Fodor's Expert Review Koh Yao Homestay

Organized by a community of Koh Yao residents who invite tourists to experience their way of life, the community provides visitors with lodging in their own homes, meals (consisting primarily of fish caught by village fishermen), and knowledge about local customs. Visitors learn about rubber-tapping, batik-dying, fishing, rice-farming, coconut-harvesting, and other traditional trades from the people who have practiced them for centuries. More environmentally friendly and less invasive on the island's indigenous people than resort development, the homestay program is a unique way to learn about local people while helping to preserve their way of life.