Paradise Koh Yao Resort: Hidden Seaside Oasis in Thailand
Paradise Koh Yao Resort: Hidden Seaside Oasis in Thailand
Nestled on the serene shores of Koh Yao Noi island, Paradise Koh Yao Resort invites guests to discover a hidden gem in the Andaman Sea. Surrounded by lush tropical greenery and pristine beaches, this secluded retreat embodies the essence of barefoot luxury and tranquility. The resort’s eco-friendly ethos and stunning natural setting provide a serene backdrop for relaxation and adventure. Whether you’re seeking a romantic getaway, family retreat, or wellness escape, Paradise Koh Yao Resort offers a harmonious blend of authentic Thai hospitality, luxurious accommodations, and a range of activities to immerse yourself in the island’s natural beauty. Experience a slice of paradise where time slows down, and every moment is a celebration of the island’s enchanting allure. Here is what we will cover in this article!
- Location & Accessibility
- Accommodation Features
- Facilities & Services
- Value for Money
- Our Experience & Thoughts
- Additional Information
Location & Accessibility
Description of the hotel’s location
Nestled on the serene shores of Koh Yao Island in Thailand, Paradise Koh Yao Resort offers a secluded retreat amidst the breathtaking beauty of the Andaman Sea. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of mainland Thailand, this hidden gem boasts a pristine location surrounded by lush tropical foliage, pristine beaches, and beautiful blue waters. Think cast away but you’d never want to be found!
Proximity to transportation hubs, attractions, and amenities
The only way to access the island is by ferry from either Phuket or Krabi. If you want a fast connection after landing in Phuket international airport then this place is not for you. Once you land, you need to take a 30 minute drive with Grab from the airport to the Bang Rong Pier (east coast) and pay a ฿10 fee to even enter the area (unless this is a scam, we never found out). Once at the marina, you can take a speed boat (30 minutes) for ฿400 per person to the Yao Now pier. Then, after you arrive in Koh Yao, you need to take a local “taxi” truck for another ฿400 per person to the resort which is another 30 minute drive.
Private Transfers
There is also a private boat transfer directly with the hotel for ฿1000 per person that takes you to the Haven Yacht Marina. This is what we took to return to the mainland of Phuket at the end of our stay. Depending on which boat you get it could be a bit bumpy as they’re much smaller than the ferries. They do give you a small bottle of water when on board. The views from the boat are beautiful as well, where you couldn’t see much of anything on the ferry.
Once at the resort you are quite secluded. This is a hidden oasis and there are no shops, or public transports into a town on a regular basis. They do however offer scooters and can arrange taxi transport if you need to travel to the next village for supplies.
Pro tip: do not wear light colored clothing and cover your bags or luggage if possible as the roads for the public taxi are not paved and the dirt and dust gets everywhere during the taxi ride from the pier. It took us about 2 hours after landing to make it to the resort and finally check in. Pro tip #2: if you suffer from motion sickness I highly recommend taking medicine as soon as you land in Phuket before embarking on this journey.
Accessibility for digital nomads needing to work remotely
While accessing the resort itself was a bit of a hassle, once you are on location you have literally everything you could need to work! I caught up on over a week’s worth the first full day we had here as the wifi connection runs strongly through the entire resort. This means I worked on the beach, by the pool, at the bar and restaurants and our room.
Accommodation Features
Room types and amenities offered
Superior Studio
- Room: 52 m²
- Bed: 1 large bed + sofa bed OR 2 single beds + sofa bed
- Amenities: balcony, garden view, TV, refrigerator, mosquito net, phone, tea/coffe machine, hair dryer, fan, kettle, laundry (for fee)
Jacuzzi Studio
- Room: 56 m²
- Bed: 1 large bed + sofa bed OR 2 single beds + sofa bed
- Amenities: balcony, garden view, TV, refrigerator, mosquito net, phone, tea/coffe machine, hair dryer, fan, kettle, laundry (for fee)
Sea View Plunge Pool Deluxe Studio
- Room: 62 m²
- Bed: 1 large bed + sofa bed OR 2 single beds + sofa bed
- Amenities: balcony, garden view, TV, refrigerator, mosquito net, phone, tea/coffe machine, hair dryer, fan, kettle, laundry (for fee)
Sea View Pool Villa
- Room: 91 m²
- Bed: 1 large bed + sofa bed OR 2 single beds + sofa bed
- Amenities: balcony, garden view, TV, refrigerator, mosquito net, phone, tea/coffe machine, hair dryer, fan, kettle, laundry (for fee)
Workspace availability and quality
They do have an adorable “co-working” set up right at the beaches edge. There’s 2 long tables, a bench and you can bring chairs from the bar right next to the space. There are even outlets so you can plug in and charge for as long as you need and you never need to leave the beach!
