Ao Kao Beach (South Coast) – Koh Mak Resorts

Ao Kao Beach offers a selection of mid-range bungalow resorts on the beach, a small hotel and backpacker accommodation.

Resorts – Eastern End

The long established Ao Kao White Sand Beach Resort is perhaps the premier resort on this beach, with prices listed from 3,600bt to 4,500bt a night.It has a small swimming pool and also seaside restaurant. A couple of years back, seven or so of the beachfront rooms at the eastern end split apart to form Homehug, cheaper at 2,000bt for the tent style and 3,000bt for the villa.

Lazy Day The Resort, next door, offers large stilted bungalows at around 3,500bt, many with direct sea-view. In the same section, the German owned Palm Beach Resort has a good reputation for being family friendly, 3,500bt for the 4 person, 2,500bt for the 2 person.

Up by the road, you can get rooms in the small garden at Dara Villa (Holiday Beach’s re-incarnation) from 1,800bt.

Resorts and Rooms – Central

In the centre of the beach, By The Sea is the boutique choice, with a selection of rooms in a 3 storey block overlooking the pool. Expect a rate at around 2,500bt a night for its garden view and to 2,900bt for poolview – – minimum stay period of 3 nights in peak.

Its two neighbours – Baan Koh Maak and Rayang Nature – are also worth a look, similar prices to By The Sea. Baan Koh Mak offers 2,000bt garden cabanas in a U-shaped lay-out, with a good beachfront restaurant and bar, whilst Rayang Nature has large beachfront cabanas nicely spaced out leading back from the sand. 

Further along from these resorts, Makathanee Resort, the one small hotel on Koh Mak, starts at 2,400bt upwards for its standard rooms. It has bungalows, some beachfront, a pool, restaurant, bar and pier too.

On the street leading to Ao Suan Yai Beach behind Makathanee, Hanoi House gives you modern brushed-concrete bungalows or rooms from around 900bt to 1,400bt, breakfast only. AP Guesthouse, next door to Hanoi, provides motel style rooms only laid out in a L-shape, similar prices. 

Resorts – Western End

Continuing west down the coast from Makathanee, Baanyai Guesthouse and Sabai Beach provide clean, straightforward bungalows from 1,500bt a night by the beach. Opposite them, roadside, Twocans is very similar to Hanoi above, with bungalows and a small motel block – garden view at 1,500bt.

Big Easy, at the far end also provides total peace and quiet from 1,500bt for the cheapest option, bit more for one is its ocean front cabanas. Holiday Beach Resort has now closed down.

Along the way to the far western corner of the island at Laem Tookata (see below), Hidden Beach, has a single row of large wooden, stilted boutique style bungalows, priced from 2,850bt. Their beachfront bar and large new party area, complete with shore based boats, is one of Koh Mak’s popular nightlife draws.

Budget

For backpacker options, Island Huts at the eastern end (near to Ao Kao Resort and Palm Beach), is the long running Koh Mak stalwart – 350bt for a basic hut up to to 1,000bt for one of its a/c options.

The bungalow operations, Miss You and TK Huts, next to Makathanee sit seaside in a large grassy area, prices very similar to each other, 1,500bt upwards in high season. Miss You has a restaurant too.

You’ll also find some cheap rooms in the large white building near Aimmy and Rabbit restaurants – it’s walk-in only or ask at Totti Boats. Joe’s Hostel, opposite By The Sea, too gives you another choice.

Down in the far western corner of the island at Laem Tookata, all three of the tiny backpacker resorts have  closed. Baan Ing Khao, the central and main one, is just starting redevelopment.

West Coast (Ao Suan Yai, Ao Pra)

The north west coast at Ao Suan Yai Beach and Ao Pra Beach has accommodation in a combination of boutique and 2/3 star resorts, a small boutique hotel and some large family villas.

On Ao Suan Yai Beach

The upmarket Seavana Beach Resort, one of Koh Mak’s best resorts, starts from 5,700bt a night for a seafront villa and goes up to 6,500bt for a suite. Next door, the ever improving Koh Mak Resort, ranges from standard bungalows at 3,500bt up to 6,750bt for a family villa.

