Phang
Nga Bay used to be where hippies went to find inner peace. But is karma still
to be found in such a popular destination? Ian Henderson gets his chakras straight
on Yao Noi island.
This article first appeared in the Sunday Telegraph CLICK HERE
Few would point me out as a yoga bunny.
Most of the time my inner child is sitting on the naughty step and the closest
I get to holistic wellness is a couple of aspirin the morning after. But my
wife takes a different view; there are few things she likes more than a mud
bath followed by a robust rub-down with some well-chosen herbs. This has led to
occasional disputes about travel destinations (and an awkward moment during a
side by side Thai massage, best glossed over). On this occasion, her view
prevailed. So here I am, being summoned by a gentle gong from what appears to
have been a yogic trance, lying on a wooden platform blinking into the sun
rising through rubber trees over the Andaman Sea.
Slightly to my surprise, I’m feeling rather
good. I’m on Ko Yao Noi, an island in the middle of Phang Nga bay on the old
hippie trail we’d travelled together long before through Ko Phi Phi and Ko
Lanta, midway between the much better-known resort of Krabi and the crowds and
tuktuk jams of Phuket. The 141km2 island is home to about 5000 Thais
who mostly farm and fish the way they’ve always done. You can park a scooter in
Yao Noi town with the keys in the ignition and it’ll be there when you come
back. (I bumped into the local police commissioner sitting on an upturned box
on the dock – he didn’t look like a man troubled with a soaring crime rate.)
Like anywhere with growing tourism it’s
changing and you can never pretend a society is without tensions; but from the
commissioner down, the island of Yao Noi still has the feel of a gentle,
harmonious backwater. Cycling (or scootering if you must) is probably the best
way to visit the farming villages where cashews, mangoes and coconuts line the
roads; buy snapper and squid straight off a long-tail boat in fishing villages;
or explore quiet roads and trails through mangroves, secluded beaches and overrun
plantations. Getting to Yao Noi is
becoming easier, with Emirates now running flights direct to Phuket - avoiding
the tumult of Bangkok airport - followed by a forty-five minute speedboat ride.
Arriving at night, phosphorescent explosions faded into our wake like the
everyday stresses we were leaving back at home.
Once on the island you can choose to stay
in some award-winning eco-lodges and inexpensive but tidy bungalows owned and
run by local families, through to luxurious spa resorts like Six Senses. The west
side of Yao Noi is predominantly mangroves so beaches on the island face East,
towards the random scatter of sheer-sided, tree-crowned islands that make Phang
Nga bay one of the most spectacular, most filmed and most popular destinations
in south-east Asia. Those islands, rising sheer out of the glassy sea, are
silhouetted against the pinks and yellows of every sunrise creating a daily
lightshow of utter beauty. Let the light wake you and still half-dreaming you’ll
see palms, waves, islands and colours in the sky that can become a mental movie
to play whenever you need some of that inner peace. (For the full effect,
arrive late at night and leave the blinds open.)
The dawn really was that good; and seeing
it from the comfort of a soft bed in a Six Senses beachfront villa with its own
private infinity pool – perfect for a natural dawn dip - meant I was already getting
my chakras in a tidy line before I’d even submitted to early morning yoga. Six
Senses hotels are meant to help visitors retreat from the world into a calm,
contemplative space; among the yoga bunnies it’s seen as being about as good as
it gets. Even I was looking forward, later in the day, to a Six Senses
‘signature massage’; a full eighty minutes of precise, careful manipulation
with, thankfully, the whale music turned off. I’m assured by my expert
companions that this is the real deal; maximum ‘contact time’, no faffing, just
really expert masseuses in a very beautiful thatched teak house in a secluded
water garden filled with lilies. Again, I found myself succumbing gladly and
emerging with a genuine sense of wellbeing.
Mind you, I was already a bit knackered before
my massage session; Yao Noi may be a relaxed sort of place but it doesn’t mean
there’s nothing to do. Far from it. I’d spent that day in the company of Dut
(pronounced Dude, rather appropriately for a dreadlocked expert climber). Mountaineering
may not fit everyone’s idea of a fun beach holiday, but the sheer limestone
cliffs towering out of the sea that give Phang Nga Bay its unique scenery also
make it a mecca for climbers. I’d stepped into a rubber speedboat with Dut and
a bunch of hardcore Swedes; they were dropped with their well-worn gear on a
rickety bamboo platform beneath a daunting wall while we sped off to another (I
suspect easier) face. Dut’s family have been birds’-nest gatherers for
generations, climbing through caves inside the islands – each a closely-guarded
family secret – in search of the nests made by swifts from their own spit,
prized for making soup in China. Doing this with no safety equipment from the
age of eight means Dut can out-climb a monkey. His skill and a wry sense of
humour guided me foothold by handhold; the view from the top anchor point,
waiting for my arms to work again, was sensational.
You could easily spend a couple of days
exploring Yao Noi on foot, bike, scooter or even tuktuk. Add a boat and you may
never run out of places to see. Thousands of islands, including Ko Phi Phi and
the sea gipsy village of James Bond fame, are in easy reach; cave systems,
wrecks and sea life make scuba diving in the area fascinating. There are hidden
lagoons (‘hongs’, or ‘rooms’) inside some of the islands, one of which inspired
the book The Beach. You’d have to be very persuasive to get inside any of the
birds’-nest hunters’ caves though – the productive ones now have armed guards
keeping trespassers at bay. Heading out towards sunset on a long-tail boat,
it’s easy to find a deserted beach on one of the islands to sit and watch the
sun go down; although Phang Nga bay is a highly popular destination, most
visitors tend to stay near Phuket and Krabi and visit only the more famous
sites. There’s plenty of places to find your own space.
