The Secret Garden Homestay Koh Yao Yai

Accommodation at The Secret Garden Homestay Koh Yao Yai ranges from double rooms and bungalows to a junior suite of 75 m². Several rooms have a flat-screen TV, an electric kettle and a walk-in shower, and linens and towels are provided across the property. The bungalows and double rooms sleep up to two guests, and the junior suite sleeps up to five.

Shared facilities include a garden or backyard, bicycles, 24-hour security and a laundromat nearby. Extra beds depend on the room you choose, and children aged 2 to 7 can stay free when they use the existing bedding. Check-in runs from 14:00 to 18:00 and check-out is by 11:00.

Free parking is available on site. The homestay has a garden or backyard, a balcony or terrace, and bicycles.

Inside, there is a refrigerator and a freezer, a fan, a desk or workspace and cable channels, and a coffee or tea maker is available. Toiletries, towels, a hair dryer and body wash are also provided. A laundromat is nearby, English, French and Thai are spoken, and internet access is available. The property also has 24-hour security and a private entrance.

Koh Yao Yai is a lightly developed island in Phang Nga Bay, in the Andaman Sea, with rolling hills, mangrove forests and white-sand beaches along its coast. Fishing villages dot the shoreline, and Ban Khlong Din Niao, a village 1.1 km from the homestay, is the closest of them. The island's life centres on the coast, where small villages and beaches sit close together.

The nearest beach is Lo Jak Beach, 2 km away, with Ao Sai Beach and Laem Nok Beach a few kilometres further on along the coast. Khai Nui Island, a small island 9.8 km away, lies offshore, and in the wider bay James Bond Island is known for its limestone pillar. Phuket International Airport is 37 km from the homestay, and the last stretch to the island is by boat.

A good first day is a walk to Lo Jak Beach and a stroll through the village of Ban Khlong Din Niao, with the afternoon left for the beaches further along the coast. Boat trips to the limestone islands of the bay depend on the sea, and rough seas in the rainy season can keep boats in port, so it is worth allowing some flexibility in the plans.