Klong Chao Beach – Koh Kood Beaches

Klong Chao Beach, one of the very best on the island with lovely gentle waters and powder sand, is the most central of the Koh Kood beaches.

Accommodation is either in 3/4 star resorts such as High Season, Peter Pan, Tolani and Tinkerbell Privacy on the beach itself or along the river in cheaper bungalows, including Mangrove Bungalows and Cozy House . You can also find some traveller style at Koh Kood Garden View or inland at PD Guesthouse near to Klong Chao Waterfall. 

Along the road from the central bridge, there’s a handful of good cheap restaurants and bars like Viewpoint Cafe, Seadog, Sunset and Tawan, whilst Bartist is the hip hang-out inland. Heading out at the southern end, the cafe Good View has amazing views from the top of the hill, whilst Nuch Leuang Seafood always draws a crowd.

You can organise snorkeling trips by the bridge at either the SUP Centre (Doy Guesthouse) or Mark House and there are 2 dive shops, BB Divers (with accommodation) and Koh Kood Divers.

Ngamkho Beach

Heading south away from Klong Chao Beach, Ngamkho Beach is spread out over a few kilometres, with a narrow sandy beach , certainly not the best in Koh Kood but still very pretty.

Accommodation is in 2/3 star small resorts including Analay Resort, Dusita Resort and Kinnaree, bungalows at Suan Maprao and a popular traveller spots at Ngamkho Resort and Chor Chaba.

You’ll find restaurants and cafes dotted here and there all along the road – Chillout, Chaiyo, Black Bananas and Kood Vibes  are all worth a look.

Inland, you can visit Khao Ruearab (Battleship Mountain), one of Koh Kood’s natural attractions.

Bang Bao Beach

One of the classic Koh Kood beaches and next along down the west coast from Ngamkho, Bang Bao Beach is set in a gorgeous bay with perfect sweep of white sand, blue waters and a handful of resorts.

On the beach at the northern end, you can stay at the luxurious Beach Natural Resort, the 3 star Koh Kood Resort and above them To The Sea. The small boutique, Jasmine Garden looks out to sea in the adjoining cove. On their access road, you’ll also find another guesthouse at Koh Kood BED’s alongside Cicci’s cooking school.

In the centre of the beach, there’s mid range bungalows at Siam Beach Resort, which is also home to BB Divers 2nd shop. On the southern headland, Sand and Sea is the travellers’ choice.

Tucked away up by the main road, Baan Suan Homestay has a coffee shop and minimart, with the restaurant Bang Bao Home opposite. Finally, Chiang Mai, known for its Northern Thai noodle dish Khao Soi (if available), perches on the hill as you come into the area, whilst the Italian diner, Heaven Sense (closed in rainy season), completes the picture at the southern end.

Ao Tapao Beach (Hin Dam)

Heading north up the island, Ao Tapao Beach is an increasingly popular area, with visitors drawn to its lovely long beach and collection of great 2/33 star resorts – Seafar, Meedee Resort and Koh Kood Paradise. The excellent boutique, Shantaa, one of Koh Kood’s very best places to stay, looks down from the hill above.

Up at the main road from the beach,  this is the main administration centre of the island with the hospital, police station and town hall. You’ll find too some cheap diners, minimarts, a couple of ATMs and Dara Homestay. The shortcut road by the electricty station, meanwhile, is home to Kama Siri GH, as well as the restaurant and live music venue, Fisherman Hut.

Approaching from Klong Chao, roadside restaurants include the Italian Pizza and Pasta, Esan Family and the hot pot style, Little Bird.  

The island’s temple, Wat Rat Bamrung, sits just behind Ao Tapao beach at the northern end. Mateoasis, a tiny homestay and cafe, is hidden away down the little lane behind it.

Ao Takian Beach

On the south west coast, Ao Takian Beach is an impressively wild sweep of sand, which so far has seen very little development. 

With the traveller bungalows of Pa Hin Sai now shut down, the beach itself is home to just one resort, the 4 star Cham’s House. On the main road, there are also a handful of backpacker style spots including Eve House and Wooden House.

Just before the access road to the beach, you’ll find a few very basic minimarts, a motorbike rental and cheap places to eat. And heading away from the area, look out too for the Thai/English owned Kuba Lounge (which also has bungalows out back in the garden). 

Klong Hin Beach

Continuing on down the south west coast from Ao Takian, Klong Hin Beach is another little gem, set in a lovely horsehoe bay.

The boutique resort Hideout Koh Kood sits in the adjacent cove on its own private beach, whilst Klong Hin Beach Resort, popular with the package tour groups, takes pride of place in the middle of the beach.

The homestay  A La Kood is  located at the far end on the lagoon –  you access that by vehicle by taking another track further down the main road itself. Montana, also at this end, has closed down.

There are no restaurants or bars down by the beach but with your own motorbike, you can head up to the same roadside spots as mentioned in the Ao Takian snippet.

Ao Jak Beach

Ao Jak Beach, also sometimes referred to as Neverland Beach is the third beach on this south west coast and it’s yet another wonderful strand.

Accessed down a long winding paved road through the coconut fields, you pass Pink House and Walk in Homestay on the way before arriving at  the bungalows of Neverland Resort, which sits in the central area running down to the sand and sea itself.

Rim Talay, accomodation in several rows with its own restaurant, is at the northern end on the river, where you’ll also find Koh Kood Homestay in a stilted house on the water. The southern end of the beach is undeveloped.

Like Klong Hin Beach, there are no other restaurants outside of the resorts themselves. Walk In Homestay does have a small minimart and there are a couple of spots along the access road – Kood Exotic (cannabis mainly), Plearn and Kood Cafe.

Klong Mad

Located up on the north west coast, the charming little fishing village of Klong Mad sits on a sea inlet, with just a tiny beach at the front of Suanya Resort, an old style Thai resort.

Besides Suanya, there are just a few places to stay, of which the 3 star Koh Kood Beach Resort is the stand-out and on the way into the village, there’s a decent couple of bungalow resorts at Wave-F and Ban Bua Cottage. Around the central village jetty too, you’ll find some interesting homestays including Klongmad Hostel, Canal Boutique and Rabieng Talay.

King Seafood restaurant sits next door to Rabieng Talay, with other cheap restaurants nearby and on the approach road. The excellent Suanya Coffee is also worth a stop, opposite that resort’s entrance.

Heading away from Klong Mad through the forest, Koh Kood Garden House has both bungalows and seafood, with Kood Life, a holiday house rental opposite. 

Klong Yai Kee and Klong Rahan

Up in the remote north west of Koh Kood, the areas of Klong Yai Kee and Klong Rahan lay claim to one of the island’s waterfalls, a couple of beaches, the snorkeling spots offshore from the tiny island of Koh Raet and just a few places to stay.

In Klong Yai Kee, the resorts, Bann Makok, nestled in the mangroves and Captain Hook, on the cape and accessible by water only, are downstream from the waterfall itself.

On Klong Rahan Beach, also known as Secret Beach, one resort, Seacret opened for the 22/23 season. The other Moana has its cafe restaurant, MuEi, up and running but the actual rooms will not be ready till mid 2024 (maybe?). 

Further north up the island, the luxurious and very private 5 star Soneva Kiri is spread out over the hillside and down the coast in its own private zone. Its beach bar sits at the very end of Klong Rahan itself.

There are a couple of cheap worker restaurants roadside near Soneva but look out too for Kru Mae Tuk Restaurant, Soneva’s lovely little diner hidden away on the river – you can book a table.

All in all, this is a terrific area to explore by motorbike, with the beach at Klong Han a real beauty.