Visitor's Views

We loved it and would return anytime

We rented a deluxe Bungalow that was as close to the beach as possible as Bungalows are set within beautiful garden settings with some further from beach than others. The natural settings provide a great privacy screen. The resort has only one restaurant and isnt terribly cheap,the menu is good but diversifying it might be better. We visited in the low season and didnt see alot of other guests. The infinity pool with swim up bar and jacuzzi is amazing. The pool winds around below the beautifully presented restuarant and the view of the surrounding limestone islands is sensational. The resort has a library and because no night life wouldnt hurt to have some DVDs. The massages at spa were great but expensive compared to mainland. The bungalow was great. Sarongs, slippers and bathrobes provided. King size bed, spacey rooms., great bathroom that opens out into an outdoor shower that was exceptional.... room cleaned every day and then tidied up with turn down service every evening as well. Each bungalow also has a thatched roof open living area that has 2 sun lounges a great day bed with plenty of colourful pillows and mosquito netting. Along with mini fridge and tea and coffee making area in which supplies are replenished each day. Fresh fruit in an attractive platter is also replensihed each day. The staff were really friendly and helpful. There is a reasonably priced gift shop and an activities area and a bar. The Library has computers and can buy internet access. We hired scooters for one day and went all over Island..people all very friendly. Went on a day tour where we canoed thru caves into hidden lagoons..not to be missed. Yob our guide and Hassan our skipper of our long boat were both great. The island landscapes are absolutely beautiful. Young people looking for a party atmosphere will not find it here. Great for a couple of nights to recharge the batteries though and would be a honeymooners delight. The beach is rocky but went on scooters to a much nicer beach which the staff will show you on a map..Easy quiet scooter driving. We stayed 8nights and enjoyed every minute of it. Would gladly go back anytime. We arranged nights before and after Koh Yao Yai in Phuket so we got a taste of the hectic and the serenity..

Hidden gem

A wonderful resort on an undiscovered island. This is what Phuket, Phi Phi and Krabi used to be.

You have the best of both worlds with bungalows perched in the 'jungle' and the restaurant and swimming pool hanging over the cliffs overlooking the ocean. The swimming pool is the major attraction of this resort - no better place to spend your days with a cocktail in hand.

Take a scooter tour around the island, the locals are extremely friendly and you'll stumble across a few nice scenic drives and local food.

You won't find any ATMs or 7-elevens, so make sure you have enough cash when you go there. Same with drinks, you won't find any place to buy alcohol apart from the mini bar which may be rather expensive if you like a beer or two every day. We stocked up in Phuket at 7-eleven before we got onto the boat - that was a great tip i read on here and can definitely recommend.

Unfortunately the resort seems to be expanding with new bungalows at the back and we saw a lot of building activity on our drive, so no doubt it will become the next big tourist hub. So go now before it does.

We also did a day trip to Phi Phi islands which was a little bit expensive as we did it through the resort but they sent a dedicated guide with us and it proved to be the perfect balance between the quiet island and seeing the more beautiful islands. However, we were so glad to come back to our resort and quiet island after all that tourist exposure.

I've seen a few comments on here about the staff and their command of English - note that these people are all recruited from the island and their English may not be the best, but we managed to communicate successfully. I wish people would embrace local cultures more when they travel as what is the point in travelling to such exotic places when you can communicated in the same way as you are doing in England (at least that's where i'm from).

Ant Infestation but overall the positives far outweigh the negatives. Well done Koh Yao Yai Village!

The Koh Yao Yai Village was the destination of choice after being recommended by the owner of pyramid bar (see Koh Yao Noi blog). We booked through expedia and it worked out at £40 a night including buffet breakfast.

As soon as we drove in we realised this was likely to be a good choice. This is a resort style hotel with numerous bungalows set into a wooded hill, a short stroll from the beach. We were welcomed with a mocktail (not my ‘cup of tea’ but a nice gesture) from the bar and some cool towels before being shown to the bungalow. Our bungalow was set back about 200 metres from the sea but the views, like all the bungalows were obstructed by dense trees. However, the forest setting gives plenty of atmosphere and the area is well lit. The bungalow had a large patio, descent sized double room, large bathroom complete with outside shower. Although the shower is outside it is still private, but if you are like me and spend many minutes in the shower you run the risk of getting sunburnt. The bungalow itself is decorated very nicely in a rustic theme and includes a flat screen TV with the usual array of channels. The patio holds a large sofa and two sun loungers.

For the price the bungalow is top notch, great value when we considered where else we stayed in Thailand. Officially this hotel is 3.5 stars, however this was a much better hotel than the majority of the 5 star hotels I have stayed in. The facilities though are expensive; wifi, transfers and scooter hire included. However, the restaurant is competitive and the cocktails are good.

