Besides being out on the water or exploring on the bike, Koh Mak has some other terrific activities to wile away the hours…should you feel the urge to leave the hammock.
Over at Ao Nid, Smile Cooking School has been running for many years to very favourable reviews, great for adults and kids alike.
Muay Thai arrived on the island back in 2016 and continues to draw a good following to its gym in Ao Kao. You can also find tennis courts tucked away behind Ao Kao Resort and there is a yoga scene too on the island.
Finally, you would get impossibly long odds on Koh Mak having the sport of Disc Golf, but there is indeed a course – a popular pastime for late afternoon once the heat has gone out of the day.
Cooking School | Tennis | Muay Thai | Disc Golf | Gym and Yoga
Smile Cooking School
Per Person: 1,200bt/1,300bt (Morning/Evening)
Ao Nid
Teacher Leng hosts daily small classes at her school next door to Koh Mak Seafood in Ao Nid, taking you through the ingredients, techniques, pastes and then the cooking itself. 3 to 4 dishes prepared, Thai salad or spring rolls, a curry, fried or steamed fish or tom yam, sticky rice and mango – all of which you then get to eat. Morning (10.00 to 14.00) and evening (15.00 to 19.00). Closed for rainy season.
Leng also co-runs Koh Mak Organic Farm near to Ao Suan Yai Beach.
Koh Mak Tennis Club
Per Person: 500bt (Tennis), 200bt (Badminton), 100bt (Basketball, TableTennis)
Ao Kao, northern end
At the entrance to Ao Kao Resort, tennis club with hourly rates as above for tennis, badminton, basketball and table tennis. Indoor and outdoor courts, lights at 100bt extra per hour. If staying there or at Good Time, you get discounted rates and priority booking. Balls and racquets extra.
Phoenix Muay Thai Gym
Per Person: 500bt (group, 1 class daily) to 19,200bt (twice daily, month)
Ao Kao, northern end
In conjunction with Good Time Resort, Phoenix Muay Thai is run by Trainer Go in an open air gym near to Little Red Oven/Food Art Hut at the top of the Ao Kao Resort road. Packages at varying prices for group classes as daily single or double sessions, same for weekly or monthly courses. Private one on one tuition also available. Weights, ring, all equipment. Accommodation available.
Koh Mak Disc Golf
Per Person: On request
Ao Kao, southern end
Run by Mr Pom from Holiday Beach Resort (now closed down), the 9 ‘hole’ course is located on the connecting road to Ao Suan Yai behind Makathanee Resort. 3 different sizes and weights of frisbee for drive, iron and putt. Takes about an hour to complete, strangely addictive. High season only.
Disc golf involves throwing a frisbee over a course of different length holes in order to land it in the shortest amount of throws in a basket (‘holes’). The number of throws is then totted up to create your score.
Gym and Yoga
Good Time Resort as a 150bt per person walk-in gym, free to its guests and those staying at Ao Kao Resort. You’ll also find a gym at Phoenix Muay Thai.
If the instructors are in situ (always a big “if” on these islands) , you can practice yoga on Koh Mak, both Ashtanga and Hatha. Classes are run daily at selected resorts – Good Time Resort, Koh Mak Resort, Ao Kao Resort and Seavana Resort, with guide rates at 800bt for private and 200bt for group.
During the season, there are also specific weekly (or longer) retreats with reknowned teachers. These tend to book up well in advance, so you should follow updates on Facebook pages such as Island Yoga.
New in 2022, Swiss Health Oasis over in Ao Baan Lang on the east coast offers Reiki, yoga and QiGong – see their website for more details.
It’s easier enough to find a massage on the island and the high-end The Mak over on the north coast will ulltimately open a full spa.
UPDATED JULY 22 for 22/23 Season
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