Some places make the journey feel worthwhile the moment you arrive. After roughly 40–45 minutes aboard a speedboat to Koh Yao Yai, I found myself somewhere that felt wonderfully removed from everyday life: palm trees, limestone islands, and a quiet stretch of sea unfolding before me.
For a honeymoon, this is the kind of setting I would happily make the extra journey for.
My stay at Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas centred on a beachfront pool villa, and that distinction matters. The space, privacy, and uninterrupted sea views were what made the experience exceptional – and why this property became my first choice for a luxury pool villa escape in the Phuket area.
Getting There – From Phuket or Krabi
Although the resort is on an island, getting there is straightforward with a little advance planning. Transfers can be arranged through the resort, and you can travel from either Phuket or Krabi.
Travelling from Phuket
If you are travelling directly from Phuket International Airport, you can receive assistance at the welcome counter near the arrivals entrance.
For my visit, the transfer involved a drive of approximately 50 minutes to an hour to Laguna Pier, followed by a speedboat journey to the island. It was not a particularly short trip, but considering how far many resorts in the region sit from the international airport, the distance did not feel unreasonable.
The boat journey took roughly 40–45 minutes. As the coastline slipped away and the limestone islands came into view, the transition from a busy travel day to an island retreat began to feel quite tangible.
One detail worth planning around is the boat timetable. Departures follow a set schedule, so you cannot simply arrive at any time and expect a boat to be waiting. I took the 11 a.m. boat to the island and the noon departure on my return, but departure times and transfer arrangements should be confirmed directly with the resort for your travel dates.
If you arrive a little early, there is time to look around nearby and enjoy a coffee before boarding. The team also provides detailed instructions by email, so the logistics need not become a source of concern.
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Travelling from Krabi International Airport
You can also arrange a transfer directly from Krabi International Airport, making the resort a convenient option for travellers arriving on that side of Phang Nga Bay.
The journey consists of two stages:
- Krabi International Airport to Thalane Pier: approximately 45 minutes by car.
- Thalane Pier to the resort’s private jetty: approximately 30 minutes by speedboat.
The total travelling time is therefore around one hour and fifteen minutes, excluding waiting time between transfers.
If you are already planning a stay in Krabi, this provides another practical way to reach the island without travelling through Phuket. As with the Phuket route, contact the resort in advance to confirm the boat schedule and coordinate your arrival.
The One-Bedroom Beachfront Pool Villa
I stayed in a One-Bedroom Beachfront Pool Villa, one of just eight villas in this category at the time of my visit.
At Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas, this was the accommodation that made the strongest impression on me. Beyond an entrance that reminded me of a rounded, Hobbit-like hillside home, an unexpectedly generous living room opened up before me.
There was a separate kitchen area with a sink and a large refrigerator, a dining table, and a living space furnished with a sofa bed, television, and another table. Beyond the glass doors lay the private pool, with the sea stretching out behind it.
The main bedroom enjoyed the same ocean outlook. A separate dressing room helped keep the space uncluttered, which I appreciated in a villa where the overall design felt so calm and considered.
Then there was the bathroom – quite possibly larger than my living room at home.
A large whirlpool bathtub faced the sea, and the bathing facilities were almost extravagantly generous for two guests: an indoor shower, a secluded outdoor shower area with pebbles underfoot, and a third shower beside the pool.
The amenities were equally thoughtful. There were three varieties of bath salts to choose from, although I have to admit that I ended up pouring all three into the bath together.
Taken as a whole, the villa included a kitchen area, living room, dining space, bedroom, dressing room, expansive bathroom, private pool, and private garden. The scale was impressive, but it was the quality of the furnishings and the care given to individual details that made the space feel truly luxurious.
I have stayed in several Anantara pool villas, and this was the most impressive in terms of its physical design, facilities, and finish. Everything felt fresh, beautifully maintained, and reassuringly substantial.
Being able to see the sea from the living room, bedroom, and even the bathtub made the entire villa feel connected to its surroundings.
For a honeymoon, I would give serious consideration to this category. It offers the kind of setting that could remain part of your memories long after the trip itself.
A Private Pool with a View Worth Lingering Over
Opening the doors to the terrace revealed a scene that felt unmistakably like southern Thailand.
Limestone islands rose from the water in front of the villa, their sculpted shapes resembling a landscape painting that subtly changed with the light. Framed by palm trees, it was a view that invited very little activity beyond simply sitting and looking.
That sense of quiet would have been harder to find on the mainland. Here, the boat journey felt like part of the reward: it had brought us somewhere genuinely peaceful.
Koh Yao Yai is home to several luxury resorts, and looking out over this coastline, I could understand the appeal of building a retreat here.
