Last March, we were craving a real break, somewhere peaceful. An island, not too far from Bangkok, to limit travel and keep our budget in check. Initially, we were aiming for Ko Kood (which we would finally visit many years later: see my article here ).
But due to lack of time, we ultimately opted for its smaller neighbor: Ko Mak. The advantage being that it can easily be visited in 3 days, the time we had available.
An island that remains authentic
So yes, originally, I used the word “authentic” in the title. Honestly, it’s not a term I particularly like to use to describe a place. It feels a bit like a catch-all, not to say overused. But since it’s the word most often used to describe this kind of place… it wasn’t unreasonable.
Ko Mak, a small island off the northern coast of the Gulf of Thailand, fits this idea quite well. Peaceful beaches, turquoise water, coconut palms, and not a single 12-story building in sight. Here, there are no four-lane highways, and people get around by scooter or bicycle; the few cars on the island are mostly taxis belonging to hotels.
Not really a party area, no concrete beaches, inhabitants who still live off agriculture and not necessarily tourism, and above all, just a simple and relaxed atmosphere.
And yet, it's not a desert island: you can find good food, comfortable accommodation, rent a two-wheeler... In short, everything you need to enjoy yourself without stress. And in March, when we visited, it wasn't crowded: just what we needed!
How to get to Ko Mak?
If you have a vehicle like we did, allow 4.5 to 5 hours to get there from Bangkok to the Laem Ngop pier (approximately 330 km), the one we took.
If you have a vehicle, you will find parking lots nearby where you can park for the duration of your stay: expect to pay 200 baht for a short stay.
In our case, we had to be there before 15 p.m., the time our boat left. Well, we knew for sure that there was one at that time.
In reality, there are two possible docks to get to Ko Mak:
- Laem NgopThe closest one to Bangkok was the one we used to take. It's in the same area as the ferry docks for Ko chang, the largest island in the region, but the connection to Ko Mak has its own departure point.
- Laem SokLocated 40 km further south, it is the main dock for reaching Ko Kood, but which also has links to Ko Mak.
On site, the speedboat and catamaran are the main types of boats to connect to the island of Ko Mak, the advantage is that it takes less than an hour (depending on the type and company, between 30 and 45 min), for a price around 500 baht per person (updated), which remains reasonable.
In Laem Ngop , there are three main ferry companies: Leelawadee , Panan , and M Marine . Schedules vary depending on the company, but you should find regular departures , typically at 10:30, 11:30, 14:00, and 15:00 . If you continue your journey to Laem Sok, you'll find the last departures until 16:00.
Be aware, however, that most only operate between November 1st and May 31st , as the sea is often rough during the rainy season (and the interest in visiting is limited).
In the original version of this article, I mentioned a ferry that lasts 3 hours… in reality I was confusing it with the duration of the transfer from Trat airport (more like 2 hours 30 minutes actually), another possible option to quickly reach the region, apart from the Bangkok – Trat buses, which you can find from the bus stations of Mo Chit, or Ekkamai.
If you are using public transport, there are possible minibus + ferry combinations with departures from Suvarnabhumi Airport or Khao San, for example, starting from only €30 (allow at least 7 hours for the transfer in this case).
Where to sleep in Ko Mak
Depending on your budget, the hotels mentioned in the article are all good options.
Our hotel was on Ao Kao beach, in the south of the island. It was the Baan Ko Mak . We paid 1,000 baht a night (at the time), the bill is now closer to 1700 baht. When booking, I hesitated between this and the Sea Breeze , but I was determined to have a hotel right on the beach.
– For a similar budget, on the same beach of Ao Kao, I would like to try the Talay Time Koh Mak (expect to pay 1,600 baht per night).
– Located at the end of the main bay of Ao Suan Yai, for the same type of budget, there is the Ko Mak Cococape Resort , I had actually sent my parents there the following year and the setting was lovely according to them.
Discovering Ko Mak
We arrived on the island around 16 pm, which gave us time to reach our hotel on Ao Kao beach, where a shared taxi was waiting for us upon arrival. There was still time for a quick visit to the surrounding area before sunset.
