After Koh Phi Phi, our next stop in the island-hopping saga was Koh Yao Noi. We picked this one because Joey had read good things about it and, conveniently, it was on the way to Phuket. So technically not a detour. We almost cancelled it a few times, convinced we were doing too many islands, but wow… I am so glad we didn’t.
This island is exactly how I imagined southern Thailand before we ever got here. Quiet beaches. Incredible food. Cruising around on a scooter with a sidecar like it’s the most normal thing in the world. Dramatic limestone cliffs rising out of the sea. Green everywhere. Don’t get me wrong, our previous stops were great, but this one? This one feels like perfection.
Koh Yao Noi is a small island in the Andaman Sea, between Ao Nang and Phuket. It’s ridiculously easy to get to, which honestly makes me wonder why more people aren’t coming here. Not that I’m complaining. It has all the basics covered: ATMs, a 7-Eleven, cute little souvenir shops, and—most importantly—amazing restaurants with a surprisingly great variety of food.
There are a few pickup truck taxis on the island, but they’re not constantly circling like vultures, and there are no tuk-tuks waiting on every corner. Translation: you either walk, bike, or rent a scooter. And the best part? You can still rent a scooter with a sidecar. We jumped on that opportunity immediately and had an absolute blast. There’s barely any traffic, everyone drives slowly, and it feels very safe. You can pretty much loop the whole island in about 45 minutes, cruising at a very relaxed 40 km/h.
The beaches are lovely, but the views are even better. From the shore, you can see tons of smaller islands scattered in the distance. Many beaches also have swings or ropes hanging from trees, which the kids loved and would have happily played on forever if we let them.
You can also spot hornbills on the island. At first, I thought they’d be hard to find, like shy celebrities avoiding the paparazzi. Turns out, they had other plans—we ran into them every single day. On our last evening, while we were watching the sunset on the beach, there were dozens of hornbills just chilling on the rocks, casually snacking like they owned the place. We stood there, equal parts surprised and delighted, feeling like we’d stumbled into their nightly hangout.
Yes, we did another boat tour. I know. But this one had a very specific goal: the viewpoint hike on Koh Hong Island. After climbing 419 steps (yes, we counted), you’re rewarded with a 360-degree panoramic view of limestone karsts, bright turquoise water, and the islands of Than Bok Khorani National Park. It was absolutely worth every sweaty step. We also spotted monkeys and, once again, giant monitor lizards, which by now feel less like wildlife sightings and more like regular neighbours. The snorkeling, unfortunately, was terrible. We couldn’t see a thing where we were told to snorkel, maybe because of the high tide, maybe because the snorkeling gods were not on our side that day. But overall, this was hands down the best boat tour we’ve done in Thailand so far. We had a private boat, the price was very reasonable, and everything felt relaxed instead of rushed.
After Edward casually mentioned that we hadn’t experienced the rain he’d seen in all those Thailand videos, Joey immediately took this as his moment to shine. He proudly announced that we hadn’t had any rain at all during our entire time in Thailand so far. Thirty minutes later—rain. Not even kidding. Classic jinx. Luckily, it only lasted about 20 minutes and afterward the air felt cooler and fresher, so in the end, we actually kind of appreciated Joey’s perfectly timed weather spell.
And of course, no trip would be complete without me breaking something. While climbing into the trunk to head out for the tour, my phone slipped out of my pocket and smashed screen-first onto the ground. Perfect. As if that wasn’t enough, I should also mention that I recently broke the screen on my Kindle by accidentally stepping on it. I’m on a roll. I keep reminding myself that these are just material things and not essential to life. And for anyone worried, I can confirm that I have not broken any of the kids yet. I have not dropped them or stepped on them. So far, so good.
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