Santhu
Every time I plan to travel to Thailand, I would like to cover up some of the most underrated travel destinations of the country, since Thailand has the greatest underrated destinations in the world. If you’ve same kind of perception, this article may be more helpful to you.
If you made a plan or are looking for a great destination between Phuket and Krabi, I strongly recommend visiting “Koh Yao Noi”. Yes, Koh Yao Noi is the quietest place in Northern Thailand and even in Phang Nga Bay, ideally located where you can reach either through both the sides within an half an hour.
This time I would like to present Koh Yao Noi travel tips through unique things to do and how to reach Koh Yao Noi in a different travel experience, instead of the same list of kayaking, snorkelling and beach activities. And I hope the things below will really make you feel like visiting and doing things again and again.
These 9 Things I’d Actually do Again
1. Get Up at 5 A.M to Watch Rubber Tapping
Maybe you may have heard about rubber tapping and processes involved in from tapping to latex. Koh Yao Noi is home to vast areas of rubber plantation where tapping happens in the dark (especially between 4 or 5 AM to 7 or 8 AM) before the sun heats up and latex slows down.
During these timings as a visitor you’d observe closely workers move through the rows with headlamps for slicing a thin spiral of each rubber tree’s trunk and hanging small cups to catch the drip.
Before leaving your room during early morning make sure that rubber tapping is a slow process, precise and physically harder one. So, it is better to keep mosquito repellent and wear waterproof/ wet shoes.
Finding where exactly rubber tapping takes place is very easy, since the region is filled with vast areas of rubber plantations (especially island’s interior parts) and one of the island’s main livelihoods, surely you’ll find it once you ask with local families or homestays or even at community tourism offices.
2. Ride the Loop Road, Stop Where the Map Doesn’t
Every previous backpacker helped me out to rent a scooter and travel at loop road, but I’m not saying they’re wrong, it is right. The main road circles most of the island and takes only a couple of hours if you don’t stop. Roads will be more fantastic to travel, but take some stops constantly.
Turn down the unmarked side roads. Some end at fishing shacks, some at empty stretches of mangrove coast and in some places you’ll see people selling coconut from the back of a pickup. If you’re so interested in talking to them or buying stuff like fishing items, you can stop and talk to them for twenty minutes.
Since I didn’t make much plan, I would like to give some practical tips to you before starting riding your scooter at Loop road.
- Don’t forget to wear a helmet, it is compulsory and safe. While driving Police officers are seriously checking raiders and sometimes they have a right to put penalty either for speeding or driving without helmets.
- Don’t expect roads to be smooth and clean. There’re some places you’d go through potholes, loose gravel. Occasionally dogs asleep in the lane, be careful while driving to speed.
- Fill fuels to your scooter or bike early. Stations are few and small.
- Rentals are cheap, but photograph the bike before you leave the rental shops.
3. Eat Where the Fishermen Eat
This “Koh Yao Noi” island made me eat unique seafood, although it was eaten in a completely different place. But a tourist facing restaurant with illuminated menus is the least interesting way to do it.
I personally recommend everyone to eat fish dishes and Thai meals at simple roadside spots and small family run places near the piers, where the catch comes in that morning.
Usually local fishermen prefer to eat grilled fish with sharp nam jim dipping sauce and southern style yellow curry with crab. I tried both these dishes and it was really mouthwatering.
If you go with additional dish species, try sticky rice with mango during winter and shoulder season. Although, fresh coconut rice creams from a cart are even really mouthwatering dishes, I can add to everyone who visits during summer.
Ask what’s fresh today rather than reading the menu. If there is no English menu and full tables of locals, just sit down. Prices are usually far lower than in resort areas and portions are generous.
4. Do Community Based Tourism Stuffs
Koh Yao Noi has been ranked one of the great islands for social tourism and community based tourism. Quietly running community led tourism for many years, even before responsible travel became a marketing phrase.
All you need to do is skip the resort’s packaged trips like cultural experiences, combo family travel packs and book directly with the local families. I personally experience community based tourism through cooking class in a family kitchen.
During my community centric tourism it helped me to get perfect insights about how local Thai cooking classes work. With coconut milk squeezed by hand and curry pounded in a stone mortar, same like a staged demonstration.
During my cooking session I’ll eat what I cooked, sitting on the floor with the family and get some basic idea about why southern Thai food is spicier and more turmeric heavier than Bangkok. Local families even offer homestays, cooking lessons, batik paintings, fishing tips and village walks. Choose any one of these community centered activities that fit your travel interests.
5. Kayak the Mangroves, not just the Bay
If you sort out your Koi Yao Noi trip to do as much as water activities especially with your family/partner, I vividly remember even today my Kayaking Mangroves. The limestone karsta across the water are a famous sight. Interestingly its mangrove channels are the more intimate experiences.
Buy a kayak and paddle at high tide, early morning or late evening for better experiences. The reason is very simple: during these periods water is glassy and light is soft.
Remember during your kayaking there’re more chances to slip between tangled roots, but don’t worry, its ok. My advice is to just watch mudskippers hop along the banks and spot kingfishers and sea eagles. Don’t miss to take photos of these birds and enjoy the rhythm of your own paddles, thanks to more tranquil and calm atmospheres.
