Ao Kao, in the south west of Koh Mak, is a beautiful long beach, with resorts sitting just back from the powder sand and restaurants and bars grouped together on the main road which runs behind it.
The clear turquoise sea is perfect for swimming and the islands of Koh Rayang Nai and Koh Rayang Nok, which lie just a little way offshore, are within a gentle kayak distance.
Eastern End | Central Section | Back Road to Ao Suan Yai | Western End | Laem Tookata
Eastern End – Ao Kao Beach
Reached by a small track running off Ao Nid road, the most easterly resort is Lazy Days Resort and continuing along the sand, you’ll find Home Hug and one of the island’s largest resorts, Ao Kao White Sand Beach Resort. Homehug is effectively just the 7 bungalows at the eastern end of Ao Kao Resort, which have split from the main resort. You’ll see the red track access to it again off the Ao Nid Road at the noodle/som tam shop Homehug (Mong and Jam), the owners.
The family friendly Palm Beach Resort and the traveller’s favourite, Island Huts sit next door to Ao White Sand BeachKao Resort, and between them all, they share one of the best stretches of beach on Koh Mak.
Access to Ao Kao Resort and Palm Beach Resort is off the main road by Phoenix Muay Thai, the pizza restaurant Little Red Oven and Food Art Hut, great for coffee and snacks. You can get to Island Huts, by turning in just after Dara Villa, the new home for Holiday Beach, which has closed down. Frequent Koh Mak visitors will remember Dara Villa as Swiss Sawasdee. You can also connect from the Ao Kao White Sand BeachResort road to the Island Huts one.
Island Shop, very useful for those last minute gifts, the long established Koh Mak Divers, the restaurant Q Bar and a couple of minimarts are also in this vicinity. Koh Mak Garden is the impressive Lanna style villa about 100 metres back from the road.
Central Section – Ao Kao Beach
A longish stretch of undeveloped beach follows the above cluster of activity and the road reflects this, with little happening other a couple of private houses and flat land planted with rubber trees . After about a kilometre, it doglegs right back behind the sand shortly after the minimart and sometimes open mini food court.
Tables Tales, the open air restaurant from the Koh Mak Ferry family, begins this next section, with two more very popular restaurants, Kon Gin Sen and Food Garden alongside. Pimjai, a basic but tasty Thai diner, has also set up shop here.
Opposite, the restaurant come bar Monkey Schocks, complete with its cannabis outlet, sits down by the sea, accessed through the now abandoned resort. The larger bungalows of Rayang Nature are next door.
From the Ao Kao Resort end, it’s a good 15 minutes walk along the road to here, less time if ambling on the sand, but you will get wet if the tide is high. Either route, do bring a torch in the evening as Koh Mak does not go in for too much street lighting.
In the central area of Ao Kao, By The Sea and Baan Koh Mak line the beach side, with Ball Cafe, the sometimes open Joe’s Corner Hostel and the garden restaurant, Blue House, opposite.
Bangkok Trat Hospital‘s private clinic, neighbour to Joe’s GH, has not reopened since the pandemic and looks very unlikely to come back. Behind them all The River Retreat offers accommodation and arestaurant in and around the lagoon.
Pier Area
The bigger, more hotel-like, Makathanee Resort dominates the next section, with its main accommodation block flanking the road. The resort has its own pier, which is used by Leelawadee Speedboats, coming from the mainland and Kai Bae Huts Speedboats, coming from Koh Chang, Koh Wai or Koh Kood.
Leading up to it, you’ll find the final set of restaurants including the vegan Pak Pak (same owners as By The Sea), Aimmy, Rabbit Bar (closed for rainy season), Clay Pot, the tiny fusion style M.A. Bistro and the Gelato shop.
Totti’s Scooters (and boats for charter), Baan Talay Hostel with its handful of cheap rooms, the pharmacy and a couple of minimarts complete the picture.
All in all, the atmosphere throughout these parts is extremely laid back, with traffic at a minimum. It’s perfect for an evening stroll to choose where to eat and where to kick back with a drink.
