Koh Yao Yai Village — Thai-modern villas in the rainforest by Phang Nga Bay on Koh Yao Yai
Koh Yao Yai sits in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, between Phuket and Krabi — a quiet island of Muslim fishing villages, rubber plantations, rainforest, and a way of life that's still genuinely local. Koh Yao Yai Village is a Thai-modern villa resort of around 65 villas spread through the forest by the sea on the western Khlong Hia side, looking out at the limestone cliffs across Phang Nga Bay. There are two infinity pools with sea views and a pool bar, a roughly 400-metre private beach, and free kayaks and SUPs. From approx. ฿3,500/night. Scored 9.0 from 2,132 Booking reviews.
First, to be clear, we're talking about Koh Yao Yai — not the better-known Koh Yao Noi. The two are sister islands in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, but Koh Yao Yai is bigger, quieter, and less busy. Koh Yao Yai Village sits on the western side of the island in the Khlong Hia area, facing Phang Nga Bay, laid out as around 65 villas scattered through genuine rainforest rather than a manicured garden. It opened back around 2009, one of the island's first resorts, and it has held on to its 'escape the city' feel remarkably well.
The thing to talk about before anything else is getting there, because it's what worries people most. Koh Yao Yai has no airport, so you take a longtail or speedboat from Bang Rong pier in Phuket, or from Tha Len / Ao Nang pier in Krabi, around 30 minutes, then a short island taxi from Khlong Hia pier to the resort (about ฿300). If you'd rather not leave it to chance, the resort can arrange a private boat transfer, but it isn't cheap — a longtail charter runs around ฿6,500 each way, a speedboat around ฿11,500. So plan your boat times well from the start and you'll save a lot.
Once you arrive, what reviewers praise most is the villas and the staff. The rooms are very spacious Thai-modern villas, starting with the 73 sqm Deluxe Villa with an outdoor shower and going all the way up to a 150 sqm beachfront villa with a private pool. Plenty of guests say outright that these are the best rooms they've stayed in anywhere in Thailand — clean, spacious, airy, full of the scent of wood and nature. And the staff come up again and again as warm, attentive, and friendlier than you'd expect, a cut above many other resorts in Thailand.
"The villa was so spacious we barely wanted to leave. You open the door in the morning to forest and birdsong, then walk over to sit by the infinity pool watching the limestone cliffs out in the sea — the staff knew our names from day one, genuinely so warm."
The heart of the resort is its two infinity pools with sea views and a pool bar, looking straight out at the limestone islands of Phang Nga Bay lined up across the water, with Koh Phi Phi just visible on the horizon on a clear day. A drink by the pool in the late afternoon is the moment reviewers mention most. From the beach there are free kayaks and stand-up paddleboards to borrow, easy for paddling along the shore, and an activity centre that arranges island-hopping boat trips around Phang Nga Bay. The overall feel is quiet, private, and uncrowded — a proper escape-the-world kind of rest.
Now for the clearest weak point, put plainly — the beach. The beach in front of the resort is around 400 metres long, true, but it's a Phang Nga Bay beach where the tide goes out a long way, and the sand has plenty of rocks, shells, and coral mixed in. At low tide you can barely walk in for a swim from the shore; you'd have to walk out far or wait for the tide. This is the nature of the whole Phang Nga Bay coast, not just here. The upside is that the resort makes up for it with infinity pools you can swim in all day — so if you come here, think of the pool as the main place to swim and the beach as somewhere to stroll and take photos in the evening.
A few other things to know in advance. Prices on the resort run fairly high — food, drinks, and resort-run activities cost noticeably more than places outside, and some guests say meal and cocktail service can be slow at times. The island is a Muslim community, some places don't serve alcohol, and there's barely any nightlife — quieter still in low season. A few reviews note small maintenance points and limited storage space in the rooms. All of this is the picture of a quiet island rather than a fault of the resort, but it's worth knowing before you go so you're not disappointed.
In short, Koh Yao Yai Village isn't for everyone. If you want a white-sand beach for swimming all day, with restaurants, bars, and nightlife you can walk to from the resort — Koh Yao Yai isn't that. But if this trip is about quiet, privacy, spacious villas in the forest, infinity pools with a Phang Nga Bay view, and warm service — for couples, honeymooners, families after a slow rest, or anyone set on a real escape — it delivers all of that at a price that's easier to reach than many luxury resorts. Rates start from approx. ฿3,500/night for a Deluxe Villa in low season, climbing to ฿7,500–฿12,500+ for family villas and beachfront villas with a private pool.
A tip from reading the reviews: if the budget stretches, move up to a Beachfront Pool Villa — a private pool pays off handsomely with the island's quiet and the sea view. Sort out your boat times and pier pickup ahead rather than hoping to find one on arrival. Bring some snacks and drinks of your own if you're worried about island prices. And leave plenty of buffer on the boat for your check-out day, because schedules depend on wind and tide — don't book a tight flight.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Spacious, clean villas — many call them the best they've stayed in Thailand
- ✓ Warm, attentive, friendly staff, a cut above many other resorts
- ✓ Infinity pools with Phang Nga Bay views and a pool bar, beautiful and restful
- ✓ Free kayaks and SUPs from the beach, plus an activity centre for boat trips
- ! The tide goes out a long way; rocks, shells and coral make shore swimming hard
- ! Far to reach — a boat from Phuket/Krabi plus a taxi, and boat charters are pricey
- ! Food, drinks and on-resort activities run fairly expensive
- ✓ Quiet, private setting on Koh Yao Yai — a genuine escape from the crowds
- ✓ Beachfront villas with a private pool that pay off with the setting and sea view
- ✓ The resort sits in genuine rainforest, lush and full of nature
- ✓ Starting rates are easier to reach than many luxury resorts in the area
- ! Meal and cocktail service can be slow at times
- ! A quiet island with little nightlife; some places don't serve alcohol, quieter still in low season
- ! A few notes on minor maintenance and limited in-room storage
- 💡If you want a white-sand beach for swimming all day — the beach in front has a far-out tide with rocks, shells and coral → use the infinity pools as your main place to swim, or choose a white-sand beachfront resort in another area instead.
- 💡If you'd rather not spend time or money getting there — Koh Yao Yai has no airport, so it's a boat from Phuket/Krabi plus a taxi, and private boat charters are pricey → plan your boat times and pier pickup ahead, and build in buffer time for the weather.
- 💡If you want restaurants, bars and nightlife you can walk to from the resort — this is a quiet island and a Muslim community, and some places don't serve alcohol → expect to eat and spend most of your time on the resort; it's quieter still in low season.