Koh Chang or Koh Mak, Which island is better?

Koh Chang and Koh Mak are two islands on the eastern Gulf of Thailand, in Trat Province. These islands are great beach holidays from major cities like Bangkok and Pattaya. They have nice beaches, and laid-back atmosphere, which are ideal for relaxation.

In this article, I will compare Koh Chang and Koh Mak, focusing on their location, accommodations, nightlife, shopping, food, and cultural attractions. I’ll also give you some brief information on how to get to these islands and how to get around.

I stayed in both Koh Chang and Koh Mak, so I hope to offer some useful recommendations to help you decide whether to stay in Koh Chang or Koh Mak.

Is it better to visit Koh Mak or Koh Chang?

I enjoyed my stay in both Koh Chang and Koh Mak. Each island has its own distinct charm, and I feel lucky to have been able to explore them all. Both islands have laid-back atmosphere and beautiful beaches, which are ideal for those looking for a relaxing beach holiday.

In my experience, Koh Chang is bigger and has a wider range of tourist amenities and attractions than Koh Mak. It has more mountainous terrain, so I can enjoy both jungle and beach activities like hiking, visiting waterfalls, viewpoints, swimming, and snorkeling.

Koh Mak is smaller, flatter, quieter, and less developed than Koh Chang. The island is easily explored on foot, bicycle, and scooter. There’s not much to do in L beyond the beaches and nearby islands, which makes it the perfect place to unwind and disconnect.

Generally speaking, Koh Chang is a better island than Koh Mak if you want lively nightlife, easy access to a variety of tourist facilities and activities. If you want quiet, laid-back, local island feel, and eco-friendly holiday, Koh Mak is a better place to go.

Many people stay on both islands because they are located just 1 hour boat ride apart. If you have enough time, you can consider this option to experience the best of each island.

My recommended places to stay in Koh Mak:

Mid-range: Koh Mak Resort
Mid-range: Seavana Koh Mak Beach Resort
Budget: Sabai Beach Resort

My top pick hotels in Koh Chang:

Location & How to Get There

Koh Chang and Koh Mak are located on the eastern Gulf of Thailand, off mainland Trat Province. Koh Chang is around 30 minutes boat ride from Aow Thammachat, Koh Mak is around 60 minutes boat ride from Laem Ngop Pier.

In the high season, you can take a direct boat between Koh Chang and Koh Mak. The ride is around 1 hour. In the low season, you might need to take a boat back to the mainland before catching another one to the other island.

To reach Koh Chang and Koh Mak from Bangkok, you need to take transport to the piers in mainland Trat first. You can take a flight, bus/ minivan to Trat Airport or Trat Bus Station. From these hubs, you can catch local taxis to the piers.

To get to Koh Chang, you need to get to Aow Thammachat. To get to Koh Mak, you need to head to Laem Ngop Pier. You can consider booking a combined bus and boat ticket to make your trip smoother.

Size & Landscape

Koh Chang is one of the largest islands in Thailand. It is around 30 km long and 18 km wide. The island has a mountainous interior, making it a great destination for jungle activities like hiking, observing wildlife, or swimming at the waterfalls.

The west coast is where most of the beaches and resorts are located. It is home to White Sand Beach, Kai Bae Beach, Lonely Beach, and Klong Prao. The east coast is much quieter, with mangroves, fishing villages, and local life.

Koh Mak is a tiny island, around 10km long and 5km wide. The terrain of Koh Mak is mostly flat, and covered in coconut and rubber plantations, giving it a lush, tropical vibe.

It is easy to explore Koh Mak on foot, bicycle, golf cart, and scooter. A walk from two sides of the island, from Koh Mak main village to Ao Soun Yai Beach is just around 30 minutes.

Ao Kao Beach and Ao Suan Yai Beach are the main beaches on Koh Mak. From these beaches, you can see Koh Rayang Nok, Koh Kham, and even Koh Chang in the distance.

Beaches

Both Koh Chang and Koh Mak have a laid-back beach atmosphere. As the less developed island, the beaches on Koh Mak have a more secluded atmosphere than in Koh Chang.

Both islands have fine sand beaches and calm water, which are ideal for swimming, sunbathing, chilling, watching the sunset, and enjoying some activities like kayaking or paddle boarding.

Some popular beaches in Koh Chang like White Sand Beach are lined with large resorts, beachfront restaurants, and bars. It has more lively nightlife with tables, chairs, and bean bags set out on the sand from sunset to late evening. You can enjoy the meal and watch fireshows on this beach.

