Tag: island living

Koh Yao Yai – Siam Summer

The infinity pool at the Santhiya resort

Koh in Thai means island, and there are a ton of places in the country that start off with that tag. In fact there are so many of them that it starts to get confusing as to which ones I am supposed to visit. So far, I have only been to three of them, and Koh Yao Yai is only the second one that I have been to since I moved out here a month ago. You would think that they would all be similar to each other. There would be a resort to go to, a bunch of restaurants to eat at, some kind of beach and a whole lot of relaxation. And even though all of these elements are present on each of the islands they all have different features that make them appealing for different reasons. Koh Samui has a town associated with it and there are a lot of people living on that island. Koh Samet is the quick little getaway close to Bangkok that gets really busy any time there is a long weekend in Thailand. They are both great for different reasons, but so far, I have been enjoying Koh Yao Yai the best.

The view from the balcony of our room

It has a pool that I have been spending a lot of my time at and it has a beach even though it is not very big and I am planning on working my way down there today. But the thing that sets this place off from the other two that I have visited is the fact that it is super quiet. I am pretty that Covid has affected the amount of people coming to this island, but I do not think that it would have changed much if things were back to normal. First off, this island is located in the southern part of the country with the only way to get to it by taking a ferry from Phuket to here. It is not as easy to get to. Secondly, the island is not as built up as the other two that I have visited. There are two resorts that you can stay at if you decide to come here. I am staying at Santhiya, and even though it was a little more pricey than the regular ferry, I was able to take the resort’s private boat over to the location. It was worth the price because I could feel the stress melt away as soon as I got on the boat and the further away I got from the shore of Thailand.

One of the beautiful carvings found in our room

The place is absolutely beautiful. I have found myself in a tropical forest without the sounds of the city anywhere to be found. The weather has been gorgeous here as well. I know that this cannot always be the case, but it has been fun sitting by the pool and watching the clouds build up and dump on the land on the other side of the water while completely missing the place where I am staying right now. Everything is made out of teak wood including the transportation. Not all of it is custom carved because the art work that makes up the main buildings is too precise for this to be the case, but there is enough original artwork through the place that I am always surprised by what I am seeing. And when we first arrived at the dock and were being escorted to the car that would take us to our room, I saw that the pillars that supported the dock were being worked on at that moment by a couple of carvers to make a unique design for anybody that happened to come by.

Another view of the sunset on Koh Yao Yai

I have enjoyed all of the islands I have visited in Thailand so far, but I am especially enjoying the isolation and the relaxed atmosphere of Koh Yao Yai the best. I have also been lucky enough to have visited it at the right time. The price right now was one that could not be beat, and I do not know if I could have been able to afford it if I had come during the return of the tourist. I do feel lucky to have landed in the right place in the world for this pandemic and I am glad that I get to enjoy it safely while the opportunity is here.

Until the next time, be careful and stay safe.

A Siam Sunset – Siam Summer

I have often talked about how spoiled I was growing up in Colorado and how it is such a place of infinite beauty. My heart will always find a home there and part of that reason is because of the sunsets over the Rockies. It does not happen every night, but on those special nights, there is a magic that happens over those mountains as the color in the sky changes to different kinds of oranges, reds and purples. There is a reason that so many people have a window that frames these mountains, and it is for those moments of intense beauty.

As I have traveled around the world, I have seen many other sunsets that rival the ones I have witnessed in Colorado. They usually fall over the sea, and it is fun watching the sun slowly sink into the horizon over this vast body of water. Though tears may form in my eyes, I just can’t pull away, and I have to watch every moment.

Though it is still beautiful with the light reflecting off of the deep blue of the water, it is still does not have the explosion of color that I get to see on those great sunsets in Colorado. It is still a moment that I look forward to and it is one I have been seeking out all summer because I knew that there must be spectacular ones to see in Thailand.

I think I have found the place where the best sunsets exists and as a man from Colorado, I am sorry to say that it is not along the Front Range. It is on the island of Koh Yao Yai on the southern end of Thailand. It is here that you get to experience the beauty of both moments in a sunset. You get to watch the sun dip below the horizon over the ocean while still experiencing the reflection that the fading daylight has over the cloud hanging over the distant mountains.

I don’t think I have ever seen anything like it in my lifetime. It was stunning and though it only lasted for less than an hour, it is easily my favorite moment so far this summer. I am happy that I did not miss it.