What better way to enjoy a day on a tropical island than cruising around with a side-car motorbike :) These are some of the things that we saw in 1 day on Koh Yao Noi Island, Thailand. You can easilly get to this wonderful island in about 30 minutes by boat from Phuket. This small island in Phang Nga Bay in Southern Thailand still maintains a more laid-back traditional way of life than its busy neighbour.

KOH YAO NOI

BIRD SINGING COMPETITION

These competitions are quite common in Southern Thailand, but I had never seen one until today. The rival birds are encouraged to sing by their owners to see which one is the winner.

SAID "Hi" TO SOME BUFFALOES

The buffaloes all looked pretty relaxed, and with a home like this why wouldn't you be. There is some small-scale rice farming still done on the island which is when they would be required to work. The rest of the time its a life of leisure by the sea.

...AND SOME GOATS

...AND SOME LIZARDS & BIRDS

Giant monitor lizards are common on the island, but this is the only one we saw, and he scurried off into the bushes. However we did see lots of the beautiful Giant Hornbills as well as Sea Eagles and a variety of other bird life. The hornbills are BIG and a truly magnificent bird to witness.

RUBBER PLANTATIONS

The majority of the island is covered in rubber plantations and along with fishing and tourism provide the major sources of income for the locals.

CRUISING IN OUR SIDE-CAR

A lot of the day was just spent cruising and enjoying the scenery.

BOATING LIFE

It's an island, so there are always boats coming and going for various purposes. They also have some of the biggest long-tail boats I have seen. The motors were huge!

EAT SOME AMAZING FOOD

We found a great little spot to stop and have some fresh crab salad and garlic squid for lunch.

VISIT A LOBSTER FARM

Noi's Lobster Farm provides most of the lobsters to the big restaurants in Phuket and he also does conservation work with other marine species.

CHECK OUT THE VIEW

We had been told about a bar at the top of a hill with an amazing view. It was so steep that the motorbike wouldn't get up with both of us, so Mrs. Bkkshadow had to get off and walk. When we got to the top the bar was closed, but the view was amazing!