Koh Chang, Koh Kood, Koh Mak and Koh Wai

The Koh Chang islands of Koh Chang, Koh Kood, Koh Mak and Koh Wai are located on the eastern side of the Gulf Of Thailand, sharing a maritime border with Cambodia.

Though far less busy and developed than the likes of Phuket and Koh Samui, these islands still offer everything you could need for a perfect beach holiday in this part of the world.

From luxurious resorts to backpacker bungalows, beautiful beaches around each corner, restaurants, nightlife and a fantastic daily choice of things to do, the Koh Chang islands have it all.

So, whether you are travelling as a couple, a single traveller, with your family or in a group of friends, you’ll always find something to suit.

On this Page, At A Glance:-

About the Site | Koh Chang | Koh Kood | Koh Mak | Koh Wai | Contact Us | Features (Blogs) | Weather | Visas and Immigration | Cambodia | Property for Sale

Koh-Chang-Map-with-Koh-Kood-Koh-Mak-and-Koh-Wai

About the Site

  • To help you with your holiday plans, our individual island guides – Koh Chang,  Koh Kood, Koh Mak, Koh Wai  –  round-up all the information on getting here, the best places to stay and where to eat and drink. There’s details too on activities and offshore islands, a bit of history and all your FAQs answered.
  • In addition to that, you’ll find comprehensive summaries on visas (particularly relevant now during the Covid-19 pandemic).
  • Given its close proximity, visitors often combine the Koh Chang islands with a trip to Cambodia – we cover all the travel options for you.
  • Our weather breakdown explains when the 3 Thais seasons fall and what kind of climate to expect – November through February is your best time to come.
  • Finally, are you looking to make a fresh start in life? Maybe start a business, retire or simply winter in the sun? Then,  head over to our Property section. It’s packed with resorts, villas and land for sale, together with a primer on the buying process here in the Koh Chang Islands.

Koh Chang – Koh Chang Islands

Koh Chang is the largest of these islands, boasting superb beaches, seven waterfalls, two mountains and a huge rainforest interior.

Its well developed, vibrant tourist scene offers accommodation across the board – everything from deluxe hotels to boutique resorts and traveller bungalows.

And when you need a change from relaxing by the pool or ocean, you can enjoy a whole host of activities –  diving and snorkeling, jungle treks, elephant camps, cooking schools, kayaking to the offshore islands, massage and spas.

There’s plenty of excellent restaurants too, Thai and western as well as more than enough nightlife to keep you busy.

With Koh Chang also so easy to reach from Bangkok, it’s not hard to see why it has become one of the most popular Thai islands over the last decade.

How to Get to

Need to get to Koh Chang? Then look no further as this section gives you what you need to know for getting between Bangkok hotels, its Airports and Koh Chang. Timetables, prices, travel times, you’ll find it all here and in detail too.

  • Private transfers  – from 3,800bt for an SUV car with fast ferry tickets
  • Car Ferries – 06.30 to 18.30, a fast and a slower service
  • Flying to Trat Airport – 4 times daily in either direction, co-ordinated with the ferries
  • Share Minibus – hotel to hotel from 1,000bt per person with ferry ticket
  • Khao San Road Bus – daily at 05.00 or 07.30, 750bt including resort delivery by share taxi  
  • Public Buses – to Trat or 999 direct to the piers
  • Island Hopping – speedboat, wooden boat, catamaran – 4 times per day, both ways
  • Cambodia – Private services between Koh Chang and the borders or Cambodian cities (change of vehicle at border).

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, selected services are currently not running or running on reduced timetables. Always check ahead before making plans.
 

Where to Stay

Visit this page to start your hunt for that perfect holiday room!

  • Area by area, we give you accommodation tips in every category including luxury and boutique hotels, bungalow resorts, backpacker hostels.
  • Explore further with our in-depth listings and recommendations  – again beach by beach.
  • Direct links to our affiliates for the best daily prices and immediate booking.

Quick Tips

  • Luxury and 4 Star: KC Grande (White Sand Beach), Santhiya Tree, Dewa (both Klong Prao), The Chill, Awa, Gajapuri, Seaview (all Kai Bae)
  • Resorts and Hotels: Aana, Emerald Cove, Ramayana (all Klong Prao), Erawan, Kacha (both White Sand Beach), Koh Chang Paradise, Flora i Talay (both Chai Chet), KB Resort (Kai Bae), Bhuvarin (Bang Bao)
  • Boutique: Nest Sense (Lonely Beach), Chivapuri (Bang Bao Beach), Amber Sands, Spa Koh Chang (both east coast), Harley Moon (Bailan), Little Sunshine (Klong Son) Villas: Blue Haven (Klong Son), Elegance (Klong Prao), Pearl (Pearl Beach), Baan Talay Thai (east coast)
  • Bungalows and Budget: Independent Bo (White Sand Beach), TP Huts (Pearl Beach), Pajamas (Chai Chet), Baan Rim Nam, Blue Lagoon (both Klogn Prao), Porn’s, Sea Breeze (both Kai Bae), Oasis, Seaflower, Nature (all Lonely Beach), Vanara, Bailan Beach, Lazy Republique (all Bailan), Cliff Cottage (Bang Bao), Indie Beach (Hat Sai Noi)

Beaches

Explore the island with us beach by beach, starting with our brief round-ups of each area – what to expect, its main resorts, restaurants, bars and natural attractions.

