Travel + Leisure Asia - 09.2019

26 SEPTEMBER 2019 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM

DO

Royal Bike Tours Live

out your classic-ride and

open-road fantasies with

their range of tailored

adventures in south,

north and central

Thailand. The southern

itinerary followed here

costs Bt50,000 per

person, including meals,

accommodation and

transfers. royalbiketours

thailand.com.

STAY

Thai Life Homestay

Resort This expansive

resort has plenty of

charm, largely due to the

traditional Thai

architecture of the guest

villas. Rooms are

arranged around a

tranquil lake; Bang Muang

beach is just a short walk

away. thailifehomestay.

com; rooms from US$80

per night.

Our Jungle House A

wild river and towering

limestone cliffs provide

the backdrop at Our

Jungle House, a

long-standing favorite

near Khao Sok National

Park. Other highlights of

the resort include its

varied selection of tree

houses and rooms, and

an excellent restaurant.

khaosokaccommodation.

com; rooms from US$40

per night.

Cape Kudu Hotel One of

the smartest addresses

on Koh Yao Noi, Cape

Kudu offers an idyllic

beachside setting,

fantastic service and

range of accommodation

spanning suites to lush

pool villas.

capekuduhotel.com;

rooms from US$145 per

night.

THE DETAILS

Noi. As honored guests, Aaron the photographer

and I are able to sit the crisis out at a pier-side

restaurant. Roberto and Eric, though, have to

sweat out the misdeeds of the previous night and

help two unfortunate boatmen lift the heavy-duty

bikes onto a wooden vessel.

Later, as we step off the boat onto Koh Yao

Noi and cover the short distance to Cape Kudu—

our plush accommodation on the island—the

sky explodes into a riot of red and orange that

illuminates Phang Nga Bay.

In the morning, there’s time for one last ride

before we go our separate ways: Aaron and I to

Phuket, Roberto and Eric back to the mainland.

Bijou and beautiful, the island is a breeze to

circumnavigate. Therefore, our tour feels more

like a victory lap than a serious day’s biking.

Along the way, we pass a group of giggling

teenagers walking home from a mosque.

“Take me wherever you are going,” jokes one

girl. I’m not the only one getting dreamy about

vintage motorbikes in the south of Thailand.

PHANG NGA

PHUKET

KRABI

SURAT THANI

Thailand

Koh Yao Yai

Koh

Yao Noi

Thai Life

Homestay Resort

Khao Sok

National Park

Cape Kudu on

Koh Yao Noi.

Khao Lak

ROAD TRIP