Koh Yao Yai (and neighboring Koh Yao Noi) are islands that are reachable within about 45 minutes from the island of Phuket. The island lifestyle is probably very much like other parts of Thailand were 20 years ago, with just a bunch of relaxed villagers getting by on just a little bit of money and living off of the sea. Things have changed a little bit these days, largely due to the recent addition of some luxury resorts, but you definitely won’t find the craziness of Phuket on the island.
As you can see from this picture, it is almost possible to walk between the islands during low tide. Given that I am not the greatest swimmer, however, I decided not to chance it.
Related article: Khai Nok Island (Phuket)
Damon Billian has spent a fair amount of time traveling through Thailand, where he has a wife and home on the lovely island of Phuket. In addition to spending a fair amount of time in Southeast Asia over the past five years, Damon has worked as a Community Evangelist for companies like PayPal, SimplyHired, Mint, Tokbox and CloudFlare. Damon’s primary hobby, when he isn’t working 60 hours a week, is cultural and animal photography.