Cooking with Mina, in her Koh Yao Noi home

On the island of Koh Yao Noi, in the middle of Phang Nga Bay, chef Mina welcomes small groups into her own traditional Thai house, just outside the village market. The class, organised by Koyao Island Resort, is hands-on throughout: classic Southern Thai dishes chosen by Mina, cooked from scratch and then shared as a meal. Numbers stay deliberately limited, and booking goes directly through the resort by email or phone, never through an online ticketing platform. The island, predominantly Muslim since Arab traders introduced Islam in the 13th century according to historical sources, has kept a fishing way of life and a habit of welcoming visitors into people's homes rather than standardised venues.