Thailand Part 3: Ko Yao Noi

Halfway between Phuket and Krabi (30 minute long boat ride from either) is the island of Ko Yao Noi. Seemingly remote by bustling Phuket standards, this island epitomizes true relaxation. Tim and I decided on Koyao Island Resort on a recommendation from one his coworkers, and boy was it worth it.

We arrived by Tuk-Tuk – one of the main methods of transportation on the narrow, little streets and were promptly shown the way to our open-air beach villa.

he villa was spacious, but made us immediately wish for one with walls. We were traveling at the beginning of the rainy season, which is full of mosquitos and quite humid. We had other visitors in our villa, including snails, bird, bat, crab, spider and snake – but fortunately for all involved, we had a mosquito net to keep the critters out.

We spent our entire first day by this glorious infinity pool. There were only 6 other occupied villas on the property, so we had the pool to ourselves for the majority of the time.

Prior to our trip, I did some research on cooking classes in Thailand. With Tim’s shellfish allergy, we were a bit restricted. Luckily for us, we found Mina, who recommended a private class in order to better control the ingredient list. We chose an appetizer, two entrees, a desert and a juice. Mina also surprised us with Pad Thai, which was to die for.

Menu:

• Papaya Salad / Som Tam
• Yellow Curry with Chicken / Gaeng Gati Gai
• Panang Curry
• Pad Thai 
• Sticky rice with mango / Khao Nooe Mamuang
• Lemongrass juice / Nam Ta Krai

Papaya Salad 

Yellow Curry

Pad Thai

Mina spoke perfect English, not common on the island, and was a wonderful host and teacher. She sent us home with our desert and a cook book, which we’ve already referenced back home. The entire experience was well worth it and we really enjoyed it.

Rainy start to the day but we had Ko Gai all to ourselves! In the low tide, you can walk across to the next island. 

On our third day, we hired a private charter tour of the Phang Nga Bay islands. It started out as a rainy, stormy day.

However, our fearless guide, Ping, insisted the tour must go on and it ended up being a perfect day. We snorkeled. We met sea urchins. We had drinks on a secluded island. We even swam in the most pristine lagoon anyone has ever seen.

Making friends with the locals 

Important tip: most people head straight to Ko Phi Phi to take in views of Maya Bay. The truth is, the smaller islands in the bay are far less crowded and infinitely more beautiful. Just something to consider if you want to go off the beaten path.

That night, we hoped to try a French restaurant on the island, but it was closed for the season. Instead, we ventured into town to have dinner at Kaya, which served the best Thai food we’d ever had. The women who worked here were lovely and extremely accommodating of our requests (no oyster sauce, no shrimp paste). The best part was that our hotel arranged for transportation there and our driver was waiting for us when we finished dinner. Everyone was beyond hospitable.

The next day, we took a long-tail boat heading to Krabi. 

Video Block

Double-click here to add a video by URL or embed code. Learn more

Thailand Part 2: Phuket

Our next stop after Bangkok was Phuket. Roughly 500 miles south of the capitol, Phuket is a 10 ½ hour bus ride or 1 hour flight. Admittedly, I was really anxious about flying around Thailand. Recent events involving Asian low-cost carriers gave me nightmares for months. I even researched Thai airlines that follow FAA guidelines. (TIP: there aren’t very many that fly domestic). While we kept inter-Thailand air travel to a minimum by sticking around the West coast, we weren’t about to let fear get in the way of our adventures. Plus, the flights ended up being pretty pleasant.

Important TIP: When booking your flights in and out of Bangkok, be sure to note the airport. Bangkok has two: BKK for most International flights and DMK for most domestic. However, always double check because the 45 minute distance could make the difference between making and missing your flight. This almost cost us a day at the beach but luckily our friends at W Bangkok helped us out.

In Phuket, we stayed at the Renaissance Phuket Resort and Spa. The resort was a modern oasis with everything you could possibly want. We were really happy with our choice, which was located in quieter, Northern Phuket. We stayed two nights and it was the perfect amount of time to unwind and switch gears to beach mode.

Early bird gets the best seat. I take vacation very seriously. 

After lounging by the pool and indulging in Thai massages at the beach ($15 each!!!!) the first day, we decided to head into Phuket Town to explore the next day. We booked a shuttle bus to town through our hotel. Upon arrival in town, we were greeted by a local tourist guide who offered to take us around town and to Patong Beach for 1000 Baht ($30). This ended up being a perfect choice as we got to explore some unique spots we wouldn’t have otherwise found or ventured to in the heat.

Our first stop was Khao Rang Hill View Point, where we hung out with some locals.

Local monkeys welcome visitors on  Khao Rang Hill.

These monkeys were pretty docile, but beware of their little fingers – especially if you have snacks.

The view from the hill was spectacular and well worth the air-conditioned ride. We even found a shaded spot to relax.

