By joint minivan and shared speed boat service the journey from Khao Lak to Koh Yao Yai is scheduled to take 3 hours 30 minutes.
Bus Timetable from Khao Lak to Koh Yao Yai
- Click on the Khao Lak – Koh Yao Yai link below for more information and to buy tickets.
Khao Lak Bus Stop
Services from Khao Lak to Koh Yao Yai commence with a pick up from any hotel in Khao Lak.
Koh Yao Yai Ferry Pier
Services from Khao Lak to Koh Yao Yai terminate at Chong Lard Pier.
About Travel to Koh Yao Yai
Measuring 27 km by 5 km at its widest point, Koh Yao Yai is the largest of 44 islands in Phang Nga Bay. Phang Nga Bay is one of the most beautiful parts of Thailand, and has some similarities to Ha Long Bay in Vietnam in terms of its many steep sided islands.
Visiting Phang Nga Bay
Koh Yao Yai is an excellent base for exploring Phang Nga Bay. Koh Yao Yai is a lot closer to the main attractions in the bay than Phuket or Krabi allowing for much shorter sea crossings and the chance to see more things on a day trip.
Advantages of Staying in Koh Yao Yai
Unlike some of the other smaller islands on the West Coast of Thailand, Koh Yao Yai has a really good range of facilities including shops, ATM machines, a small hospital and some independent bars and restaurants for visitors who do want to eat every meal in their resort. Koh Yao Yai is also only 30 minutes from Phuket from where it’s possible to fly direct to destinations across Asia and even direct to Europe.
Koh Yao Yai also has a really good range of accommodation. Visitors after that luxury tropical holiday experience can choose from resorts such as the ones operated by Six Senses, Santhiya and Anantara, who operate luxury resorts across Thailand. At the other end of scale there are also budget options such as Leamlarn Bungalow, which tends to be the cheapest place to stay on the island.
Laem Had Beach on Koh Yao YaiBeaches on Koh Yao Yai
Koh Yao Yai has three main beaches: Loh Paret, Laem Had and Koh Jark. Koh Jark Beach is the most developed. Loh Paret, also on the West Coast, tends to be the best beach for swimming. Laem Had Beach, however, is the most picturesque with a long sand bank stretching far out into the sea at low tide. The neighbouring island of Koh Yao Noi is easily visible from Laem Had Beach.
Activities in Koh Yai Yai
In addition to taking boat tours around Phang Nga, touring the island itself on a rented motorbike is a very popular activity. The island has one main concerte road with lots a smaller roads turning off it. These smaller roads lead to less developed beaches and the island’s numerous villages. The residents of the island are largely from the Chao Ley ethnic group, who are Muslim and until fairly recently lived a nomadic existence moving from one island to another seasonally. Although many people from this ethnic group have now settled they still engage in fishing, small scale agriculture and other traditional industries.
Scuba diving and snorkelling are also popular activities on Koh Yao Yai. Nearby dive sites such as Shark Point, Anemone Reef and the King Cruiser Wreck are very popular. There are several diving schools on the island which organise regular trips.