Should You Visit Koh Kood or Koh Mak?

When I was in Koh Chang, I originally planned to visit Koh Kood. However, during a hiking tour to the peak of Mount Salakphet, I met a couple who told me they were heading to Koh Mak.

They described it as a small, laid-back island that was well worth a visit. Since my plans were flexible, I decided to book a boat ticket to Koh Mak first, then visit Koh Kood after Koh Mak.

The boat ride is around 1 hour from Koh Chang to Koh Mak, and if you go to Koh Kood, it will be around 1.5 hours. Boats to Koh Kood from Koh Chang usually stop at Koh Mak to drop off and pick up passengers before heading to Koh Kood.

In this article, I will share my opinion on the similarities and differences between Koh Mak and Koh Kood. I hope to give you a clear comparison so you can decide which island is better for your visit if you have to choose just one.

But if your schedule is flexible like mine was, it’s definitely worth visiting both to experience what each has to offer. Lots of people visit the group of three islands, which include Koh Chang, Koh Mak, and Koh Kood within one single trip.

Is it better to visit Koh Kood or Koh Mak?

I prefer Koh Kood because it’s larger and offers a wider variety of attractions to explore. It has more beaches, jungle, waterfalls, and cultural attractions to explore. Koh Mak is a smaller island and can feel a bit sleepy for active travelers.

Both islands have laid back atmosphere, pristine beaches, and never feel overcrowded like the beaches in South Thailand such as Phuket or Koh Samui. If you’re looking to escape the tourist crowds, both islands are excellent options.

One of the factors to consider when deciding whether to visit Koh Kood or Koh Mak is how you plan to get around the island. If you want to explore all the beaches and attractions on foot or by bicycle, Koh Mak is the better choice. It is small and relatively flat, making it easier to get around on foot.

However, if you plan to rent a scooter and enjoy exploring more extensively, Koh Kood is a better option. Koh Kood has more mountainous terrain with lots of beautiful waterfalls and ancient trees. Due to its big size and rugged landscape, it is difficult to explore the island on foot and bicycle.

My recommended hotels in Koh Kood:

My recommended places in Koh Mark:

Location and How to Get There

Both Koh Kood and Koh Mak are located on the eastern Gulf of Thailand. They are in Trat Province close to Koh Chang and the border with Cambodia. Koh Mak is around 1 hour boat ride from Koh Chang, while Koh Mak is further, around 1.5 hour boat ride away.

Koh Mak is slightly closer to Bangkok than Koh Kood. It will take around 6-7 hours to get to Koh Mak from Bangkok and 7-8 hours to get to Koh Kood from Bangkok by bus and boat.

To reach Koh Mak, you will need to take a 4-5 hour bus ride from Bangkok to Laem Ngop Pier and a 50 minutes boat ride to the island.

To reach Koh Kood, you will need to take a 5-6 hour bus ride from Bangkok to Laem Sok Pier and 1-2 hours boat ride to the island.

You can consider taking an airplane from Bangkok to Trat Airport. Bangkok Airways serves this route and the journey is around 1 hour. From Trat Airport, you will need to take a 30 minutes taxi to Laem Ngop Pier for a boat to Koh Mak, and a 45 minutes taxi to Laem Sok Pier for boats to Koh Kood.

Size & Landscape

Koh Kood is one of the biggest islands in Thailand about 22 km long and 9 km wide. The terrain is more rugged and mountainous with lush rainforests and waterfalls.

The beaches and tourist areas on Koh Kood are all located on the west coast of the island. From north to south, you can find beautiful quiet beaches like Ao Taphao, Klong Chao, Bang Bao, Khlong Hin, and Ao Prao Beach. The beach has a serene atmosphere and breathtaking sunset views.

Inland Koh Kood is home to multiple waterfalls (like Khlong Chao and Khlong Yai Kee ), mangroves, ancient trees, and jungle trails. There are popular fishing villages in the southeast coast and northern coast of Koh Kood (Ao Yai and Ao Salad).

Koh Mak is a small island approximately 7 km long and 4 km wide. The terrain is relatively flat, with gentle hills in the westernmost part of the island. The two longest beaches of the island are Ao Soun Yai on the north west coast and Ao Kao on the south west coast.

