What to Do in Phuket? Leave.
Go to the Koh Yao Islands
I went to Phuket to train Muay Thai. At the time, I had no idea I was going to become the kind of hungry traveller I am now. The only places I knew were Bangkok and Phuket. I am a sea person, so I chose Phuket.
I walked its streets, swam in its warm sea, explored its jungle, and that’s where I had an awakening. Not the spiritual awakening that most people talk about on Instagram. But, I suddenly remembered that I was living a dream. “I am actually in Thailand?” I was indeed. Then I remembered all those National Geographic magazines I used to read as a child and think… one day, I want to go there.
Koh Yao Noi. The kind of quiet that makes you cancel plans.
So, this trip did change me, in a good way. Then I looked around me and understood that Phuket was not going to give me what I was looking for. So, I searched for that dream kind of Nat Geo picture nearby that I could actually go to.
And I found it. The Koh Yao Islands are one of a kind. The strange thing about these twin islands is that they are so close to Phuket, yet so little visited. If you are in Phuket looking to run away from the noise and live in a little piece of Thailand in its full essence, you might want to know a little bit more.
Quick Answer
My stay pick and the easiest boat option for each island.
Koh Yao Yai or Koh Yao Noi?
They are usually mentioned as a pair, like twins. But they are different. Geographically speaking, Koh Yao Yai is significantly bigger than its sister, but even less visited.
The funny thing is that most people fly to Phuket, join the traffic and swim on crowded beaches, while these two islands are just sitting there in Phang Nga, minding their own business.
Koh Yao Noi (Little Long Island)
This one is for people who want to stop and observe. Picture this in your head: you wake up to the call to prayer sounding across rubber plantations, fishermen preparing their boats for the day, chickens wandering around and ignoring your existence.
The island feels so intimate that it overwhelms. It feels like you have stepped into another world. No cars, just scooters. The distances are short enough to get anywhere by renting one. But here, the scooter gives you the freedom to wander like a little explorer. Sometimes you’ll have to stop because a buffalo decides the road belongs to him, or because the sunset catches your attention.
No beach club. No queue. Tragic, I know.
The island is majority Muslim. You can find small family-run guesthouses, fishing piers and rubber plantations across the island. Tourism does exist, but it hasn’t swallowed the island yet.
How to Get to Koh Yao Noi
Easy logistics here. From Bang Rong Pier, you can take a speedboat that takes around 40 minutes to arrive. The island is connected to Krabi too.
Where to Stay in Koh Yao Noi
There are plenty of guesthouses and eco-lodges that will allow you to explore the island. Easily done in two or three days.
Koh Yao Yai (Big Long Island)
Yai means big, and you will notice that immediately. Everything is more spread out: villages, roads. You can ride for kilometres with almost nobody around except palm trees and the sea appearing between them.
Koh Yao Yai, where your own footprints start to feel dramatic.
Some beaches seem untouched. You walk for ten minutes, look back, and your own footprints are the only evidence that anyone was there. Its beauty is the remoteness, that feeling of being left alone by everyone and leaving everything behind. I did question whether this was the place where I should live for the rest of my life. Dangerous kind of thinking.
How to Get to Koh Yao Yai
Similar to its Noi sister, from Bang Rong Pier, take a speedboat that also takes around 40 minutes, maybe a bit less. It’s a bigger island, a scooter becomes almost mandatory, and three to five days should be the best length of stay.
Getting to Koh Yao Yai
Check boats and transfers before the island starts testing your commitment to isolation.
Where to Stay in Koh Yao Yai
There are more resorts by the beach on this island, but they are more spread out. You can also find a few guesthouses.
Should You Visit Both Islands?
I know the temptation to fit as much as possible into our limited-time itineraries. It’s my favourite sport.
If you only have a couple of days, choose Koh Yao Noi. It’s possible to explore it in a short time. But if you have three or four days, Koh Yao Yai makes sense. It’s bigger and quite raw. It needs time to explore and to really feel the vibe.
If you have over four days, then both islands can be part of your itinerary. Spending more time on Koh Yao Yai is the key.
So, What to Do in Phuket?
Stay and explore the island, of course. But leaving is also an option, because Phuket is the perfect hub connecting you to beautiful, underrated pieces of paradise that most people don’t even know exist. You just need to look beyond what most people are looking at, and there you will find places that surprise you.
