Ao Kao Beach – South West Coast – Koh Mak Beaches

Ao Kao Beach on the south west coast is the most popular of the Koh Mak beaches.

The wonderful long sweep of sand has plenty of accommodation, with perhaps its premier resorts at Ao Kao White Sand Beach Resort and By The Sea, alongside  the small hotel at Makathanee Resort and other smaller spotss such as Baan Koh Mak and Lazy Day the Resort.

Guesthouses include Hanoi House and Twocans, there’s old style beach backpacker digs at Island Huts, Monkey Huts and Baan Talay Hostel or cheap bungalows at The River Retreat, TK Huts, Miss You, Baanyai Guesthouse, Sabai Beach and Big Easy. Further along the western coast, known locally as Ao Krateung, you’ll also find Big Easy and all on its own, Hidden Beach, bungalows and hipster bar/party venue.

The remote Laem Tookata Beach was home to a handful of cheap backpacker bungalows but all are now closed as the area is redeveloped. Easily reachable by kayak,Koh Rayang Nok and Koh Rayang Nai lie offshore.

Boats, Restaurants and Bars

Leelawadee Speedboats coming from the mainland at Laem Ngop uses the pier at Makathanee as does Kai Bae Huts Speedboat coming from Koh Chang and Koh Kood.

A narrow road runs behind Ao Kao beach with low key cafes and restaurants at each end. Look out for Kon Gin Sen, one of the island’s best spots, M.A Bistro, Nuchzabmaks, Pak Pak, Food Garden, Table Tales, Blue Garden, Ball Cafe, By The Sea and Clay Pot in the main drag and  Food Art Hut, Little Red Oven and Q Bar at the far eastern end (Ao Kao Resort).

There are also minimarts, a Muay Thai gym, dive shop, some massage and even a few bars including Monkey Shocks, By The Sea, Talay at Baan Koh Mak, Koh Mak Sportsbar and Sips on the beach in front of TK Huts.

South and East Coast – Ao Nid, Ao Baan Lang, Ao Pai, Laem Chan, Laem Son – Koh Mak Beaches

The south and east coast do not have the best of the Koh Mak beaches but they still offer a unique ‘away from it all’ atmosphere.

Ao Pong Resort provides the bungalows in Ao Nid, while over on the south coast at Ao Daeng, Naivacha combines glamping tents with more conventional bungalows.  Head further down to Laem Chan for The Coral (the old Banana Sunset), which has rooms as part of Koh Mak Campus as well as the popular sunset bar/pizza restaurant, Coral Club.  It’s more of a traveller vibe at Pano Resort whilst Talay Time overlooks Koh Kood in the far south east corner of the island – check out their hillside restaurant too for the views.

Heading up the east coast, there is a selection of bungalow operations, such as Buri Huts, Bamboo Hideaway and Sea View, long stay at Corsita or Sea Breeze at Ao Baan Lang. The upmarket Plubpla Resort has Ao Pai all to itself and the keenly priced boutique style Villa Allure (formerly Little Moon) sits on the red sandy beach of Ao Khanoun.

Up in the far north east corner of this coast, the beach at Laem Son remains a beautiful undeveloped spot, with Koh Kradat and its deer (yes, deer, it’s not a typo) lying offshore.

Boats and Restaurants

Ao Nid serves as the administrative centre and its long concrete pier is used by M Marine, Koh Mak Ferry and The Mak speedboats from Laem Ngop as well as the mini-catamaran of Seudamgo and Koh Kut Express coming from Laem Sok. Boonsiri’s island hopping  catamaran also docks here. The other two companies. Panan and Leelawadee move over here too during the low tides of May and June and if the weather is bad in the rainy season (June to October).

Along the road to the pier, you’ll find theJapanese restaurant/bar and live music venue, Terraria, as well as some cheap local diners like Om, Homehug (Mong and Jam), Peaw and Dum Noodles. Down at the bottom, Koh Mak Seafood remains one the island’s favourites and best.

You can head next door from Koh Mak Seafood to check out the island museum or spend a few hours at the Smile Cooking School. Coffee and Sweetcake, meanwhile, gives you a prime vantage point above the pier. Koh Mak Station caters for your cannabis needs – it’s about halfway down the main street and has rooms too behind at Koh Mak Homestay.

Ao Taan and Ao Ta Long – North Coast

Remote and somehow beautiful, the north coast of Koh Mak has rugged and wild beaches at Ao Taan and Ao Ta Long.

Ao Taan has just two places to stay at the bungalows of Green View Resort or the esoteric resort at Cinnamon Art Resort, complete with its fabulously long pier and views across to Koh Kradat or down the coast.

West from Ao Taan along the north coast at Ao Ta Long, you’ll find Koh Mak’s accommodation hotspot with the ultra chic, high-end resort The Mak and the boutique Little Moon Villa sitting side by side on a long sandy beach.

Local Community and Forest Trails

Further along the shore and away from tourism, the original island community is located down by the sea, a fascinating glimpse of local life.

Beyond this, you will find plenty of trails and paths criss-crossing the forest, which bring you out at the secret untouched Turtle Beach (Ao Tao Kai) or ultimately at the far end of Ao Suan Yai Beach – all great for exploring on foot or even bicycle.

And there are a handful of cheap Thai diners near The Mak entrance, ideal for a change from those resorts or for when you are out and about exploring. 

Near the crossroads at the start of the north coast road, Utopia provide the solitary nightlife venue – bar and live music, the occasional party.

Ao Suan Yai Beach, Ao Pra Beach and Ao Lom – North West Coast – Koh Mak Beaches

Ao Suan Yai is the fabulous sweeping beach on the north west coast.

Its resorts, which sit right on the sand, include the highly rated boutique, Seavana Resort, the long running Koh Mak Resort and smaller bungalow operations, Prompakdee and Happy Days . On the hill above, look out too for the small and very private hotel, Islanda Resort and the villas and rooms of Good Time.

Heading north along the beach, you can tick off some Koh Mak history at the oldest house on the island and in the far corner, after tackling a few forest tracks, you emerge out at the wonderfully deserted Turtle Beach.

Easily reached by kayak or on a 300bt boat trip (incluing the 200bt entrance fee), Koh Kham, with its wonderful white sand beach and abandoned resort, lies offshore.

Restaurants and Boats

In the resorts themselves, there are a nice selection of restaurants and bars (Day Beds at Seavana, I Talay at Koh Mak Resort and Sabai at Prompakdee) or you can get excellent sashimi and sushi at the Japanese diner, 12 Bars, which is on the back road towards  Ao Kao Beach. Pineapple Cafe by the pier is great for coffee and desserts.

The pier at Koh Mak Resort is the arrival point for Bang Bao Boats from Koh Chang and Koh Kood as well as Panan Speedboats from the mainland pier at Laem Ngop.

Ao Pra Beach and Ao Lom

Ao Pra Beach, another lovely stretch, is home to the upmarket Mira Montra Resort, with Cococape Resort sitting on the headland between it and Ao Suan Yai Beach.

Further round the coast, hunting out the deserted beach at Ao Lom makes for a fun afternoon. Koh Pii, known for its great snorkeling, is the tiny rock or islet which you can see from the bay.