Koh Yao Islands – A Dose of Paradise

 (Post written by Ai Nguyen)

I have to admit, when my husband tasked me with finding a place near Phuket, Thailand to spend a few days as part of our vacation, I knew nothing of the Koh Yao islands. There’s little information on the internet and I was at first reluctant to commit to anywhere else other than Phuket, in fear of wasting our precious vacation time, especially when spending all nine days in Phuket already seemed like a perfect choice. The decision came when I set eyes on the Santhiya Resort & Spa in Koh Yao Yai. It was love at first sight. There was no going back for me, and any other place, including Koh Yao Noi, was irrelevant. The Santhiya Resort alone would have been good enough. We decided to spend three nights at the Santhiya Resort & Spa in Koh Yao Yai. It turned out to be the best decision we could have made for our trip, albeit, a few more nights would have been ideal.

After spending three nights in the bustling and noisy strip of Patong beach in Phuket, I was so ready for something more tranquil and pure. We were transferred from Ao Po Grand Marina across the sea in Phuket by the resort’s private speed boat right to the resort’s private pier. The trip took about 25 minutes, and even though my husband is always weary of sea trip, I have to admit, I enjoyed the boat ride tremendously, especially anticipating for something really good yet to come. I think my two sons felt the same way. My heart beat a little faster when the sight of the resort came into view. Seeing it in person was so much better than the pictures on the website could have depicted.

Nestled in a tranquil cove of Koh Yao Yai’s west side along Loh Pared beach, the Santhiya Resort & Spa is a sight to behold. The resort is designed in a traditional style, with steep-roofed pavilions and alfresco ‘sala’ gazebos – all constructed from luxurious teak wood. The 39 pool villas and 60 deluxe rooms, including furnishings, furniture, and even the transportation ‘tuk-tuk’ are also crafted from the same elegant hardwood. After walking the long private pier where we got dropped off, and onto the reception area, and while waiting to get check-in, we were offered refreshing tea with lemon grass stems used as straws, and to our surprise – a complimentary neck and shoulder massage. I don’t remember ever to having this luxury offer, and we have traveled quite a bit. The host also informed us, while we waited, of complimentary Muay Thai lessons offered by the resort, twice a day, one and a half hour each. For my 14 year old son who has a keen interest in martial arts, nothing could top this offer.

For the 3 days that we were there, he made full use of it, and ended up, for the most part, having 2 private instructors for himself. For the rest of our stay, we couldn’t stop being amazed, one thing after another, about the resort – from the pool villa with Jacuzzi on the private terrace, to the spectacular water fall pool with resting teak boats as lounge chairs, to the impeccable service of every staff, to having a sense of treasuring a very unique and special experience. Life is good! What we found out about the islands – both Koh Yao Yai and Koh Yao Noi, in the three days that we were there were so much more than I could have ever dreamed of.

After check-in to our rooms, we took a stroll along the beach, and onto the street. To our surprise, there’s a little more civilization then we expected. There are some local restaurants serving Thai and seafood, and some even offer hamburgers and fries. Fancy that! We also found that there’s an ATM near the resort. Everythin