There are smaller and remote beaches skating around Koh Mak like Ao Pra Beach and Ao Lom on the north west coast and Laem Son Beach on the north east coast of the island. Like Koh Kood, beaches on the west coast of Koh Mak have beautiful sunset views.

Inland areas of Koh Kood are more developed farmland (coconut groves and rubber tree plantations), tidy villages, and quiet local life.

Accommodations

You can easily find a range of resorts, bungalows, eco-resorts, and simple guesthouses on both Koh Kood and Koh Mak. They offer accommodations for all budget travelers. Keep in mind that accommodation often sells out quickly during the high season, so be sure to book in advance to secure your spot.

See more:

Getting Around & Walkability

Koh Mak is a small and flat island, so you can easily explore the island on foot and bicycle. Another popular way to get around the island is to rent a scooter or electronic golf cart.

The scooter is around 200-300 baht/day while the golf cart is a great option for families with kids. You can rent a golf cart for 1000 baht/ day. Many resorts on Koh Mak offer this service.

The songthaew pick up trucks (local taxi) can be found in the pier areas like Panan Speedboat pier near Koh Mak resort or Ao Nid Pier. The private ride is 100 baht/ person for one destination and 50 baht/person if you share with other people.

Koh Kood is about 6.5 times bigger than Koh Mak. All beaches are quite far from each other and it requires a scooter or car to get around the island. The road in the southern part of the island is quite hilly and winding, but not nearly as challenging as the ones in Koh Tao or Koh Phangan.

If you don’t plan to rent a scooter on Koh Kood, it is easy to stay somewhere central, so you can walk to restaurants and shops. Khlong Chao Beach is the best option for car-free travelers. This is the tourist center of Koh Kood, so you can walk to several restaurants.

There are fewer local taxis (songthaews) in Koh Kood than in Koh Mak. If you want to take taxis, your hotel will do it for you, and it is usually expensive.

Most people who take a boat from/to Koh Kood will buy the combo ticket that includes boat ride and the transfer between the pier and your hotel.

The roads on both Koh Mak and Koh Kood are quite dark and isolated at night, so I recommend avoiding driving at night. If you watch the sunset at Banana Bar and have a bicycle, you should prepare to go back to town/ your hotel before it gets dark.

Atmosphere

Both islands are less developed than Koh Chang, and are an ideal place for a relaxing and unwind beach holiday without crowds. You can explore untouched beaches and get a real off-the-beaten-path feel.

Beaches

Both Koh Mak and Koh Kooh have beautiful quiet beaches. All beaches have white fine sand, crystal calm water, which is ideal for swimming, sunbathing, kayaking, and SUP boarding. Most resorts offer free kayak and SUP boards for their guests to use.

Both Koh Mak and Koh Kood have sandflies, especially in the low season, so be aware of this and use insect repellent with high concentration of DEET.

Major beaches on Koh Mak Ao Soun Yai Beach and Ao Kao Beach on the west coast. There are smaller and more remote beaches like Ao Pra Beach, Ao Lom Beach, Ao Tan Beach, and Laem Son Beach.

Major beaches on Koh Kood are Khlong Chao, Bang Bao, Ao Taphao, Khlong Hin, and Ao Prao Beach. Khlong Chao Beach is located in the central west coast and is the most popular beach on the island.

Sunset

Watching the sunset is one of the top things to do on Koh Mak and Koh Kood. Both beaches on Koh Kood and Koh Mak have magnificent sunset views. In Koh Mak, I like to watch the sunset at Banana Sunset Bar located at the southern most area of the island.

My favorite spots to watch the sunset in Koh Kood are at Khlong Chao Beach near Tinkerbell Resort, Ao Taphao Beach at the pier in front of Sea Far Resort, and Ao Prao Beach.

Island Hopping

Both Koh Mak and Koh Kood are located close to Koh Rang Marine National Park, which is a popular snorkeling and diving destination. Many diving centers organize this trip from either Koh Mak and Koh Kood. You can explore vibrant marine life.