Ao Kao beach, in the southwest of the island, is the largest. It has its own pier (from where we will take the boat for the snorkeling day the next day, see below)
That evening, we walked leisurely to the tip of Laem Tukata (formerly spelled Tookkata), which faces the small island of Ko Rayang Nai . We had time to observe sea urchins and small crabs while it was low tide.
I already appreciate the fact of not encountering anyone, of not seeing buildings lined up along, but mainly trees along the beach, like this coconut tree cheerfully protruding and inviting me to climb on it to take the little souvenir photo of the day.
We watched the sunset there before returning to our hotel and having dinner nearby. Speaking of dinner, the taste was quite inconsistent; some dishes were excellent, while others were rather bland.
3 days and 4 nights on Ko Mak
Given the size of the island, that's more than enough to get around it. Even upon arrival, as I just mentioned, we'll have time to explore our beach, which is already almost half of the island's beaches (the rest being mostly bordered by mangroves).
The downside is that it picks up waste from the mainland and Ko Kood, so it's not necessarily the cleanest... although this kind of inconvenience can vary greatly from year to year and the time of year you visit.
Apart from that, the beach was rockier in places. So, if I had to give one piece of advice, I'd recommend Ao Suan Yai beach to the north, which is perfect for swimming . You'll find absolutely crystal-clear water and a very good restaurant nearby (right by the pier).
Day 1: Exploring Ko Mak by scooter
For our first full day, we decided to rent a scooter and tour the island . We picked up the scooter directly from our hotel for 250 baht per day… Mistake, just across the street, we could get one for 200 baht (which we rectified the day after next).
Once we have our map, the objective is simple: to travel all the available roads . This objective can be achieved in just over half a day, but if you spend a little more time at each location, it can easily fill the entire day.
Ao Nid and Koh Mak Temple
We started the day by visiting the island's only temple , simply called Koh Mak Temple, located not far from the pier where we had arrived the day before, Ao Nid. The place is very peaceful, with very few monks present. From a platform on which sits a golden standing Buddha, there is a beautiful view of the bay, and you can see Ko Kood in the distance further south.
I would only find out much later, but this temple was built by the family, devout Buddhists, who had bought the island and its plantation at the end of the 19th century (for the modest sum of 24,000 baht at the time!).
In the photo just before, you can see a wooden house sticking out (then painted white). This would be the original family home (therefore a hundred years old, but not the one we would look for later that same day), since renovated and housing a small museum, right next to Koh Mak Seafood.
→ If you're interested in the island's history, it's in English, but you can find a good summary here.
We were there primarily to make a donation. Once done and after chatting a bit with the monks and playing with the puppies present, we got back on our machine. Direction the east coast.
Directed by Laem Son
Before reaching Cape Laem Son, we will stop not far from Baan Luang , after taking a path through a rubber tree plantation.
Moreover, the island is covered with them, and while originally it was coconut plantations that dominated and sustained the island, since their introduction to the country, rubber trees, the Hevea tree, occupy a large part of the island.
I then set off on foot towards Kradun headland, which borders Ao Pai, a small bay without a proper beach but the view is nice. It's a bit treacherous to move around in this area, as you can see black rock (I imagine volcanic) littering the ground.
As we approached Laem Son, the road—or rather, the track—was closed. But a detour led us through another rubber plantation. I appreciated being in the shade, in addition to this feeling of complete freedom.
And arriving at Laem Son, after passing 2 houses in the middle of the coconut trees, we were won over. Apart from a family swimming there, there is no one and the beach is beautiful, bordered by a row of large fir trees, with the island of Ko Kradat facing us.
It's there, in the shade of the fir trees, that you'll find this little cabin, run by a woman. This cabin serves as both a bar, where you can enjoy various drinks (including beer ;-), and a restaurant. Here, you'll also learn that it's possible to visit the island of Ko Kradat , where a herd of deer roams freely.
With this information, we made plans to return the day after tomorrow since Ko Kradat is one of the nice excursions to see from Ko Mak (in addition to the small private island of Ko Kham north of Ao Suan).
Passing through Ao Tan and Ao Talong
We then continued our walk, this time going to the north coast, next to Ao Tan, bordered by mangroves, but still very pretty.