Internet speed and reliability
The entire resort has strong wifi that reaches from every end of the property. I could work on full bars everywhere we went. This was one of the strongest connections we had in Thailand and it was amazing considering how secluded we were.
Noise levels and privacy
So you think total serenity when you hear hidden oasis right? For the most part that is in fact what you will get at Paradise Koh Yao. However, there is one small catch. This resort is family friendly and that means kids. There were quite a few during our visit which surprised me considering the atmosphere gave off honeymoon vibes (where people tend to want to enjoy the peace and quiet) but overall we didn’t have any major issues thankfully. If we wanted peace we simply went back to our amazing (and air conditioned) room.
However, I truly was able to work at the beach and pool with no issues during our stay even with families around (minus one screaming child who’s family just didn’t seem to respect or care about other people all week long – so what do you expect). Just know that there could be times where things get a bit noisier so be prepared to work from your room if you get distracted easily.
Privacy is top notch here. Paradise Koh Yao is a gated area and you have to check in to gain access. Our room was on the very top of the hill and we felt as if no one was anywhere around us. We rarely saw any neighbors and slept like babies every night. There is a privacy screen for the outdoor shower and black out curtain blinds for all the windows.
Facilities & Services
On-site facilities such as gyms, pools, co-working spaces, etc.
There is no on-site gym but they do have a yoga area where they offer classes every day (except Saturday) at 7:30 am and 16:30. If you are looking to do body weights or such this is the perfect area to do it as it is secluded and you won’t be disturbed. They all have a few random free weights.
There is one main pool for all guest and then some villas (like ours) have the private plunge pool right outside your bedroom. The resort is also beach front so you can easily walk straight into the sea at anytime.Additionally, there are some cool bonus things like a hammock, swing chairs, large swing, and hanging coconut weather station that all add to the experience.
On-site facilities : restaurants and bars
Seafood Terrace is the main restaurant at the resort. It can be found right next to the reception area which is the center of the resort. This is also where the complimentary breakfast buffet is daily, as well as lunch and dinner options can be found. We really enjoyed the variety of traditional Thai and classic American breakfast options. They also changed slightly each day small things which was a nice touch.
Lunch and dinner were ordered off menu and had a wide range as well. We had Pad Thai, Caesar salad, Pineapple fried rice, crab flutes (definitely try these), chicken burger and more. Everything we had was very tasty!
There are 2 bars which serve 11:00-23:00 with happy hours at 17:00-18:00 at the bar by the activities center and from 21:00-22:00 at the pool bar. Not all drinks are served during the happy hour which was a little disappointing as I fell in love with a drink called the Paradis Koh Yao Rose (basically a Pina colada with grenadine and syrup). You can charge everything to your room and pay upon departure. During happy hour they can bring drinks to the beach or pool (unless super busy in which case they may ask you to wait nearby).
Quality of services provided (housekeeping, front desk, etc.)
Check in went smoothly and you get a welcome drink and wet towel upon arrival. You can choose to help be eco-friendly and reuse your towels each day with their hanging do not disturb sign or get daily room cleanings. There is a laundry service available for a fee base on number of items.
The staff are all wonderful and you feel the quality of the resort. Every evening we would come home to find a paper with the weather, tides and daily actives for the next day on our bed. They have a golf cart to shuttle guest who are further up the hill (this is hit or miss as they can be quite busy or need to charge them). However, staff are available at the reception area all day.
Guests can make use of the chargeable shuttle service to visit the local village, from where they can rent a bicycle or motorbike to explore the open rice fields and markets of Koh Yao Noi island. Books, DVDs as well as indoor board games and puzzles are also available at the library which we thought was a very cool touch. They also have a mini shop that sells some items such as beach attire, hats, shows and medicine as well as sunscreen, aloe and bug spray.
The on-site tour desk can arrange excursions to the surrounding islands such as the famous James Bond Island in addition to many other local half and full day trips. They also helped us arrange our kayak tour to go island hopping on our own as we prefer self guided activities.