One of them is the mangrove forests – take
a guide and a couple of kayaks with you on a long-tail boat and paddle into a
cool, green cathedral; a maze of narrow tidal ‘klongs’ where it's easy to get
very lost. Paddling further you enter tall clefts in the rock, into hidden
hongs where rare langurs can be seen hundreds of feet above in the jungle
canopy. You’re surrounded by the calls of monkeys and birds and the racket of
cicadas; and when it all stops there’s a deep, deep silence. Apart from the
occasional group of noisy teenager kayakers, there’s a sense of ancient calm
and spiritual reverence.
Fortunately my less elevated self found
plenty to enjoy on Yao Noi too – head chef Anthony Reynolds oversees some
masterly cooking at Six Senses (including a rather wonderful Thai cooking
school and some of the best home-made ice cream anywhere). And once I’d spent the
day mastering my inner child and getting holistic about my wellness, I felt entirely
justified reclining on the beach with a cold Singha beer and a big bag of
freshly-made popcorn, watching a movie on a giant screen side by side under the
stars.
GETTING THERE
·
Emirates has a new daily direct
flight to Phuket via Dubai, avoiding the Bangkok transfer and using the new
A380 from London to Dubai. From £588.19. www.emirates.com; 0844 800 2777
·
Ao Noi marina is a one-hour
taxi ride from the airport, and speedboat to Yao Noi takes around 45 minutes or
there’s a slower but much cheaper ferry. There’s a helipad on the island too,
if you’re feeling particularly flash.
THE INSIDE TRACK
·
To really get to know the
island, find a guide. We found Sharif through Six Senses, who was not only a
determined cyclist but introduced us to his lovely family.
·
For the freshest fish ask a
long-tail boat driver to take you to Bang Nid’s fish market; in his pens he
keeps whatever the fishermen bring him live, from lobster to snapper. Not
everything’s for sale though – the leopard sharks are family pets.
·
Get up early. Sunrise over the
islands off Krabi is one of the most beautiful on Earth – just the thing to do
your daily yoga routine to. And I speak as a serial meditation-avoider.
WHAT TO DO
·
Climbing – there are more
famous locations in Phang Nga (like Railay), but Yao Noi is still uncrowded,
the climbing and views superb and the handholds unworn. Ask for Dut at The
Mountain Shop in Tha Khao – www.TheMountainShop.org; +66 (0)839 69 2023
·
Kick boxing – not exactly
relaxing, but an amazing workout. Six Senses has a ring and an instructor
called Shaun who will make you feel like Jackie Chan.
·
Massage – the Six Senses spa
massages are rightly world-famous. For something different, you could try a
‘blind massage’ in Yao Noi town (you can’t miss the huge sign on the window) –
it’s all about feel after all, and it means what it says on the window.
WHAT TO AVOID
·
New Year, both Gregorian and
Chinese, if you’re after a bit of peace and quiet – the hotels are full and the
best spots tend to be full of day trippers.
·
Street food can be delicious
and tempting, but freshness and hygiene aren’t always top priority; go to where
you see the most motorbikes and scooters lined up outside.
THE BEST HOTELS
Niramaya Villas £
Quiet
B&B villas with a view east across the bay. (Niramaya Villa 29/9 Moo
5, Long Beach, Amphur Ko Yao, Phang Nga 82160;+66(76) 45 42 14; www.niramayavilla.com;
from £95)
The Paradise ££
Relaxed resort on a private beach
surrounded by forest and towering limestone cliffs. (24 Moo 4, Koh Yao Noi, Phang Nga
82160; +66 (0)76 584 450; res@theparadise.biz; from £130)
Six Senses Yao Noi £££
Barefoot-chic upmarket
resort, luxurious private villas with infinity pools and a stunning spa. (56
Moo 5, Tambol Koh Yao Noi, Amphur Koh Yao, Phang Nga 82160; +66 (0) 76 418 500;
www.sixsenses.com; from £301)
the Best
restaurants
For real Thai cooking, there are hundreds
of street stalls and small cafes to choose from – look for one with the most
scooters outside.
La Luna £
An authentic taste of Italy in a Thai
setting – no, really. With a real woodburning oven. (La Luna on Koh Yao Noi between Takao Pier and
Island Resort; +66 084.629.1550; www.lalunakohyao.com)
Je t’Aime ££
Thai with a French gastronomic twist.
Finding food of this quality in Yao Noi town is extraordinary. Book. (Je
t’Aime, 21/1 Moo 1, Koh Yao Noi 82160; +66-076-597-495; jetaimekohyao@gmail.com)
The Dining Room £££
Outstanding cooking from chef Anthony
Reynolds, using organic local fresh ingredients in a stunning setting. (Six
Senses, 56 Moo 5, Tambol Koh Yao Noi, Amphur Koh Yao, Phang Nga 82160; +66 (0)
76 418 500; reservations-yaonoi@sixsenses.com)