The Back Road to Ao Suan Yai
At the back of Makathanee Resort you can pick up the road that leads to the other coast at Ao Suan Yai, home to Seavana Resort and Koh Mak Resort.
At the start of this connecting road, the long stay houses of Koh Mak Living are hidden away behind its seafood and BBQ restaurant, with the German owned Koh Mak Sportsbar next door. Further along, the two guesthouses, AP Guesthouse and Hanoi House sit side by side, opposite Koh Mak Disc Golf, which has its large playing area under the trees.
Continue on and you reach another cheap restaurant, Krua Khun Mam Seafood and the bohemian spot, Artists’ Bar, which often has live music.
The back entrance to Good Time Resort sits at the bottom of the steep hill which brings you out the yellow buildings, once Thaidaho Vista but now private houses. The small and very private boutique hotel, Islanda Resort and several villas sit next door in a row. From anywhere on this hill, the views out over the bay beneath to Koh Kham are simply magnificent.
At this crossroads, with the yellow buildings straight in front, you can bear right to ultimately pick up the sandy track that winds its way behind Seavana Resort and Koh Mak Resort to the pier on Ao Suan Yai or go left, with Cococape Resort and the route to Laem Tookata at the end. Allow about 20 minutes to walk between the Ao Kao Beach and Ao Suan Yai Beach.
Western End – Ao Kao Beach
After Makathanee Resort, the beach becomes know locally as Ao Kra Tueng. Miss You Resort, TK Huts (and the bar Sips), Baanyai Guesthouse (formerly Baan Chailay), Sabai Beach Resort, Holiday Beach Resort (now abandoned) and Big Easy are the final resorts on this stretch of sand, a stretch which, like that near Ao Kao Resort at the other end, is one of the best on the island.
Opposite the resorts above, Nuchzabmaks restaurant and Chill Cafe share the area with Twocans, a two storey motel block of rooms ands bungalows. There are also some holidays homes as you snake around the corner.
Follow the road and you end up at the track down to the former Holiday Beach Resort or one that goes straight on, giving access to Big Easy, but no further. The lane to the right leads to more private villas including Villa Edena.
Continuing along the beach, it is possible ,if the tide is in your favour, to walk from Big Easy to the next bay where you will come across Hidden Beach Resort, a collection of stylish bungalows up on stilts, hip bar and party venue. Stumble over the rocks beyond that and after about 10 minutes, just after the house by the ocean, you arrive at Laem Tookata.
Laem Tookata
Laem Tookata is a charming little cove which was home to three old style backpacker bungalow operations, Baan Ing Kao, Baan Laem Tookata Beach and Ma Ruay. Of these, Baan Ing Kao was sold in 2021 and now sits abandoned waiting for its next iteration – construction materials are on site. The other two little resorts are occupied by locals, so, for the time being, you can rule out staying in this area.
To reach Hidden Beach Resort and Laem Tookata by motorbike, far easier than going by the beach route, follow the road to Cococape Resort as described above and veer to the left at its entrance.
Over the next few kilometres, you pass the back of Koh Mak Residence and then drive above Ao Pra beach, home to the excellent boutique resort, Mira Montra. Shortly after that, you’ll spot the track down to Hidden Beach Resort on your left.
Pebble Beach
Continuing on from here towards Laem Tookata, there is another new road that branches to the right. If you nip up here, it will bring you out at the top of a steep slope down to the old Baan Ing Khao or at its very end, a huge private development.
Opposite the deevelopment, you’ll spot a brightly coloured sign leading up the hillside to the so called Pebble Beach. This is a small cove on the other coast, great for sunsets but we should add, frequently filled with trash from the boats.
If you don’t take that branching right above, the older road turns into more of a track before arriving at the first of the former bungalow operations on Laem Tookata itself. You can stumble on 50 metres or so and you’ll reach that slope at the back of Baan Ing Khao.
Incidentally, once here and also up on the elevated concrete road, the views across to Koh Rayang Nai and Koh Rayang Nok are superb.
UPDATED July 24 for 24/25 Season
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