Stay in Koh Yao Noi or Koh Yao Yai?

Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai are the two sister islands in Phang Nga Bay, located just 30 minutes boat ride from Phuket. These islands are known for their serene beaches, unspoiled nature, and slow-paced living. It is a great escape from tourist crowds from Phuket and Krabi.

Many people visit both Koh Yao Yai and Yao Noi in a single trip by staying on one island and taking a day trip to the other. I also know a couple who stay on each island for 3 nights to experience both more fully.

Generally speaking, if you have a long holiday (like a week or more on Koh Yao islands), you can split your stay in both Yao Yai and Yao Noi. If you have a short time like 3-4 nights), it is best to stay on one island.

But, which one is the best place to stay, Koh Yao Noi or Koh Yao Yai? Let’s look at my comparison between Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi to decide by yourself. We will look at some aspects such as island size & development, tourist facilities, atmosphere, beaches, and accessibility.

If you already know which island you want to stay, you can check these articles to see find the best accommodations for your visit:

Which is better, Koh Yao Noi or Koh Yao Yai?

If you don’t plan to rent a scooter, it is best to stay in Koh Yao Noi. This island is smaller (half the size of Koh Yao Yai), and has more tourist amenities, so you can easily walk to a range of restaurants, bars, and shops. It is also easier to get around with a bicycle if you don’t drive a scooter.

If you don’t rent a scooter but still want to stay in Koh Yao Yai, it is best to book accommodations in Loh Pared Beach. This beach has more tourist amenities than other areas, so you can walk to several restaurants and shops easily.

Both islands have a large population of Muslim. They are both quiet, uncrowded, and less touristy with tranquil beaches, mangrove forests, and laid-back pace. You can easily travel between these two islands by a 10 minutes long tail boat ride between Chong Lard Pier and Manoh Pier.

In terms of accommodations, both islands have backpacker hostels, guest houses, and resorts for all budgets. Some famous five-star resorts on Yao Yai are Santhiya and Anantara, while Koh Yao Noi has Six Senses or Cape Kudu.

I had no idea about the difference between these two islands before visiting it. As I looked at the map, I saw Yao Yai is a bigger island, so probably more things to see.

I booked a stay at Backpack Hostel Kohyaoyai in Chong Lard village near Chong Lard Pier. There are only a couple of restaurants within walking distance from my hotel, but since there’s a 7-Eleven nearby, it wasn’t too bad.

I hired a scooter anyway, so it didn’t really matter to me. But if I had to choose between one or two islands for my first visit, I would choose to stay on Koh Yao Noi.

My Recommended places to stay in Koh Yao Noi:

My recommended hotels in Koh Yao Yai:

Size & Development

Koh Yao Noi is approximately 4 km wide and 12 km long with around 6000 inhabitants. Koh Yao Yai is approximately 6km wide and 20km long with around 12,000 inhabitants.

Koh Yao Yai is double the size of Koh Yao Noi. It is larger and less developed; more spread out with longer distances between attractions. It is easier to get around Koh Yao Noi as it is compact and has a slightly more developed infrastructure.

Accessibility from Phuket and other islands

Both islands are easily accessible by boat. There is no airport on either island. The closest airport to Koh Yao islands is Phuket International Airport.

Koh Yao Yai has 4 main piers, including Chong Lard and Klong Hia Piers on the north east coast, Laem Yai Pier and Loh Jak Pier on the south west coast. Koh Yao Noi has only one main pier, Manoh Pier on the island’s south coast.

Chong Lard Pier - Koh Yao Yai — Chong Lard Pier – Koh Yao Yai

There are more departure points from Phuket to Yao Yai at Bang Rong Pier in the northeast coast, and Jian Wanich Pier/ Thiensin Pier near Phuket Old Town. To reach Koh Yao Noi from Phuket, you have only one departure point at Bang Rong Pier.

If you get to Koh Yao islands from Phuket Airport, or other places like Khao Lak and Khao Sok, you will need to take a taxi to Bang Rong Pier. From Bang Rong Pier, there are speed boats and long tail boats to Koh Yao Noi and Koh Yao Yai.

It is only a 30-minute speedboat ride from Bang Rong Pier to either island. The boats will arrive at Chong Lard/ Klong Hia Piers of Koh Yao Yai and Manoh Pier of Koh Yao Noi.

If you stay in Phuket Town, you can get to Koh Yao Yai from Jian Wanich Pier or Thiensin Pier. If you want to bring cars and scooters from Phuket to Koh Yao Yai, you need to go to these piers.

If you come from other islands like Koh Phi Phi and Ao Nang/ Krabi, you’ll like to reach Koh Yao islands at the same time. My speedboat from Koh Phi Phi to Yao Yai first stopped at Manoh Pier on Yao Noi, then arrived at Chong Lard Pier on Yao Yai about five minutes later.

See more:

Atmosphere & Vibe

As a bigger island and less developed, Koh Yao Yai has a more rural feel. It is ideal for total relaxation or solitude. Koh Yao Noi still has a tranquil atmosphere, but with a few more cafes, restaurants, and bars.

Beaches

In my opinion, beaches in these two islands are quite similar. They both have tranquil atmosphere, beautiful views of the limestone karts of Phang Nga Bay, and great sunset views.

They might not be the best beaches in Thailand but they are great places for relaxing and unwind. The beaches on these two islands get quite muddy at low tide, making it difficult for swimming when the tide goes out.