The private pool was clean, well maintained, and large enough for an enjoyable swim. In other resorts, I have often needed to look at a two-bedroom villa to find a pool of comparable size. Having this much space in a one-bedroom villa felt particularly generous.
There was also a bubbling Jacuzzi section, adding another way to relax in the water.
Both the bedroom and living room opened directly towards the pool, making it easy to move between the indoor spaces and the terrace. Beyond it were a green lawn, sun loungers, and the beach within walking distance.
After swimming in the sea, I could walk straight back to the villa, rinse off at the outdoor shower, and head inside. It was a small practical detail, but one that made beachfront living feel wonderfully effortless.
Swimming with those limestone formations directly ahead occasionally felt like stepping into a film scene. More often, though, I simply found myself floating quietly and taking it all in.
The Main Pool – A Slower Rhythm
Although I visited during the rainy season, there were plenty of clear spells throughout my stay. A sudden downpour might pass through, only for the skies to brighten again soon afterwards.
Swimming in the rain had its own charm, too. The changing weather became part of the atmosphere rather than something that spoiled the experience.
The main infinity pool offered a broader, more panoramic version of the scenery I enjoyed from the villa. It was very large, and the limestone islands remained the defining feature of the view.
There were quite a few European guests during my stay. Most seemed content to sunbathe quietly, order a light meal to their loungers, or spend long stretches simply enjoying the setting.
I found that rather enviable. There was less emphasis on constantly taking photographs and more on allowing the day to unfold at its own pace – although the poolside backdrop certainly made it easy to take a memorable photograph.
The resort did not feel crowded while I was there, which added to the sense of space and tranquillity.
Pool Villa or Suite? My Honest Preference
I also went to look around the suite accommodation, which occupied a separate building and sat farther from the sea.
My impression was that the experience differed considerably from the beachfront villas, both in its setting and in the overall quality of the accommodation. The ocean outlook and immediate access to a private pool were a substantial part of what made my own stay so special.
For a honeymoon, my recommendation would be the beachfront pool villa – the room category is central to the experience here.
Personally, I would be less inclined to make the additional boat journey solely for a suite stay. That is a reflection of what I value in an island escape: privacy, generous outdoor space, and a view that feels present throughout the day.
The villa delivered all three.
Breakfast – Generous in Both Variety and Quality
Breakfast at Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas was served buffet-style until 10:30 a.m. during my stay.
The selection was extensive, and the quality was consistently impressive. Hot dishes included noodles, while the egg menu offered options such as eggs Benedict, which arrived beautifully presented.
The bakery selection was a particular highlight. I brought back several things I wanted to try, only to discover that my appetite could not quite keep up with my enthusiasm.
The coffee also tasted as though some care had gone into choosing the beans. I managed two Americanos and a latte over breakfast—a fairly clear indication that I enjoyed it.
There were several varieties of dim sum as well, and between those, the pastries, and the hot dishes, breakfast could easily be substantial enough to leave little appetite for lunch.
Lunch and Other Dining Options
For lunch, it was possible to order à la carte either by the pool or at the restaurant. The selection was varied enough to suit different appetites, with pizza, pasta, sandwiches, burgers, salads, and Thai dishes among the choices.
After a generous breakfast, a salad or a burger was often all I needed.
As you would expect at a five-star resort, dining was not inexpensive. However, individual dishes were generally around US$20–30 during my visit, which made the likely cost easier to anticipate.
There was enough variety to choose something light or more substantial without feeling confined to a single style of food.
Why This Would Be My Honeymoon Choice
One distinction is important when booking: this is the island property on Koh Yao Yai, rather than one of the Anantara resorts on the mainland.
Phuket and the surrounding region offer an extraordinary number of well-known resorts, so narrowing down the options can be difficult. When I choose a luxury stay, I pay close attention to both the brand and the age of the property.
An established brand gives me a useful indication of the standards I might expect in maintenance and service. Just as importantly, I want to know when a resort opened.
Even a celebrated luxury property can begin to show its age after twenty years. Renovations may refresh the interiors, but they do not always change the original layout or fully remove the signs of time. Whenever possible, I tend to favour a newer property.
This resort opened in 2023, and during my stay, that relative newness was evident in the villa’s design, furnishings, and overall condition.
A stay of this kind may not be an everyday indulgence. For a honeymoon, however, I can understand choosing somewhere that feels particularly memorable—somewhere with enough privacy and beauty to enjoy one of life’s happiest occasions at an unhurried pace.
Anantara Koh Yao Yai Resort & Villas would be my first choice for a honeymoon pool villa escape in the Phuket area, even with the additional journey.
Whether you arrive from Phuket or Krabi, the transfer takes a little planning. Once you reach the villa, however, the space, the stillness, and the view make a persuasive case for coming all this way.
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