparently wasn’t. The lady on the stall said it was too windy to rent them out and we trust her island knowledge! Next time Noi, next time…
Where to Eat on Koh Yao Noi?
Dotted all over the island are lots of little restaurants, hawker stalls, cafe’s and roti stands. The price, like all Thai islands, is slightly more than the mainland but there is a wealth of lovely grub to be had whilst staying on the island. Below are our top picks from our time on Koh Yao Noi.
Leks (Location)
Located on the ring road around the island and (not that we are lazy) within easy walking distance from our accommodation, Leks is a charming restaurant serving up all manner of Thai food classics from fried rice, to curries pad krapow and all the other favourites. We had a lovely meal including a great massaman curry. Rich, creamy and nutty, it was everything a massaman curry should be.
Rabianglay Resturant (Location)
The best things in life often aren’t always on Google Maps or TripAdvisor. We had set out to eat at the “Sea Gypsy'' restaurant but had found it closed. A little way down the beach road we found Rabianglay Resturant. Not being in the mood to prolong lunch any further we decided to sit down. The open dining room looks across the road and out to sea and afforded a peaceful background to our lunch. We all were seduced by the Yellow crab curry with noodles on the menu and this turned out to be an excellent decision! Loads of crab in a fragrant broth with slippy, almost tagliatelle style noodle, it was exactly the kind of dish you want to find beachside on a Thai island.
Paired with this was the most delicious coconut smoothie we’ve encountered so far. Made with coconut milk, water and ice cream, this was a tropical island in a glass.
Pradu Seafood (Location)
We are not a fan of lists; bucket lists, to-do lists, must-sees etc.Lists all tend to constrain you and lead people to have very copy-paste or at least similar, experiences. That said however, we had been wanting to go to a sea front Thai style seafood joint since entering the country. On Koh Yao Noi we finally broke the seal and went for it. Pradu Seafood certainly fitted the bill in what we wanted aesthetically, a sprawling wooden platform raised over the tidal flats with views out towards the sea, it was the perfect setting for some seafood!
We ordered the Thai style deep fried fish as it is something we adore. The fish combined with a spicy Som Tam salad should make for a perfect lunch! Our friends, who we would shortly be very jealous of, ordered a large amount of crab. Our meals arrived and our fish was fantastic, super crispy (to the point where even the spines were delicious) and deliciously garlicky, whilst also juicy and moist. The Som Tam salad was sour, sweet and spicy, everything it should be. Our friend's meal however was really something to behold. A mountain of crab cooked and coated in a yellow curry towered on a large sharing plate. They generously shared some with us (we weren’t looking at them like pleading puppies in a window, honest), and it was amazing!The crab was super sweet but tempered and enhanced by the mild yellow curry.
The restaurant was surprisingly affordable, this was obviously a bit of a treat meal but was not as dear as we worried it may be! Definitely worth a stop if you fancy treating yourself to an amazing seafood feast!
Our tip for next time would be to go with a group and order lots of dishes to share.
Western Options
Ciao Bella (Location)
It has happened before and will happen again, we wanted a pizza. Ciao Bella restautant is situated in a prime location right on the beach front overlooking the sea. We ordered a Diavolo and a Napoli pizza and both were fantastic with gooey stringy mozzarella and piquant salami and salty anchovies.
Eating a pizza whilst waves crashed next to us, might not be an authentic Thai experience but it was still amazing!
There are actually a couple of different restaurants on Koh Yao Noi boasting Italian pizzas but Ciao Bella’s location was unbeatable… It was also directly opposite our beach front bungalow.
Green House Coffee (Location)
This German style bakery and cafe serves up fresh baked breads and meals. We came here one morning and treated ourselves to the “Farmer’s Breakfast”. A plate full of fried potatoes, Onions, Bacon and Scrambled eggs was swiftly plonked down in front of us. Was it Thai? No. Was it delicious? Yes!
If you’re craving a hearty breakfast and roti is just not doing it for you, this is a great choice.
Sabai Corner Restaurant (Location)
The most scenic of the breakfast options, Sabai Corner serves all manner of breakfast choices including fresh baked goods, eggs in every way and a variety of fruit juice and cleansing shakes. With views over Klong Jark beach and out to the Andaman sea, it's a very picturesque way to start the day.
The Sabai Corner Restaurant is part of a hotel but you can just turn up here to eat.
Coffee shops
Cafe Kantary (Location)
If you're in the mood for an upmarket coffee on Koh Yao Noi, then we would recommend visiting Cafe Kantary. Boasting an extensive coffee menu as well as quite a few food offerings, Cafe Kantary has a great garden and views out across the sea.
We can vouch that their Thai iced coffee is excellent, and if you’re feeling a little more exotic, the Vietnamese drip coffee is also great.
Coffee Stall Tha Ko (Approximate Location)
At the other end of the scale is a great local coffee shop. A wooden counter with a spray of syrups, concentrates and other brightly coloured liquids greets you as you pull up.
