Koh Yao Yai: Eco-Homestay the Old Fashioned Way

In Thailand, tourism is big business. For a country that relied so heavily on fishing and crop growing, making meagre money in the world marketplace and battling to retain a stable economy for years, its holiday industry is absolutely essential. It took off on the mainland, high-rise hotels appearing in major cities and local landmarks morphing into tourist attractions almost overnight. It eventually spread to the outlying islands, with the late 1980’s bringing the first intrepid divers and surfers to the larger island of Phuket and Ko Samui, and honeymooners finding their way to picturesque atolls like Koh Phi Phi and Lanta a decade later. Tourism was spreading, and everywhere you went in
Thailand it was fast becoming the most successful form of economy they had. But there are still some places, lesser known locations, where they’re only just catching on. And that’s good, because it means they haven’t quite got round to ditching the old way of life just yet.

The island of Koh Yao Yai can be found east of Phuket in the Andaman Sea. It shares bay space with its sister, Koh Yai Noi, a slightly smaller but equally beautiful island to the north, avoiding the worst of the monsoon winds and largely sheltered by the curving outline of the mainland. Peaceful and serene, these islands are surprisingly untouched by overdevelopment, perhaps because of their close proximity to the land, so in an effort to cash in on their share of Thailand’s ever expanding tourist industry, a group of locals introduced their own unique holiday idea – an eco-homestay in the local fishing village.

Travellers who shun modern high rise hotels in the big cities like Bangkok, or who turn their backs on luxury beachside resorts with their modern amenities and endless activities, can now choose to stay in a single bedroom of a local fisherman’s thatched hut instead, enjoying a taste of island living the way things used to be. In general, these trips are organised for a single night, giving visitors a chance to see the real island before they head off to their fancy hotel in the south, but there really is no limit on how long you’re allowed to stay. While you’re there, you’re asked to help out and join in with local activities. From staying at home with the women and sweeping the huts or gutting fish for dinner, to getting up at dawn and heading out with the fishermen on the hunt for food in their long-tail boats, this is certainly an activity-filled holiday with a difference. You’ll be welcomed into your host family’s home, share a main meal with them and help out with the chores. Beds are often little more than dry straw on the wooden floorboards and you can forget about broadband, cell phone connections and satellite televisions here.

Guests are asked to accept and abide by the local customs and beliefs, which include requests for female travellers to dress appropriately and for all visitors to refrain from alcohol, but aside from these few rules there are hardly any restrictions imposed. In general, villagers are delighted to host their guests. They like the added income this unique program gives them, and they certainly like the extra workforce to help them out. Most importantly, perhaps, travellers who’ve stayed here have come away with positive experiences and fabulous stories to tell. And it’s not all sweat and grind either, there are plenty of opportunities to visit the local National Park, try scuba diving on the nearby reef and explore the rainforest jungle on foot.

Thailand has stepped up its eco-tourism in recent years, recognising the need to preserve their unique natural environment as much as possible. So while this pretty little atoll isn’t the only island to boast an environmentally friendly approach to hospitality, it is the first and original Thai settlement to welcome visitors into traditional island life. It might not be the right sort of accommodation for everyone, but isn’t it nice to know your few Thai Baht are going straight into the pockets of the locals? You can’t get much more supportive of local economy than that.

Further info - http://www.koh-yao-noi-eco-tourism-club.com/
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