At the northern end, bungalows at Pompkakdee Koh Mak Resort and Happy Days both list in booking sites from 2,250bt to 4,000bt (family).

On The Hill

On the hill above, ten minutes walk from the sand and sea, the boutique hotel Islanda Resort, with its stunning views out to sea, offers rooms from 3,800bt upwards.

The long established Good Time Sports Resort opposite looking out to sea south, has tropical bungalows and, rooms from 3,400bt to 4,000bt. The villas are in the range of 8,000bt to 10,000bt, contact direct.

On Ao Pra Beach

With its many different styles of accommodation from 2,750bt to 10,000bt, Cococape Resort is located on the headland between Ao Suan Yai Beach and Ao Pra Beach.

On Ao Pra Beach itself, Mira Montra Resort is one of the island’s best boutique resorts – their hillside rooms are the cheapest options at 3,200bt but expect to pay from 6,500bt up to 11,000bt for deluxe beachfront villas and double family suites.

North Coast

Not to be forgotten, the north coast has four secluded  places to stay.

Ao Talong

Now fully open a couple of years, Koh Mak’s premier resort The Mak sits on the beach in the area known as  Ao Talong. With the salas, beachfront villas, 2 bedroom villas and infinity pool, it’s all very high-end, with prices to match at 5,000bt to 13,500bt in standard peak

Its neighbour and the only other resort on this stretch of coast is Little Moon Villa, which comprises stylish, spacious villas in three tiered rows, all with sea view. There’s a restaurant on site but no pool. Prices are from 5,700bt to 6,900bt a night. Incidentally, their old home is the resort now known as Villa Allure over on the east coast.

Ao Taan

Meanwhile, over in Ao Taan in the north east corner of this coast, the eclectic and uniquely designed Cinnamon Art Resort offers a mix of garden view hotel rooms, cabanas and sea-side pool villas. Prices range from 1,800bt right up to 11,900bt, popular with Thai packages. The resort is famed on the island for its long pier but they do charge outsiders to visit, 200bt a pop.

In the same area, the down-to-earth Green View Bungalows, has fan and a/c rooms from as low as 750bt a night  (minumum stay of 2 nights in peak) – a good travellers’ choice.

South and East Coast – Koh Mak Resorts, Bungalows and Hotels

On the south coast and scattered across the east coast, where the beaches are not the best, you can still find some excellent, very secluded boutique resorts as well as bungalow and traveller choices.

Far North East Coast

With its feature swimming pool, Plubpla Koh Mak Retreat offers villas connected by raised walkways from 3,900bt to 5,500bt in high season. Villa Allure (formerly Little Moon) continues in much the same vein as before it changed hands but its prices have gone down considerably – 1,400bt upwards, restaurant on site, a very relaxed spot.

East Coast and Ao Nid

Bamboo Hideaway, Sea View Resort, Corsita and Sea Breeze Resort each sit on the hills along the east coast which overlook the ocean, all very peaceful with, of course, wonderful views – rooms range from 1,200bt to 3,500bt or more for family options. They all have pools.

Ao Pong Resort (check ahead if open) down near Ao Nid Pier has seaview villas on the little red sand beach from 2,200bt.

South Coast

In Ao Daeng, a sheltered bay with a red sand beach, you can opt for a glamping tent at Naivacha (Tent), where under canvas, it’s around 2,000bt a night for ensuite. Or they have an increasing number of standard a/c bungalows too.

Continuing round the coast, you’ll find a few cheaper options with the beach hut rooms or a/c bungalows at The Coral (formerly Banana Sunset) or up on stilts in at the secluded Pano Resort, all with sea views. Expect to pay from 750bt upwards for a fan room.

Finally, Talay Time, on the southern tip, has decent a/c bungalows lining the rocky seafront, 1,900bt a night. Their restaurant up on the hill is also now open, complete with its amazing views to Koh Kood, Koh Rang and the Koh Mak coast.