On Phi Phi Island there are no roads and everything is delivered to the island via boats and carted around by many men. They even take your bags to your hotel for you!
On our last night in Phi Phi we went to the famous Reggae Bar that has a Muay Thai arena in the middle. They have some professional fighters but mainly it’s tourists fighting eachother trying to win a bucket of alcohol.
The next morning we got a speedboat to Koh Yao Yai. We wouldn’t normally get a speedboat as we’ve seen some interesting journeys on them but there are no ferries between the two islands so we bit the bullet.
The sea was fairly calm but it was still quite intense with some big waves and we hung onto the seats! Luckily the journey was only about 45 minutes.
Koh Yao Yai is one of the last islands in Thailand not to have a large tourism industry so it is very quiet and peaceful, definitely needed after Phi Phi. Our hosts met us at the pier and gave us a lift to their homestay which has only two bungalows and no one else staying in the other one so it’s very peaceful!
After checking in we headed to Laem Had Beach at the north of the island as it’s famous for being very picturesque and you can walk out quite far on the sandbank when the tide is out.
Just down the road from where we’re staying is Yao Yai Cafe and Restaurant which is one of the reasons we picked to stay there as it had amazing reviews. It hasn’t disappointed!
It is owned by a Thai lady and her German husband who used to run 5 star hotels and you can tell! It’s the best service we’ve had anywhere and is also the best value. You can’t get better than Thai hospitality and German efficiency!
We have yet to see another live snake but so far we’ve seen over five dead snakes so they must be around…
At the bottom of the island there is a very secluded beach called Son Bay Beach. It’s extremely quiet and there was a local man selling coconuts for 20 baht! We stayed a few hours here and caught up on some reading.
Also another amazing beach we found is called Loh Pared Beach. It’s slightly busier but we walked all the way down the end and it is empty with crystal clear water!
Yesterday we went on a Mangrove Kayak tour which lasted for three hours. First we paddled an hour to a small village where the guide lives.
The first selection was fairly wide and open but then got progressively thinner which tested our kayaking skills… It’s a work in progress!
When we got to the village the guide gave us a couple of coconuts each fresh from his garden. Some of the best we’ve tried so far!
On the kayak back we saw many animals including monkeys, fish, crabs, a snake and a hornbill!
The tour was fantastic and a good workout. We got to met his uncles large buffalo and at the end of the tour we even got an ice cold hand towel. Very impressed.
This morning we’ve come to Donya Cafe which is surrounded by rainforests and is very picturesque. They do great smoothies and you can watch the buffalo’s relaxing in their mud baths!
Tomorrow we leave to go to Koh Yao Noi which although is the smaller island, it is supposed to be slightly more touristy.
LittleSandyBeach 
Leave a comment