When we walked down for a swim our opinion of Koh Yao Yai Village only improved. The pool was beautifully designed and was set on a cliff next to the sea. The hotel was not very busy and for the first hour we had the pool to ourselves, very relaxing floating around and taking in the scenery.

As always a couple of negative points: Our bungalow became infested with hundreds of flying ants. We reported this to reception who promptly sent up a handy man. He bumbled about flicking them off the wall with a dustpan and brush. Once he had collected 50 in his pan he would dump them outside in front of the bungalow, I’m not sure whether he was a follower of Jainism but I wish he would have killed them. Anyway his approach was totally pointless – this room needed fumigating! We were moved bungalow but we felt that staff were not overly sympathetic to our request. I appreciate these things happen in this sort of surrounding but the stings of these ants are pretty nasty. I had already been made a meal of by the mosquitoes so staying in the room was not an option!

The second negative was that it was very well staffed but the staff were not particularly attentive and service was slow. One example was when we were due to check out - There was four or five staff in the but it took us over 30 minutes to be sorted.

Finally the breakfast buffet was a little poor, the food was bland and the choice was limited relative to other places we stayed.

Overall the positive far outweigh the negatives. Well done Koh Yao Yai Village!

Secluded. Perfect for nature lovers.

Koh Yao Yai is best for anyone seeking tropical getaway in beautiful settings that are far, far away from the crowds. Koh Yai Yai in general is dwarfed by the fame of Koh Yao Noi, and that island is often overlooked because of Phi Phi and Phuket. The end result is a beautiful island that's been allowed an escape from resort style colonialisation. Let's hope it stays like that. In short, there is no "nightlife" on the island. Party goers and Full Moon chasers should stick to the more developed tourist spots.

Koh Yai Yai Village is one of the few resorts on Koh Yao Yai. It's located on a nice beach on the northwest corner of Koh Yai Yai. You can find it on google maps (8.033012,98.601308). The nice thing about the beach is the small number of wooden beach chairs, the view of Bird Island and the lack of sand fleas (some of the beaches further north have them).

Every room is a private villa surrounded in trees, ferns and foliage. Each villa has an outdoor salla. The fridge is in the salla area. Each room has a flat screen television mounted to the wall. The pillows are amazing. The bathroom has an open air shower with a rain style shower head. The shampoo, soap and conditioner are herbal. If any of them smell funny, make sure you ask to replace them because herbal soaps don't always keep well in tropical environments.

Do go to Koh Yao Yai Village is you want a secluded getaway. Do not go to Koh Yao Yai Village if you are on a budget. Do your best to bring a scooter to the island if you want to explore. The scooters on the island are pricey. You can bring a scooter or car to Koh Yao Yai from Phuket. The resort can help you arrange a spot on the ferry. Finding the ferry can also be difficult, so ask if you're not sure.

If you come to Koh Yao Yai without your own transportation, the resort can pick you up at the pier. But I highly recommend you bring something to explore the island.

Beautiful peaceful place a stones throw from the crowds of Phuket

We were completely surprised on arriving to find the hotel was such a nice looking place. The website does definitely do justice and the rooms are, if anything, better than is shown. The staff were super helpful from the moment we arrived. It's a very well equipped place for one so relatively isolated. Because Koh Yao Yai is such a quiet island this is definitely not the place to go for parties or nightlife. But for peace and relaxation it's excellent. Compared to what you get in other hotels for the same money this one is outstanding. It's really elegant, the spa is very good, the store well stocked and the activities desk has enough to do. It's worth hiring a scooter and going out and about on the island also. The downside of the hotel is that it's not got a very good beach, though it has a very very good pool. But if you're looking for a beach resort, this may not be your best choice. But otherwise it was great. The food is average, it's not outstanding, but again, if you're exploring the island you can investigate a couple of good local restaurants also. But again, if fine dining is on your essentials list, then Koh Yao Yai as a whole, not just this resort, may not be the place for you. Also, the corals for most of the surrounding area were badly battered and damaged by the tsunami so don't expect glorious reefs. All that aside, it's a beautiful hotel, with exceptionally good bungalows with outdoor showers and outdoor terraced day areas which are not only visually beautiful but a great place to tuck up with a book.

HEAVEN ON EARTH

I have stayed in lovely hotels before but this one beats everything. The bungalows are very spacious, the place is very well maintained, the staff is very helpful and the swimming pool is just OUTSTANDING!

It is not a place where I would stay for a long period because there is not much to do but it is an ideal spot to relax for a couple of days. I would definitely recommend hiring a motorcycle or bicycle to discover the island. It’s a pity that they don’t have a more detailed map of the island…