On our way down, we stopped at the Sitting Buddha – another must-see in town – before heading to Patong Beach.

Famous for its nightlife, Patong Beach is a people watching paradise. From tourists to massage parlors and street hawkers to lady boys, there’s never a dull moment here. We spent the afternoon exploring the shops and had dinner at Hooter’s. We’d heard the food wasn’t great in Patong, so we took a break from Thai food to nosh on beer and wings. Tim had such a great time, he was ready to join in as a Hooters Lady Boy.

                    Looking good, Tim-O. 

From there, we parked at a street-side bar on Bangla road to take it all on. TIP: This is definitely not a kid-friendly area. Be prepared to be accosted about Ping Pong shows and other raunchy things.

The scene on Bangla Road 

Overall, we both enjoyed Phuket but we were glad we only booked two nights here. However, had we stayed longer, we would have booked excursions to some of the smaller islands in the bay. 

Thailand Part 1: Bangkok

When we were choosing our honeymoon destination, our only criteria was that it had to be far away destination neither of us had ever been. When else can you take two full weeks off without getting the stink eye from your boss? We perused Pinterest and Barnes and Noble to get inspired. Should we sail around Croatia? Safari in South Africa? Flop around on beaches of Tahiti? After months of indecision, we finally decided on Thailand. A perfect blend of culture and beach-side relaxation. And boy was it perfect.

In all fairness, getting to Asia is a long and expensive journey. We flew out of Boston and connected in Dubai. With the layover, our travel time was 21 hours. Luckily for us, the supervisor at the Emirates check in was kind enough to offer us a honeymoon special on a business class upgrade. That made the first leg of our trip much more enjoyable. TIP: If you're travelling for a special occasion, be sure to let agents know. It never hurts to ask for an upgrade and people usually willing to do something nice for you to make your experience more memorable. 

In Bangkok, we stayed at the W Hotel in the bustling Silom neighborhood – full of skyscrapers and luxury hotels. It was a 45-minute taxi ride from Suvarnabhumi Airport. TIP: Print out your hotel names in both English and Thai. Many Thai speak excellent English, but it never hurts to be prepared.

We spent our first day relaxing. After all, we just had a really big weekend so we needed to ease into the trip. The W has a pool overlooking the city on the 6th floor. It’s an urban oasis with W-class drinks and bites, with a modern flair. Bangkok in May is extremely hot and humid, so we could only spend a few hours sun bathing. After a luxuriously long nap, we ventured out to our first night market.

Asiatique is large open-air, modern market on the Chao Phraya River. After indulging in some Thai food at one of the stalls, we headed straight for the Ferris wheel to take in views of the city.

The second day was dedicated to exploring historic Bangkok. We took a cab to Wat Pho and walked to Grand Palace, the amulet market and even ferried over to Wat Arun from there. TIP: Pack flip flops, light pants and t-shirts for visiting temples. Ankles and shoulders must be covered, and shoes are not allowed in homes or sacred places.

After a full day of exploring, we headed to the Vertigo Bar at the Banyan Tree Hotel. It was supposed to rain, but it held off long enough for us to enjoy champagne, overlooking the city from the 61st floor roof deck. You can also enjoy a fine dinner here, but given the weather, we opted for a spot nearby where we could try Northern, Isan food called Somtum Der. Highly recommend the fried Isan sausage and pork neck (shellfish safe, but more on that later).

The view from the top. 

We spent our final day exploring the Jim Thompson House. Jim Thompson was an American who single-handedly helped revive the Thai silk trade by selling it to fashion houses in New York, London and Paris. He built a traditional Thai home in Bangkok, where he collected various art and heirlooms, still on display today. Visitors can tour his home, shop silk goodies (we got these adorable silk elephant napkins and pocket squares for Tim) and learn about his mysterious disappearance in Malaysia.

Silkworms and dyed silks on display at Jim Thompson House. 

From there, we headed to Siam Square, full of modern malls and Thai stalls. We checked out MBK, where you could find all the knockoff electronics, souvenirs, designer purses and gold your heart desires. It wasn’t quite for us, so we stopped by Siam Paragon, which was much more our scene. SP is by and large the most magnificent shopping center we’ve ever seen. Each floor is themed – from famous American must-haves to high-end couture, this place has everything you could possibly want. For more than you pay in the US. TIP: Here, you can also find the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre as well as Madame Tussaud’s.

Soi 38 Night Market 

For dinner, we decided to dine like locals at Soi 38. Here, we enjoyed Pad Thai ($1.50), street meat ($.50 for 10) and our very favorite Mango Sticky Rice ($3). We ate at various tables lining the streets as cars, motorcycles and people buzzed by.

Overall, we loved Bangkok. It was our favorite stop during the trip. We felt like we got a good amount of site-seeing in three days, but there were many things we didn’t see. However, our travel style is more relaxed and we always like to leave some things unseen. For next time.