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

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.

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.

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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. — 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.

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.

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 3: Ko Yao Noi

Thailand Part 2: Phuket