Whether it be White Sand Beach, Lonely Beach, Klong Prao or Kai Bae Beach, Chai Chet or Pearl Beach,  Bailan Beach and Bang Bao, Klong Son to the east coast, Salak Phet and Chek Bae , we have it covered in our at a glance guides or our in-depth tours.

 

Things to Do

Need a break from the beach and lazing around? 

Start here with our guide to all the activities on Koh Chang or in/under its surrounding waters:-

  • Snorkeling trips and learning to dive
  • Cookery school to jungle trekking or elephant camps
  • Fitness to ATV and Muay Thai
  • Massage and yoga
  • Volunteering, shopping or getting a tattoo

We take you through what you need to know as well as give you our recommended companies, prices, times and a chance to book.

Restaurants

Travel round the island with us beach by beach, as we pick out the best places to eat on Koh Chang.

Our guide includes our restaurant recommendations for Thai food – noodles, cheap street food, Issan, evening dining, seafood, vegetarian.

Fancy some decent western food too? We’ve got plenty of tips on the best diners for that also – Italian, Mexican, Turkish. Greek, Indian, steaks and breakfasts among others.  Dig in!

Quick Tips:

  • Thai: Nong Bua, Sun and Soul (both White Sand Beach), Khao Kwan (Kai Bae), Zhong Zi Pad Pad (Klong Prao), Kati (Klong Prao), Blues Blues (Klong Son)
  • Seafood: Salak Phet Seafood (Salak Phet), Jae Aew (Klong Prao), Ruan Thai (Bang Bao)
  • Fusion: Saffron (Pearl Beach), Chef’s Studio (Klong Prao), Cabana (Kai Bae)
  • Western: El Barrio (Kai Bae), Wine Gallery (Kai Bae), 15 Palms (White Sand Beach), Pizzeria Toscana (Klong Prao)
  • Vegetarian: Everflow (Pearl Beach), Tofu Kitchen (Kai Bae)
  • Coffee and Bakeries: Le Jao Jom (Pearl Beach), Fig Cafe (Kai Bae), Crust (Klong Prao) 

Nightlife

In our Koh Chang nightlife section, first up we cover the basics – where to head for a beach party, the best bars for a sundowner, where to find Thai female company, where to listen to some decent live music.

In detail, we also visit the three main nightlife areas – Lonely Beach, White Sand Beach, Kai Bae Beach – bringing you tips on bars, pubs, clubs and party venues. 

Quick Tips:

  • Bars: Lonely Beach Bar, Margaritaville, Nature (all Lonely Beach), Tapas Bar (White Sand Beach), Filou, Cabana (both Kai Bae), Sapparot (Klong Prao)
  • Pubs/Sports: Morgan (Kai Bae), White Elephant, 15 Palms (both White Sand Beach)
  • Clubs/Parties: Sabay (White Sand Beach), Ting Tong, Himmel (both Lonely Beach)

 

Koh Kood – Koh Chang Islands

Located at the far southern end of the archipelago, Koh Kood is slightly smaller than Koh Chang.

It’s home to some seriously fabulous long beaches on the west coast, mangroves, a hilly jungle interior and several waterfalls. Its east side, meanwhile, is wild and untamed except for two authentic fishing villages and a little known navy base.

With no car ferries to speed things along, Koh Kood’s development has been very measured so maintaining its standing as one of Thailand’s best kept secrets. 

Accommodation, from luxury (plenty of that) to traveller (far less), is spread out across the island with each beach generally having just a couple of places to stay but not much else besides. Prices here are  more expensive here than its neighbours.

You’ll find restaurants up by the road in certain areas and  the fishing villages have a few seafood choices. Yes, there is a bit of nightlife but it’s very laid back –  you certainly won’t be dancing till dawn. As for things to do, you can head to the waterfalls or snorkel and dive on the local reefs. A day on the boat over at Koh Rang is easily organised too.

