Koh Wai, Thailand
A lonely Paradise. Small and hidden in the Gulf of Thailand lays Koh Wai. With its five resorts and electricity for only a few hours per day, it’s not as well known as its bigger neighbor islands Koh Chang, Koh Kood, or Koh Mak. We decided to spend 3 nights on this small island with nothing else but palm trees, beaches, small bungalows, and the big ocean around us.
We took a slow boat from Bang Bao Pier in Koh Chang and paid 300 baht per person. The boat trip is highly enjoyable and takes around 1 hour. Just in front of the island, we got picked up by a small wooden boat which took our backpacks, some food from the mainland and us to a resort called: Ayonima. For backpackers, it’s more common under the name Grandma Hut since this resort is owned by a local Koh Wai Family.
Ayonima’s beach is very small and quiet and offers an amazing underwater world. In the 3 days we were there we never saw more than 5 people at the beach. And this was in high season! The accommodations are small wooden bungalows with cold water showers. The resorts has electricity for only a few hours in the evenings after the sunset. That is also when they set up a charging station and WiFi in their restaurant.
During the daytime, you can rent a kayak from the bigger resorts on the main beach on the island, explore the island by foot or you could join in on some fishing trips. All in all, though it is an island to relax and forget about a world outside this paradise. Me and Matias were happy with snorkeling, reading, and tanning.
The food served in Grandma’s hut -restaurant was very delicious. They mostly offer local dishes for around 100-300 baht. In case you are craving something sweet, their crepes are super delicious as well. Next to the restaurant, they have plenty of books in many languages. It’s amazing how many books you can read when you don’t get distracted by messages on your phone. The owners of the resort also produce their own coconut oil, which you can buy for 100 baht. The boat trip back to the next island or mainland is something the staff organizes for you. The people speak good English and French and are helpful and really want you to enjoy your time. We would definitely recommend to stay in this resort.
This small island was one of our favorites in Thailand & if you looking for some quality time just for yourself this is the perfect place.
Lots of love, Tabea.
