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 White Sand Beach Resort is perhaps the premier resort on this beach, with prices listed from 4,200bt to 5,200bt a night. It has a small swimming pool and also a seaside restaurant. 

Lazy Day The Resort, next door, offers large stilted bungalows at 4,000bt, many with direct sea-view. In the same section, the German owned Palm Beach Resort has a good reputation for being family friendly, 3,800bt for the 4 person, 2,800bt for the 2 person.

Up by the road, you can get rooms in the small and compact garden at Koh Mak Garden View from 1,800bt.

Resorts and Rooms – Central

In the centre of the beach, the boutique guesthouse come resort, By The Sea has 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 neighbour Baan Koh Maak offers 2,500bt garden cabanas in a U-shaped lay-out, with a good beachfront restaurant and bar.  

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 beachside bungalows (3,900bt), family options (4,200bt to 6,200bt), 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 motel rooms from around 1,700bt to 2,000bt, breakfast only. AP Guesthouse, a few doors down from Hanoi, provides adjoining rooms only laid out in a L-shape, similar prices. Koh Mak Living, on the same road, has 6 stylish wooden cabanas, some with their terraces over the river – 2,300bt a night.

Resorts – Western End

Continuing west down the coast from Makathanee, Baanyai Guesthouse and Sabai Beach provide clean, straightforward bungalows from 1,500bt to 2,500bt a night by the beach. Opposite them, roadside, Twocans is very similar to Hanoi House above, with bungalows and a small motel block – garden view at 1,700bt to 2,000bt.

Big Easy, at the far end also provides total peace and quiet from 2,700bt for the cheapest option, bit more for one is its ocean front cabanas.

Along the way to the far south 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 3,000bt. Their beachfront bar and occasional party are one of Koh Mak’s popular nightlife draws.

New in 2025, Laem Tukkata Beach Resort opened in that cove at the far south west – beachfront rooms at 3,300bt in peak season, bit less for the oceanview ones behind in the small 2 storey buildings.

Budget

For backpacker options, Island Huts at the eastern end (near to White Sand Beach Resort and Palm Beach), is the long running Koh Mak stalwart – 350bt for a basic hut up to to 1,500bt for one of its a/c options.

Next to White Sand Beach Resort, Baan Ao Kao combines unique bubble-style tents (with private bathrooms) with standard bungalows, 800bt through 1,600bt (seafront).

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 to 2,500bt in high season. Miss You has a restaurant too.

You’ll also find rooms on the strip at Baan Talay Hostel (1,350bt) near Aimmy and Rabbit restaurants or upstairs at Yo’s Hostel (1,500bt) opposite By The Sea. Behind the road on its own little lagoon, The River Retreat comprises tents (600bt), bungalows (1,000bt) and family options (2,600bt).

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 3,400bt a night for its superior rooms to 6,200bt for a seafront suite. Next door, the ever improving Koh Mak Resort, ranges from standard bungalows at 4,100bt up to 7,300bt for a family villa.

At the northern end, bungalows at Pompkakdee Koh Mak Resort and Happy Days sit in the 2,500bt bracket with 4,000bt for the family option.

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 2,750bt 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. The Hammock Hostel within the resort is their budget option, 500bt a night, more in peak.

On Ao Pra Beach

With its many different styles of accommodation from 2,500bt to 8,500bt, 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 4,500bt but expect to pay from 6,300bt up to 13,600bt 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

Perhaps 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 5,500bt to 11,000bt 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 5,200bt to 6,200bt 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 1,000bt for its eco rooms, up to 3,500bt for its poolside villas, 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 850bt to 1,250bt 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 4,200bt to 5,200bt 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 – 1,500bt upwards, restaurant on site, a very relaxed spot.

East Coast and Ao Nid

Bamboo Hideaway, Sea View Resort, Corsita, Buri Huts 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 1,500bt to 3,500bt or more for family options. They all have pools.

For budget options, you’ll find BP Rooms and Koh Mak Homestay on the road down to Ao Nid Pier – 1,100bt to 1,500bt. Homehug Homestay is a little more expensive, at 1,800bt upwards – about 10 minutes walk to the southern end of Ao Kao Beach from all three of them.

Ao Pong Resort down near Ao Nid Pier has seaview villas on its own private little red sand beach from 1,350bt to 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 or in a standard a/c bungalow, it’s around 2,900bt a night for ensuite. .

Continuing round the coast, you’ll find a few cheaper options with the beach hut rooms or a/c bungalows at The Coral (if open) 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, 2,000bt to 2,900bt 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.