Though popular with Thai weekenders, Koh Kood is a tranquil away from it all island. You come here primarily to relax at your resort, read, swim, watch the sunsets … in fact to do as little as possible, just perfect for couples who  want a romantic getaway.  Families do visit in considerable numbers too, often combining a few days of R&R here before or after the more frantic pace of Koh Chang

How to Get to

Jump in here to find out the different ways of getting to Laem Sok Pier for Koh Kood

Private transfers are your easiest option but you can fly too to Trat Airport (about 45 minutes by car). Or you can take the bus, either the Boonsiri option direct to the pier or public services from Ekamai.  

Koh Kood has passenger boats only (express, catamaran and speedboat), no car ferries. We include the timetables (10.00 to 15.00, return 09.00 to 13.00 – daily) and details on island hopping. Also useful information on moving about the island once there.

And if you are going to or coming from Cambodia , we can help with your travel arrangements.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, selected services are currently not running or running on reduced timetables. Any Cambodia connections are currently not available.

Where to Stay

Whether looking for the perfect resort or cheap accommodation, our guide does all the legwork for you.

We start by rounding up the best places to stay on Koh Kood, with At A Glance categories including luxury and boutique, 3 to 4 star resorts, bungalows and traveller options. Alongside them, there’s snippet information for each and every beach so you can see which resort is where.

You can then head to the individual area pages for all the details, recommendations and instant links to our affiliates for the best prices and booking.

Quick Tips:

  • Luxury: Soneva Kiri (Klong Yai Kee), High Season (Klong Chao)
  • 3/4 Star and Boutique: Tinkerbell (Klong Chao), Natural Beach Resort, Koh Kood Resort (both Bang Bao), Hideout (Klong Hin), Cham’s House (Ao Takian), Shantaa, Meedee (both Ao Tapao),  Bann Makok (Klong Hin)
  • Bungalows and Budget: Mangrove (Klong Chao), Dusita (An Ngamkho), Sunshine (Ao Phrao), Baan Bua Cottage (Klong Mad), Eve House (Ao Takian), PD Guesthouse (Klong Chao)

Beaches

The Koh Kood beaches, which are exclusively on the west coast, are arguabaly the best throughout all the Koh Chang Islands.

Start with Klong Chao, the central beach, home to luxury resorts and cheaper bungalows, a waterfall and even some nightlife – sunset here is everything you hope for on a Thai island. Bang Bao too is a fabulous bay of white sand and shallow blue waters. Or there’s the more untamed Ao Takian and the simply beautiful long stretch at Ao Phrao down in the far south west.

With the old pier at one end, Ao Tapao Beach is another lovely 2km stretch, with a handful of 3 star resorts, whilst up in the north, you can find hidden spots here and there opposite the offshore islands.

Ao Yai and Ao Salad, the two authentic fishing villages, are located on the east coast.

Our at a glance guides on the main page or our in-depth tours on the individual beach pages take you round the island.

 

Restaurants

Our restaurant guide goes around Koh Kood, picking out the best spots in all the different categories.

We start with seafood before moving onto  western food – Italian, Mediterranean, French and more. For the main Thai course, we take you to each area to highlight the choices. There’s coffee shops too and we end with our recommendations. 

Quick Tips: 

  • Thai and Seafood: Chonthicha Seafood, Noochy (both Ao Yai), Relax (Ao Phrao), Fishermen Hut, Waree (Hin Dam), Benz (Klong Yai Kee)
  • Western: Pizza and Pasta (Hin Dam), Koh Kood Bistro (Ao Takian), Heaven Sense (Bang Bao), Kood Vibes (Ao Ngamkho)
  • Coffee Shops: Viewpoint Cafe (Klong Chao), Mermaid (Ao Tapao)

Koh Mak – Koh Chang Islands

In term of size, Koh Mak ranks third among the Koh Chang islands.

It’s a wonderfully laid back, unassuming place where life ticks along quite happily in the slow lane. Up until now and there’s no reason this will change, development has been modest and restrained.

The island’s topography is surprisingly flat, so there are no waterfalls or untouched forest interiors as in Koh Chang and Koh Kood. This, in turn, makes Koh Mak easy to explore by bicycle, motorbike or even walking.

It boasts too a couple of wonderful long sweeping beaches, where the accommodation is centred, though the wilder coasts too have some great places to stay. Wherever it is, that acommodation is primarily in small boutique resorts or cheaper bungalows and backpackers huts. It’s not an island for chain hotels or such like.

You’ll find a decent selection of restaurants but given Koh Mak tends to attract couples and families rather than groups, nightlife is ultra lowkey.

Meanwhile, the Marine Park of Koh Rang, with its excellent snorkeling and diving, is on its doorstep so trips can be done in a 1/2 day. You can also kayak to its 5 offshore islands with very little effort.

How to Get to

Start here for the full rundown on getting to and from Laem Ngop Pier, the main departure point for Koh Mak.

Private transfers are the easiest way to travel from Bangkok or the Airports, but you can use the 999 bus, share minibuses  and fly to Trat Airport too.