There are more small islands near Koh Mak that you can explore by kayak or with a short boat ride. You can take a short boat ride from Ao Soun Yai Beach to Koh Kham island, which is known for its white sandy beaches and crystal clear water.

From Laem Son Beach, you can take a boat to visit Koh Kradat. Or you can kayak from Ao Kao Beach to places like Koh Rayang Nai and Koh Rayang Nok.

Cultural Attractions

As a bigger island, Koh Kood has more cultural attractions to explore than in Koh Mak. You can visit ancient trees (Sai Yai – Big Chai Tree and Makka trees) in the inland Ao Taphao area, the Kao Ruerob near Khlong Chao Beach, or Wat Ao Salad/ Big Buddha Statue near the island’s main pier.

In Koh Kood, you can visit Wat Samakkhitham near Ao Nid Pier and the Love Garden near Koh Mak resort. The Love Garden features naked female statues created by the famous local artist, Somchai.

The Love Garden is hidden in the bamboo forest. I didn’t find it on my first attempt, but I gave it another try and found it on my second day in Koh Mak. You can check my itinerary for 2-3 days in Koh Mak to know more things to do on the island.

Waterfalls

Koh Mak does not have any waterfalls, but Koh Kood is home to several beautiful waterfalls. Exploring the waterfalls is one of the best things to do in Koh Kood. Waterfalls offer great opportunities for hiking, swimming, and enjoying a transition from beach landscapes to lush jungle.

Khlong Chao Waterfall is a popular waterfall in Koh Kood, located within a short distance from Khlong Chao Beach, the island’s main Beach. You can easily reach Khlong Chao Waterfall by scooter. It’s an ideal spot for swimming and diving into the refreshing water.

Huang Nam Khiao Waterfall is also close to Khlong Chao Waterfall but a bit difficult to reach via a small dirt road. It is located in the same area with the ancient trees. If you are lucky, you can spot a hornbill in this area.

Another famous waterfall on Koh Kood is the Khlong Yai Kee Waterfall, located on the north west coast of the island. This waterfall is a great spot for swimming and enjoying a free natural fish spa.

Fisherman Villages

I don’t know any popular fishing village in Koh Mak but there are three major Fisherman Villages on Koh Kood where you can visit, explore local life, and enjoy the seafood.

These are Ao Yai on the southeastern coast, Ao Salad on the northern coast near the island’s main pier, and Klong Mad on the northwest coast of Koh Kood. I highly recommend putting these Fisherman Villages on your itineraries in Koh Kood.

Ao Yai Fisherman Village is the most popular village where you can find famous seafood restaurants like Noochy Seafood and Chonthicha Seafood. It is worth visiting to have nice fresh seafood meals and enjoy the beautiful views of the mangrove forest.

Ao Salad village, located near Ao Salad Pier, is also a great place to see local life and colorful fishing boats. You can see people making fishing nets from their floating houses.

The Ao Salad area is also home to a few seafood restaurants but not as famous as the ones in Ao Yai village. You can combine a visit to Ao Salad village with the Big Buddha Statue within a single trip.

Tourist Amenities

All the tourist amenities in Koh Mak can be found on the main streets near Ao Kao Beach. It is home to a range of restaurants, massage shops, travel agents, bike rentals, and local minimarts. You can find popular restaurants and shops in this area like Mong Kitchen or Totti Rent Scooter.

On Koh Kood, most tourist amenities are centered around the Khlong Chao Beach area. You can also find a range of restaurants on the main road near Bang Bao Beach. There are not many restaurant options in the area like Klong Hin Beach, Ao Jak Beach, or Ao Prao Beach.

Koh Kood is a large island, with everything spread out across it. It is better to have a rental scooter to access a wider range of tourist amenities if you are not staying in popular areas like Khlong Chao, Bang Bao, or Ao Taphao Beach.

Koh Kood is similar in size to Koh Yao Yai (an island in South Thailand near Phuket), but more developed, so you’re more likely to find a good restaurant within a short distance from your hotel.

I hope you like my comparison of Koh Kood and Koh Mak, the two less popular islands located right next to Koh Chang. Both of them are less developed than Koh Chang, and offer laid back beach holidays.