Value for Money
Pricing compared to similar accommodations in the area
Paradise Koh Yao is not on the budget end of the spectrum but the price is shown in the quality of the facilities, accommodation and experiences. The northern part of the island does not offer a large variety of stay options so while you may be able to find something cheaper, it will be limited and not nearly as incredible. While this might not be exclusive to Paradise Koh Yao, another really cool perk was that many hornbills call this beach home. They are all around and beautiful to watch.
Inclusion of value-added services or perks
Depending on your booking selections, some have included a boat tour to the Koh Park Bia island and yoga classes. Others offer these at an additional price, yoga ฿600 per class. Mini bars in rooms are all extra fees, as are the wine fridges. Paddle board or kayak rentals are ฿100 each. Some deals include the free kayak for limited time slots if that is your top interest instead of a group boat tour to the national park (which has a ฿300 fee per person not included). Here are some of the other fun things they offered during our stay:
- Movie Nights: starts 19:30 on Thursday & Sunday with popcorn
- Bonfire party: Tuesday at 18:00-19:00
- Main Pool: 7 am – 19:00 every day
- Happy Hour: 17:00-18:00 and then 21:00-22:00
- Breakfast: 7:30- 10:30am
- Room Services: call 0 on landline
- Island tours: 11:00-14:00
- Badminton court
Overall value proposition for digital nomads
You get what you pay for is demonstrated flawlessly here. If you want to work from paradise, never worry once about having great connection, and have a bit of a flexible budget to spend, then Paradise Koh Yao is perfect for you.
Our Experience & Thoughts
Personal experience and impressions
This was one of my favorite islands I have visited in my life. I truly fell in love and forgot completely about the price the moment I arrived. We enjoyed every aspect of our stay (minus the journey to get here but it was an experience). I would give Paradise Koh Yao top marks and would love to return – maybe this will be our first stop for our first anniversary next year!
Recommendations and tips for future guests
Keep in mind the last ferry to the island leaves at 17:00 which means if your flight arrives after this or you cannot make it to the pier before this time, you won’t be able to get to the island. In this case you will need another accommodation the first night and take the morning ferry. There are also limited times leaving the island so plan for this going to your next destination.
Additional Information
Contact details and booking information
If you want to book your stay, you can sometimes find better deals with Booking so it is always a good idea to check this first! Look into the different bonus offers that come with the room as well and chose the activities that interest you the most. You can always choose to add on more later, but this way your favorite will already be included.
Nanthida’s Private Boat tours :
On our kayak adventure we met a local and her husband, an American from New Jersey, who has lived in a nearby village for the last 22 years (as of 2024). They have an AirBnB and give private tours island hopping around. We only spent an hour chatting with them but their love and life story is incredible and they are the kindest people so we asked them to share their information for us to share with all of you! If you want to spend a day island hopping then reach out to them if all the information below suits you.
Contact :
- What’s App or direct phone :
- Nanthida Richards : +66898736815
- Craig Richards : +66844437563
Tour Information :
They provide Private Tours to Pristine Islands off Phuket Thailands shores, where hardly any people go.
- They start by taking you to Panga National Park on the sea to see the Limestone Mountains with their cascading stalactite’s and trees that grow from the side of the cliffs upside down. Go inside the mountains through a small opening to a beautiful lagoon.
- Then they go to James Bond Island where the movie the “Man with the Golden Gun” was filmed.
- Next, head to KUDU Island where a scene from the movie Paradise Beach was shot there, for swimming some snacks or Lunch.
- Next is one of the best, Hong island. This is a very underrated spot that’s becoming more popular.
- Then to Nok Island stunning scenery by climbing their nature trail to the top with breath taking views of the area.
- Then to koh Yao Yai Island to take pictures on the Sand Bar where they shot a scene from the movie the mechanic and survivor.
- On the way back if the tide permits they go into the eco river tour deep into the island, (no tours go there only them).
- Many times you can see water monitor lizards, monkeys, exotic birds, fish and shrimp jumping stopping for a swim near the entrance to the ocean
Tour time and Price:
- It’s a full day trip normally 6-7 hour trip depending on how everybody’s feeling
- The price for the tour is 15,000 Thai baht. Including full homemade lunch, Thai snacks, fruit platter and all beverages. Includes all safety equipment , all snorkeling gear, and the most magical memories to take home with you that will last a lifetime time !
- They can accommodate up to 10 people
Happy travels xx
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