We also bring you the speedboat timetables (10.30 to 16.00, return 08.00 to 13.30 – daily), island hopping information and even how to get between Koh Mak and Cambodia.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, selected services are currently not running or running on reduced timetables. Any Cambodia connections are currently not available.

Where to Stay

Koh Mak has around 50 places to stay – just a handful at the top end combining with boutique affairs and a couple of small hotels. It does have some larger 3 star resorts but they, like the island, are nicely very low key. At the cheaper end of the scale, you’ll also find plenty of of standard bungalows and backpacker options too.

In our Koh Mak accommodation section, we list our recommendations in all the budget categories before taking you round the island, area by area so you can get a handle on their location.

There’s guide prices too and the chance to head over to our affiliates to make that booking.

Quick Tips:

  • Luxury:  Seavana (Ao Suan Yai), Mira Montra (Ao Pra), Plubpla (east coast) or The Mak (north coast)
  • Boutique and 3 Star Resorts: Little Moon (north coast), By The Sea, Ao Kao Resort (both Ao Kao), Villa Allure (east coast) and Koh Mak Resort (Ao Suan Yai)
  • Small Hotels: Makathanee (Ao Kao), Islanda (Hill above Ao Suan Yai)
  • Bungalows and Budget: Lazy Day The Resort, Holiday Beach, Baan Koh Mak (all Ao Kao), Prompkadee (Ao Suan Yai), Talay Time (south coast), Island Huts (Ao Kao) and Ban Ing Khao (Laem Tookata)

 

Restaurants

Dive in here for our general round-up of the best restaurants on Koh Mak.

From Thai food to western options, seafood to coffee shops and resort dining, we’ve worked our way around Koh Mak to see what’s on offer. 

Once you finished digesting that, you can finish off with our recommendations.

Quick Tips:

  • Thai and Seafood: Kon Gin Sen, Q Bar (both Ao Kao), Koh Mak Seafood (Ao Nid)
  • Western: Food Art Hut, Little Red Oven (both Ao Kao)
  • Coffee Shops: Ball Cafe (Ao Kao), Sweetcake (Ao Nid)

Beaches

Take a stroll around Koh Mak’s beaches with our at a glance guides or our in-depth tours.

From Ao Kao Beach in the south west to Ao Suan Yai Beach in the north west or over to the more remote north, east and and south coasts, we have Koh Mak covered.

We also take you around the main village at Ao Nid and a couple of the deserted beaches – Ao Tao Kai (Turtle Beach) in the far north west corner and Laem Son in the far north east corner. 

In our Features section of the site, we post all our regular updates, tips and recommendations from the Koh Chang Islands.

Weather – Koh Chang Islands

Your detailed guide to the climate and seasons in the Koh Chang Islands is here.

Koh Wai Guide

The smallest of the holiday islands, Koh Wai is about 30 minutes south of Koh Chang. 

It has just 5 places to stay on its north coast – either basic traveller style beach huts or slightly grander bungalows. This coast is also home to the beaches, with the best strands outside Paradise or beyond Grand Mar Huts.  Offshore, you can snorkel over a very respectable reef, but at certain times of day, the tours arrive en masse to do the same.  

Koh Wai has no shops or roads nor any electricity. Power comes via generators, which means the 3 cheaper sets of huts turn it off during the night. Using mobile data, internet coverage is good but don’t expect in-house WiFi .

To get there, you can either island hop from its bigger neighbours by speedboat, slower wooden boat or catamaran. Or you get dropped off by the 14.30 daily Seatales speedboat on its way to Koh Mak, 450bt per person. Their mainland return is at 08.50, same price.

Head over our guide for all the details.

Due to the pandemic, you must check ahead to see what resorts (if any) are open and which boat services are running. The island hopping is currently suspended.

To and From Cambodia

If you are travelling between Cambodia and the Koh Chang islands, visit our comprehensive summary of travel to and from the main cities – Siem Reap, Sihanoukville and Phnom Penh.

There’s information on the visas and the border crossings too at at Had Lek (Thai side)/Cham Yeam (Cambodian side), Aranya Prathet/Poipet and Ban Pakkard/Phsar Prum.

We provide private transfers on all these routes and can help you co-ordinate your holiday plans when moving from Thailand to Cambodia or visa versa.

Due to the pandemic, Thailand’s land borders are closed, so all land transport options to/from Cambodia are currently suspended.

Thailand Visa and Immigration

Your guide to the latest entry requirememts for Thailand during the Covid-19 pandemic.

How do I apply from my country? What are the requirements I must meet? What visa do I get for a staay of 2 months? Do I need to quarantine? If I’m vaccinated, do the rules apply to me? What’s the Phuket idea? All these questions answered and much more.