Some major beaches on Koh Mak like Ao Soun Yai Beach and Ao Kao Beach are lined with several resorts and few beach bars and restaurants.

Accommodations

Both islands have a good range of accommodations for all budgets. There are more budget backpacker hostels in Koh Chang than in Koh Kood. Accommodations in Koh Mak tend to be more eco-friendly.

Like many other islands in Thailand, it is recommended to book your stay well in advance, especially if you’re coming in the high season from November to May. Accommodations are highly sought after during these times, often leading to steep price increases.

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Shopping

Koh Chang has a good range of tourist shops and national convenience stores like 7-Eleven. Places like the Main Road of White Sand Beach and Bang Bao Pier are packed with shops selling typical Thai souvenirs.

Koh Mak has limited facilities. There is no 7-Eleven on the island at the time of my visit. There are a few simple local supermarkets scattered around the islands. There are a few souvenir shops on the walking street, but it’s nothing like Koh Chang. The island is all about relaxation and beaches.

Nightlife

Koh Chang is a more developed island and it has more active nightlife. You can find many bars in the areas like White Sand Beach or Pearl Beach.

The beachfront in some areas like Whitesand Beach is also lively at night. There are fairy lights, tables, chairs, bean bags on the sand. People gather, enjoy the meal, and watch the fire shows.

The nightlife in Koh Mak is very quiet. There are some restaurants along the main street. You can have some nice meals, some massages, and a good relaxing night sleep.

Food

Koh Chang has a wider range of food, including both Thai and international dishes. You can eat at many restaurants in each town, as well as the street food at the night market on White Sand Beach.

The food scene in Koh Mak is mainly local Thai food. It is a great place to eat authentic food at small family-run restaurants or at your resort’s onsite restaurants.

Cultural Attractions

You can explore some small Buddhist temples in each island. Koh Chang is home to a Chinese Temple near the main pier, and the Wat Salak Phet near the Salak Phet Mangrove Forest.

In Koh Mak, you can explore the Wat Samakkhitham near Ao Nid Pier. The Somchai’s Love Garden is also a unique cultural attraction, featuring nude female statues hidden throughout the bamboo jungle.

Viewpoint, Waterfalls, and Hiking

Koh Chang is mountainous and jungle-covered, one of Thailand’s most rugged islands. The island is home to towering peaks, waterfalls, viewpoints, and wildlife.

You can visit numerous waterfalls on the island like the Khlong Phlu Waterfall, Than Mayom Waterfall, Khlong Chao Lueam Waterfall, or Khlong Nonsi Waterfall. These are great places to relax and swim inside the jungle setting.

If you’re a hiking enthusiast, Koh Chang has good trails for you to explore. I had a day hike to the peak of mouth Salak Phet. It was a challenging trail with many steep sections, but the stunning views of the surrounding islands and mountains at the end made it well worth it.

There are some easy to reach viewpoints around the island if you are not into hiking. You can check out the viewpoints at Kai Bae, White Sand beach, or at the light house at Salak Phet village.

Island Hopping

There are plenty of smaller islands around Koh Chang and Koh Mak. These places are great places for snorkeling, diving, and swimming on the unspoilt beaches.

In Koh Chang, you can easily see 3-4 island tour day trips to nearby islands like Koh Wai, Koh Mak, Koh Kood, and Koh Rang. In Koh Mak, you can easily get to the pier to book the boat to get to nearby Koh Kradat or Koh Kham island.

Getting Around

It is easier to get around Koh Mak because it is a smaller and flatter island. You can get around on foot, by scooter, by scooter, electronic golf cart, or local songthaews.

The shared songthaews is quite cheap on Koh Mak, around 50 baht to any destination on the island. People often use this service for travel between the pier and their hotel. You can ask your hotel to book this local taxi for you.

Koh Chang is a larger, hillier island, which makes getting around more challenging. You can get around within a beach town on foot but no one gets around the island on foot. There are songthaews and local taxis in major areas and around the piers, but the prices are quite expensive.

You can consider renting a scooter to explore the island. But keep in mind the roads at some parts of the island are steep with lots of sharp turns, so make sure that you’re an experienced driver to do it.

Another easy option to explore Koh Chang is to get a guided tour. Tour agencies are all around the island in tourist towns. You can take a sightseeing tour, island hopping tour, or snorkeling/ diving tour.