#57: Once around the island

12.03.2020

Yesterday we ordered a scooter from Poom to explore the island. This morning, as agreed, the ordered scooter was standing next to our bungalow, with the key inserted and two helmets in the helmet compartment, as if by magic. The usual written contract listing the penalties for damages and the deposit requirement, let alone the need for a signature, seems to be unnecessary here. Everything is fine in this world!

After getting ready, a hornbill (rhinoceros bird) suddenly flew past our bungalow and perched on a nearby tree. A very cool bird! Tours to see these birds are offered on the island and here one just flew next to our accommodation.

Our first goal is to find breakfast in town. After a 10-minute ride, we found a nice restaurant and had French toast and waffles. Then we rode around the small island. We mainly rode on concrete roads, but there were also some unpaved paths or complete jungle paths. The coast is very diverse. It can consist of beautiful sandy beaches, dense mangrove forests, or just rocks. Along the way, we also checked out various accommodations as we wanted to extend our stay on Koh Yao Noi. However, we quickly realized that we already live in the most beautiful spot on the island (although it is beautiful everywhere) and extended our stay at Poom for three more nights.

For lunch, we stopped at a nice restaurant right on the coast. The best view we’ve had during a lunch so far. Afterward, we went to the island's only 7-Eleven to do some shopping and headed back home. In the afternoon, we wanted to go to a specific beach. Unfortunately, we couldn't find the right way in the maze of small streets and jungle paths, so we went to another beach instead. When we arrived, we realized that it was low tide and there wasn't much water at any beach. We relaxed there for a while and then went to have dinner and back home.

You can really relax here on Koh Yao Noi. The island is quite different from our previous destinations, which were all beautiful too. But here, the atmosphere is something special. Everyone here seems relaxed and calm, and there is no sign of stress. The people here always greet you with a friendly smile, no matter where you meet them. The traffic is also much slower. Mostly scooters drive around here, and much fewer than on the mainland. If you want to relax a bit, and at a great price (the accommodation is by far the cheapest so far), this place is just right.

In the evening, we enjoyed the first thunderstorm of the trip on our terrace and listened to the sounds of the jungle. A true paradise!