Royal Yao Yai Island Beach Resort

The rooms at Royal Yao Yai Island Beach Resort are air-conditioned and have LED televisions with satellite programming. Rooms have private balconies, and the pillowtop beds come with down comforters and Egyptian cotton sheets. Private bathrooms have showers with rainfall showerheads and complimentary toiletries.

Sizes run from 35 m² to 79 m², and the one-bedroom suite measures 79 m². Some rooms are set by the pool, and one has a garden view. Some rooms sleep up to four guests, while others sleep up to three.

The resort has a full-service spa with massages, body treatments and facials, a spa and sauna, and a fitness centre. The water park with water slides, canoeing, surfing lessons and a game room keep guests busy, and the concierge can help with arrangements.

There is a shuttle service, car hire and an airport transfer, and the laundry service and babysitting service are on site. Children have a kids club, a playground and a children's swimming pool. On-site parking and valet parking are available, and dining is covered by restaurants, a bar, a coffee shop, BBQ facilities and room service. Internet access is available in public areas, and the concierge desk can help guests arrange tours and trips around the island.

Ko Yao Yai is an island in the Andaman Sea, in Phangnga province, where the pace is slower than on nearby Phuket. The resort is 200 m from Loh Pared Beach, one of the island's beaches, and the island's villages and fishing communities are close by. A sunset view lies 50 m from the hotel, so evenings can be spent close to the water.

The island is not joined to Phuket by road, so the last part of the journey is by boat. Phuket International Airport is 32.4 km away on the larger island, and the last stretch to Ko Yao Yai is by sea. On the island, Ban Ta Reua is a village 1.9 km away, and Laem Nok Beach lies 4.9 km off as another beach to explore. Across on Phuket, Wat Chalong is one of the best-known Buddhist temples, Big Buddha stands on a hilltop, and Patong Beach is Phuket's best-known beach.

A good day here starts with time on the sand at Loh Pared Beach, followed by a session at the spa or a swim in one of the two outdoor pools. The water park with its water slides keeps children busy, and the bars around the pool and the beach make a relaxed end to the day. For a change of scene, plan a day on Phuket for Wat Chalong and Big Buddha, travelling there by boat.