Koh Yao Noi (“small long island”) and Koh Yao Yai (“big long island”) lie in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, half an hour by speedboat from Phuket and about the same from Krabi, yet they feel a generation removed from both. Most islanders are Muslim and still fish, tap rubber or farm.
Yao Noi is the more developed of the two, with a ring road, a small main village and resorts along the east coast facing the bay’s limestone islands. Yao Yai is larger, emptier and has the better beaches. Neither has a party scene, and that is the point.
Top things to do: Koh Yao Noi & Koh Yao Yai
Circle the island by scooter or bicycle
Yao Noi’s ring road is about 18 km of rice fields, water buffalo, rubber groves and fishing piers, with little traffic. Yao Yai needs a scooter for its longer distances.
Reach the hongs early
From the east coast of Yao Noi a private longtail can be among the limestone islands and lagoons of the bay — Koh Hong, Koh Lao Lading, Koh Pak Bia — before the tour boats from Phuket and Krabi arrive.
Beaches of Yao Yai
Laem Had, a sand spit at the northern tip of Yao Yai, and Loh Paret on the west coast are the pick. Many beaches here are very shallow at low tide, so plan swims around the tide table.
How to get to Koh Yao Noi & Koh Yao Yai
- From Phuket: speedboats and slower longtail ferries run from Bang Rong Pier, about 30 minutes from the airport.
- From Krabi: boats cross from Tha Len Pier, north of Ao Nang, and some speedboats run from Ao Nang itself.
- Boats between the two Yao islands take only a few minutes.
Insider tips
- Dress modestly away from the beach, and note that alcohol is sold mainly in resorts and tourist restaurants.
- ATMs are few. Bring enough cash for small restaurants and boat hire.
- East-coast beaches on Yao Noi are more about the view than swimming; check tides.
Best tours & tickets for Koh Yao Noi & Koh Yao Yai
These well-reviewed experiences are the easiest way to see Koh Yao Noi & Koh Yao Yai:
Boat tour with canoeing from €60 Phuket: 7 Wonders of Phang Nga Bay 6-Islands Tour
A full sweep of Phang Nga Bay in one day: the limestone needle made famous by a Bond film, paddled canoes into hidden lagoons and a swim stop on Koh Yao Yai. Rated 4.8 by well over two thousand travellers.
- James Bond Island and Koh Panak
- Sea-cave canoeing at Koh Hong
- Beach time on Koh Yao Yai
Afternoon-to-evening canoe trip from €116 Phuket: Phang Nga Bay Bioluminescent Plankton and Sea Canoes
An afternoon departure that reaches the caves as the day boats leave, then waits for nightfall to paddle through bioluminescent water. Rated 4.8 by more than two and a half thousand travellers.
- Guided canoes through sea caves into hidden lagoons
- Stay after dark to see glowing plankton
- Dinner on board
