Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai, Thailand

After working at Bananas, Olli, as well as a couple of others had recommended Koh Yao Noi, also called the yoga island. It was only a 40 minute boat ride from Thalane Bay, so I decided it would be a good next step.

The accommodations on the island were a bit limited, especially in the budget price range, so I chose a newer bungalow with a private bathroom and a fan. The weather has been getting hotter and more humid, but not having AC the past few weeks I thought it would be fine, and at least an upgrade with a bed off the floor and a bathroom connected to the room (although it was open to the outdoors). When I arrived, I was happy it was definitely much cleaner, but first sit on the bed….ugh. Like so many beds here, I might as well have slept on the wood floor. Oh well….a step in the right direction!

The first afternoon, I set out to take a walk, but quickly found it was not a great place to walk with only one main street, and dang, it was HOT! After finding some lunch, I returned to the bungalow and rented a scooter so I would have a way to get around for the week.

The couple that own the place were nice, but almost a bit too nice. When I returned later in the evening, I asked for a recommendation for dinner. They refused to give me one, and said it would be better to eat with them like we were a family. This was thoughtful, but they eat a bit different, and then expected me to eat with them every night. This became annoying when I just wanted some “me” time and to order what I felt like having. I escaped a couple of nights, but the others, I had some pretty unrecognizable dishes….liver of ?, and many types of fish with skin, bones, and eyes… By the end I was starting to feel like I was on Fear Factor.

As for the yoga, it turned out there was only one place which was a retreat center that had an overpriced drop-in class everyday at 11:00 AM when it was already scorching. The good news was they also had 6:15AM sunrise tai chi/qigong on the beach that was free for everyone! I really enjoyed learning something new and it was beautiful!

Most days after sunrise, I headed out to visit different beaches and see what else I could find. I had fun taking the scooter “off-road” to the secluded beaches that definitely hadn’t had much action since the pandemic! Along the way, I found some great fruit shakes and even got a much needed pedicure.

One day I needed a break from Koh Yao Noi, so I went to the pier early in the morning, and took a boat to Koh Yao Yai, the larger island about 10 minutes across the sea. I had my own boat, and when I arrived, I was handed a scooter for 200 Baht (about $5), and was off on my next adventure. After driving around much of the island and checking out a couple of beaches, I finally settled on a quiet spot with a small beach bar that made me a great lunch. After eating and reading a bit, I took a swim and walked the beach, and was super happy to find a haul of beautiful sea glass!

My last day on the island, while the tide was out, I took the opportunity to walk down the largest beach I had not yet walked on. I was able to climb over some rocks and get to my own private, uninterrupted beach. It was so cool to see the untouched sand art made by the little crabs. These guys are super talented!

The following morning, the bungalow dog was barking over by the pond, and I went to see what was going on. A snake was devouring a delicious fish for breakfast…funny how it looked just like the ones I was served the night before!

So with that and my visa expiring in a few days, it was time for me to move on. I took a boat back to Ao Nang Beach, near Krabi, then got a ride to the airport so I could catch a flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. See you there soon!

Hugs and Love,

M