Serving cheap, Thai style coffee, drinks and sweet buns this is a little treasure to stumble across. There is no google listing but the stall is next door to the rock climbing shop and across from a dive centre.
Going for a Drink on Koh Yao Noi - Nightlife on the Island
Let’s state the obvious, Koh Yao Noi is not Phuket. If you are looking for massive parties, questionable buckets of drink and thousands of Westerners making poor decisions then Koh Yao Noi may not be for you. If, however, you are looking for a nice drink and maybe a game of pool then the island can happily provide. Just note Koh Yao Noi is predominately Muslim and therefore alcohol is not as widely available across the island. Lots of the restaurants will not serve alcohol, so if you want a drink head to one of the bars.
O2 Beach Bar (Location)
Located a stone's throw from our accommodation this small wooden bar sits directly on the sands of the beach. Serving cocktails and beer this cosy little bar quickly became our go-to pre meal drinking spot.
Jellie beer price index - 1 x small bottle of Leo cost 80 baht (£1.88 or $2.33)
Extra Time Sports Bar (Location)
Ok the name doesn’t really sell it but trust us this bar is well worth a visit! Good atmosphere, live music on certain nights and (most importantly) a free pool table. This bar was the scene for several great nights with us and our friends. Even if John is terrible at pool. Also it is worth mentioning that the food here is not bad either!
Jellie beer price index - 1 x small bottle of Leo cost 85 baht (£1.99 or $2.48)
Charlies Bar (Location)
We always manage to find a bar like Charlies wherever we go, a laid back, old school beach bar. Cobbled together driftwood and lined with beachy trinkets, Charlies Bar had the proper relaxed vibe of an island bar. It also had a free pool table!
Jellie beer price index - unsure as we didn’t record it!
Sunset Bar (Location)
We only stopped in here briefly but we had to include it on the list, facing westward out to see the sunset bar definitely lives up to its name. As the sun began to climb down for the day the raised platform of the bar, with its cushions and stools filled up. We had a non-alcoholic cocktail (responsible scootering!) and it was excellent.
360 Bar (Location)
There had been signs for the 360 bar all over the island but getting to it proved to be more interesting than the other island bars. Come off of the main island ring road and down a dirt track and you will come to a house at the bottom of a steep hill. Here a man will drive you 2 minutes up the hill to the 360 bar. The view is definitely worth it, a (nearly) 360 degree vista from the vantage point of one of the tallest hills on the island. We watched the sun sink down from the outwards facing bar seating with a cold beer and it was a great way to see out the day.
Jellie beer price index - 1 x small bottle of Leo cost 90 baht (£2.11 or $2.62)
Beer Shops
The true backpacker bar is the one you make yourself, or so we reckon. Koh Yao Noi is nominally a Muslim island and beer/alcohol is not for sale at the 7/11. You can , however, buy alcohol at a number of shops around the island. We found the best value spots were all in the main town around the 7/11. Just respect the local customs, don't throw their concession to tourism in their faces and definitely don't be those a***h**le farangs drunkenly littering the beaches.
How Long Should I Spend on Koh Yao Noi?
Koh Yao Noi is the perfect place to relax and unwind after one of the busier islands or Ao Nang/Railay beach.
Depending on how long you want to spend chilling on a beach will determine how long you want to stay on the island. Most of the island's sites can be visited within a day if you rent your own scooter and get a wiggle on!
However, we would recommend slowing down, taking a boat trip or two and really relax into the slow paced island life.
So we would say four full days would be a good start, you can do it quicker or slower it all depends on your style of travel.
Next time we go, we will probably do two/three days on Noi and three days on Yai but this is because it would be a return trip and not our first time.
Is Koh Yao Noi Worth a Visit?
This is a dumb question, we’re mainly keeping it in as its one people seem to be searching for a lot on Google. In our opinion, Koh Yao Noi was absolutely worth it. The island was a perfect escape and contrast to its busy neighbours of Phuket, Ao Nang and Railay. The island had plenty to do, with quiet roads and beaches and enough bars and restaurants to keep you happily fed and watered for a good while. The only time we would say this island may not be for you, is if what you want is beach parties, raves and buckets of cheap alcohol. Koh Yao Noi is not a party island, and if you came expecting it because it was a “Thai Island” you would be disappointed.
If you’re on a short holiday (two weeks or so) and you were just going to Phuket/Ao Nang, then definitely carve a few days out to go to this quieter island.
If you’re on a longer trip, definitely add it to your Thai island hopping itinerary.
Final Thoughts
Koh Yao Noi was a breath of fresh air. After the crowded tourist stuffed island of Phuket, reaching Noi felt like we were back to the Thailand we know and love. Laid back with an unhurried pace of life, with a background of natural beauty, Koh Yao Noi was a perfect getaway for those looking for a chilled out Thai island. There is plenty to do and lots of food and drink options to keep you occupied. Next time we are there (and we’re sure there will be a next time), we will stay a little longer but split our time with the island of Koh Yao Yai.
Thank you for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
*Prices correct at time of visiting - February 2023
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