As Koh Yao Yai is a bigger island and less developed, you will find more beaches with no development on it. Places like Ao Sai Beach, Ao Muong Beach, Son Bay Beach, or Laem Had Beach have no hotels. There are either none or only one beach bar on these beaches.

On Koh Yao Noi, you can find deserted beaches, but less options due to its small size. The similar places that are easily accessible by scooter are Little Long Beach and Long Beach.

Koh Yao Noi has more developed beaches. The beach road runs parallel with the beaches (Klong Jark and Pasai Beach) lined with restaurants, beach bars, cafes, and massage parlors.

In Koh Yao Yai, popular beaches like Loh Pared Beach and Hin Kong Beach, located away from the main road. This creates a more peaceful atmosphere. You can find several tourist amenities on the road to these beaches, mostly around Loh Pared Beach.

Accommodation Options

Both islands have accommodations for all budgets. Whether you are looking for budget-friendly backpacker hostels or luxury 5-star resorts, they have it all!

Just be mindful that if you are traveling in the high season, accommodations are often filled up quickly, so be sure to book in advance to have the best deals.

If you are looking for budget hotels, I recommend Backpack Hostel on Koh Yao Yai and Connexion Hostel on Koh Yao Noi. For luxury retreats, have look at Santhiya and Anantara on Yao Yai, as well as Six Senses or Cape Kudu on Yao Noi.

Activities

The main activities on these two islands are relaxing at the beaches and enjoying the resort’s amenities. There are also lots of island hopping tours, snorkeling, and diving tours around Koh Yao islands.

If you can drive a scooter, you can rent one and drive around the island, exploring local fishing villages, rubber plantations, and beaches.

my scooter on koh Yao islands — my scooter on Yao Yai

Both islands are surrounded by waterways and mangrove forests. You can take longtail boat rides or kayak through the mangrove forest.

As a smaller island, you can rent a bicycle to explore Koh Yai Noi. I didn’t see anyone exploring Koh Yao yai on a bicycle as it is huge but possible (roads are relatively flat on both islands).

On Koh Yao Noi, you can find KYN Phoenix Muay Thai Gym where you can take a Muay Thai training season. There is also a Rock Climbing shop in Tha Khao Beach where you can take a half day or full day rock climbing course.

Both islands offer Batik workshops where you can learn local traditional painting. It is a fun activity and you can make cute souvenirs by yourself. You can check out Batik de Kohyao in Yao Yai near Klong Hia Pier and Tha Khao Batik in Yao Noi near Tha Khao Pier.

Food & Other Tourist Amenities

Koh Yao Yai has two 7-Eleven stores, one on the north part of the island in the Chong Lard Village, and another on the south part near Loh Pared Beach. Koh Yao Noi has 1 7-Eleven store located on the island’s main village close to Manoh Pier.

street food stall on Pasai Beach Koh Yao Noi

The 7-Eleven has ATMs, so you can withdraw Thai Bahts. There are lots of snacks, and ready-made meals to buy, which is useful, especially in Koh Yai Yai when you don’t have many eateries options.

Regarding ATMs, since these are remote islands, there’s no guarantee that cash will always be available. It’s advisable to bring enough cash with you from the mainland.

Both islands have a population that is about 90% Muslim, so alcohol is generally not available in local stores. It is mostly served in resorts and some popular beach bars/ restaurants in tourist areas.

Koh Yao Noi has more bars and restaurant options for travelers. Koh Yao Yai has fewer dining options, mostly local Thai food, and resort-based restaurants.

The local restaurants on Yao Yai are very spread out. In some places like Chong Lard village, you might find one to two restaurants within walking distance from your hotel.

In terms of seafood restaurants, Koh Yao Noi has more seafood restaurants than in Koh Yao Yai. There are a couple of big seafood restaurants in Thatondo Fisherman Village on the west coast of Yao Noi.

They are Pradu Seafood and Koh Yao Tha Ton Do Seafood. While on Yao Yai, I saw only one big seafood restaurant called Mama’s Seafood on Loh Pared Beach.

I also saw street food stalls with grilled honey chicken and cut fruits on Pasai Beach on Koh Yao Noi. But I didn’t see any of those on Koh Yao Yai.

Island Hopping tours

From any of these two islands, you can easily book boat tours to nearby Hong islands, Jame Bond islands, and Nok island. These tours can be organised easily by your accommodation.

I stayed at Backpack Hostel Kohyaoyai and booked a day trip to Hong islands through the hostel. It is a good full day trip visiting several islands on Hong island group and Koh Nok island.

Hong islands are beautiful islands with crystal clear water and fine white sands. You can see marine life through the water without the need of snorkeling equipment. These are great places for swimming, snorkeling, and hiking.

Koh Nok island is located just a few minutes’ ride from both Yao Noi and Yao Yai. You can easily book long tail boat trips to this island from Manoh Pier and Chong Lard Pier. It has deserted beaches and a beautiful viewpoint where you can hike up for sweeping views of Phang Nga Bay.

You can check these articles to learn more about Koh Yao islands:

Both Koh Yao islands are quiet compared to Phuket or Krabi, making them a great place to visit to escape from tourist crowds. Koh Yao Noi is smaller and has more tourist amenities. Koh Yao Yai is larger and less developed. There are more departure points from Phuket to Yao Yai compared to Yao Noi, and if you bring a car, you will need to go to Koh Yao Yai first.