My advice to everyone who wants to kayak on this island is to skip midday tours with fifteen kayaks and a loud guide. Go on a small and early journey. Better to hire a local longtail owner to drop you off and collect you later. Besides its costs, the experience is really awesome.
6. Take a Slow Boat to somewhere that isn’t Hong Island
If you ask local tour operators which is the best place for a slow boat ride experience, they will probably help you to reach the nearest Hong Island and other famous islands. It is common and some of them are beautiful.
Most of the islands are crowded by mid morning, better to ask a local longtail captain about smaller, less visited islets and beaches nearby. Where you can choose your pace, skip the crowds, stop where you like and swim in water that doesn’t have fifty other people in it.
Keep in mind a private longtail costs more per person than a big group tour if you’re solo, but split between 4 or 5 people and it’s competitive. However, don’t forget to bring your own snacks, sunscreen and dry bag for safety and versatile weather conditions.
Maintaining accurate timing is crucial. Better to leave early in the morning and be back by early afternoon, and you’ll have more spots to yourself. One thing is sure which I can observe here is if you good at bargaining or negotiating may be route map and price will be low.
7. Chase the Tide
One of the best things to do in Koh Yao Noi is to chase the tide off the shores. The island doesn’t appear in any brochure: the tidal flats. At low tide, wide stretches of sand and mud open up along parts of the coast, which help us to see while the shoreline changes character.
Chasing tide isn’t a big task, you have an option of a tide chart where you can check before plan day. Go at low tide for a walk and go at high tide for swimming and kayaking. Try to wear old shoes where there’re more chances to attack shells.
What I experienced here is that beaches here aren’t all day swimming beaches, it is only decided by its tidal effects. It really surprised me and it looked like Maldives style lagoons.
Bring your own camera to get perfect captures of crab’s scuttles, small fishes are trapped in shallow pools and local girls walking out to gather shellfishes.
8. Take a Ride to See Koh Yao Noi Surroundings
Koh Yao Noi is a great island to see apart from its vital point. There’re plenty of scooters and cruising available around you which you can rent/hire on your own time.
But my favourite is the scooter, I feel it is easy and budget friendly to me. Normally a scooter is available at 200 Thai Baht at Fortune Travel for one day and you can travel to the most remote and village region of the island. I pick a map from my hotel for some designated points and places and even for clear directions.
I entered fishing villages to see and eat local fish dishes and how fishermen’s lifestyle is all about and extends to great beaches, local townships and even some rows of farms.
The interesting thing here is, there is a ring road that circles the island with a few little side roads which help to do more sightseeing and explorations.
9. Do Nothing, Properly
It sounds weird but it’s the actual skill of Koh Yao Noi. Compared to Thailand’s iconic places like Bangkok, Pattaya, Phukhet, Chiang Mai or Ayutthaya, there’re no such big nightlife, no mall and such cultural or historic attractions.
So, the only way to enjoy a more tranquil experience is to sit on a porch, watch the light change over the water and let your day pass without doing any impressive activities. “Art of Doing Nothing” can sometimes positively improve your travel experience and enjoy some of the surrounding feelings, just try it here.
However, finish your afternoon nap and try to walk to a viewpoint at the end of the day to watch the sun drop behind the karsts with a cold drink. Sometimes when I’m in Koh Yao Noi I feel it is an interesting idea to speed hours on the island without doing nothing, just relaxing.
Some Practical Tips You Must Consider Here in Koh Yao Noi
How to Getting There
Usually speedboats and longtail ferries are more ideal choices to reach Island. Both speedboats and ferries run from 2 distinct places; Phuket’s Bang Rong pier and from Krabi’s Tha Len Pier.
Reaching to Koh Yao Noi is straightforward and crossings are short. But my simple advice, sometimes your ferry or boats schedules may vary due to tides and weather conditions, so confirm the day before.
Which Is the Best Time to Visit?
My straight answer is “Dry Season”. Roughly season starts from November to April, when you or even family members easily do all the above things very easily even to wander the outskirts of the island.
If you’re too budget conscious and looking for low prices and few travel crowds, May to October could be an ideal season for you. But be ready for occasional rain, rougher seas and limited boat services.
Where to Stay?
I stayed at small bungalows and homestays. There’re major reasons behind why I stayed in small bungalows and homestays. Usually these 2 stays are run by the families, and they help me get a close feeling of community tourism, local Thai cooking classes and guide how to explore its courtyards.
However, these bungalows and homestays are literally lower cost than the rest of the premier or mid range resorts. If you want to get real touch with people who know the island well or local island culture, maybe this will be a better option for you. All you need to do is book your stay well in advance.
What to Keep?
I personally felt that the island has limited ATM services and even some local shops or small areas don’t allow your cards, so they follow traditional cash transactions. So, keep sufficient cash.
Additionally, keep Mosquitoes, pack repellent and sandflies up at dusk.
My final thought about Koh Yao No Island is this, if you’re less interested in nightlifes, bustling city vibes or ancient/historic attraction and high expectation for slowness, maybe the island is going to be the ultimate destination to you in Thailand.
Additional Contents;
1. White Temple, Chiang Rai, Thailand.
2. Choose These Asiand Places to Your Upcoming Travel.
