Laem Sai, Ko Yao Noi (North Andaman)
For us, Laem Sai is the best beach on Ko Yao Noi, a golden sand beach in the southeast of the island. The great bizarre atmosphere due to the view of the rock formations make it a great place to stay. However, it is not the best place for the swimmers. Pay attention to the swimming condition! At high tide most of the beach disappears and at low tide you have to walk a bit into the sea before it is deep enough to swim. The bay is secluded from the road and there are 4 places to stay.
The cheapest of the stays is Koh Yao New Garden, just a 3-minute walk from the beach, with wooden bungalows for 600-800 baht. There are 3 resorts directly on the beach. Lom Lae Beach Resort offers bamboo bungalows, set in a spacious, well-kept garden. The bungalows are simple but nicely designed, albeit a bit pricey. Koyao Bay Pavilion and Touch are the higher range options. Please note that only Koyao Bay Pavillions beach bungalows are located directly on the beach. The others bungalows are a 3-minute walk away and have a private pool.
The stays have restaurants. It’s a 5-minute drive to the main road for other restaurants.
Neither too big nor too small, Ko Yai Noi is an idyllic island close to Ao Phang Nga. The atmosphere just feels right. From the island you have a view of impressive rock formations in the sea. However, there are also disadvantages: in many areas on the island there are roads between the accommodations and the beach. And a nice swim requires some organisation: the tide has to be just right! And yet the sea view is amazing.
Ko Yai Noi is known for rock climbing, a more relaxed alternative to Railay. On the island you can do yoga at Nature Lodge and take cooking lessons at Mina. We found 2 dive centers.
To get to Ko Yao Noi you can take a boat from Phuket at Bang Rong Pier or from Ao Thalen Pier in Krabi. The speed boat from Bang Rong is 200 baht/person and from Ao Thalen it is 150 baht/person. At Ko Yai Noi Pier, transfer to your residence is 100 baht/person. It’s easy to rent a scooter.
