I took the 40-minute longtail ride (150 baht each way) from Bangrong Pier over to Koh Yao Noi today. Koh Yao Noi is just off the coast of Phuket, but it’s actually part of Phang Nga province. I had never been to Koh Yao Noi, but I was keen to see all the agrotourism projects up there.

I like what they are trying to do at Koh Yao Noi, which revolves around giving tourists a different kind of travel experience. Visitors to Koh Yao Noi stay with a family and basically get an in-depth look into the way of life on the island.

At the moment, they’re pushing to get the rice paddies back in use, partly for the sake of keeping tradition alive, but more so to spark interest in the island and generate money for the locals – and why not? I’m all for this kind of project. It’s educational, interesting and hands-on. I have read that rice paddies have an effect on global warming due to the amount of methane they produce, so that is a point of contention for what is touted as an eco-friendly project.

About 1,600 rai of Koh Yao Noi is made up of rice paddies, or what used to be rice paddies. A bunch of the local kids who live and go to school on the island were playing mud football in one of the paddies.

Aside from being a lot of fun for the kids, the stomping of feet in the mudbath is good for the soil, where rice will eventually be planted.

After playing football, the kids dunked themselves in a nearby pool of water to clean off.

Something a bit different for a Sunday morning.