I don't even know if the name is the same as the neighboring Ao Tan beach, because this area is divided into two parts. The one we landed on that day is isolated at the far end, where the Green View Resort is located. It's separate from the main area, accessible by another path, where the Cinnamon, a "historic" (meaning, long-established) hotel in Ko Mak, is located.
Further on, heading back west, we followed another path, ending up in the small bay of Ao Talong. It's still mostly mangroves, but there's a small fishing village that apparently also makes a living from the rubber trade, as evidenced by the strips drying in a shelter.
It wasn't a very clean area, I won't lie to you, but it's definitely local! We came across some locals, lost in thought on the seaside, which faces Ko Chang, which can be seen far away.
Somchai Love Garden and Ao Suan Yai
Next, the goal was to reach the large bay of Ao Suan Yai (or Ao Soun), which faces the small island of Ko Kham. At the time, a brand new resort had been built there, but because the area was protected, there was a dispute and it has since had to close.
But before that, wanting to see as much as possible while we had our means of transport, we were looking to get to the oldest house on the island (a hundred years old).
We stopped at the passage towards " the artistic kingdom of Somchai " (now called Somchai's Love Garden or Love Temple), drawn in by 2 statues of women, inviting us curious souls to go and take a look.
It's a completely unusual place, centered around a rustic, elevated cabin. The access path is basically a narrow, rounded shape, leading to a turtle-shaped slab and the artist's open-air living space.
There we discovered several statues of women, most of them naked, and one simply "dressed" in a real bra... we also saw this monkey with a long member holding a bucket... The whole thing gives a completely wacky and "so Thai" feel!
I don't know if he was still alive when we were there, but we didn't see anyone. All we know is that he was self-taught, and a sign there explained this to us:
With extraordinary ambition and an inspiration imbued with affection, the sculptures of nude women by Mon artist Somchai, adorning his home, reflect his conception of affection in art and individual freedom. Financed entirely with his own money, these ongoing works arose from his personal inspiration and profound imagination, without drawing on any renowned artistic school.
As for the old house (marked as such on our map), we won't calculate it, because we didn't imagine it like that! We'll see it in the distance, and while we imagined a "classic" house on stilts, it is in fact a large 2-story wooden building (recently repainted in blue), located in the gardens of a resort, the Happy Days Resort.
After wandering around a bit looking for this house, we finally reached the main bay of Ao Suan Yai, and wow! There it was, that dreamy white sand beach! It was clean, the water is clear and turquoise. 
We were facing a large beach lined with coconut palms and trees, the kind of picture-postcard setting. And the best part was, there was nobody there, not even sunbathers enjoying the sunshine. Admittedly, it was far too hot for that, but as far as we were concerned, it was decided: this was where we would come for a swim at the end of the day!
But before that, we'll have our lunch break, grabbing a snack from a street vendor in the parking lot. Once we're full, we'll continue our tour of Ko Mak, this time heading towards the wilder west coast.
We passed through the center of the island and stopped at the Vista Lookout to admire the view; we thought we would gladly come back there to enjoy a coffee, but for the moment, it wasn't possible.
Later note: By the way, I know that the Vista Lookout hotel had to close after Covid, so I don't know what happened to it since…
The west of the island
So we continued our journey westward. We first passed near Ao Pra , then I ventured a little further along a path, interspersed with a bit of concrete.
Originally, the path led to " Little Bay ," but I initially wanted to follow a more rugged route, leading to the small, secluded bay of Ao Lom . After a short while, I came to a steep, rocky slope. I decided to be sensible and turn back.
We could have tried to continue on foot, but with the heat, we were a bit too lazy to go any further. No big deal, I could see a beautiful partial view of Ao Kao beach from there, and Ko Rayang Nai island visible opposite.
Further along, heading back towards the main path, we arrived at Cape Laem Tukata , where we had walked the day before from the hotel. The loop was complete!
Having completed the tour of the island, it was just after 15 p.m. This gave us time to change at the hotel and then stroll to Ao Suan Yai to enjoy the late afternoon swimming in this beautiful bay.
We ended the day with a meal in the restaurant at the foot of the Ao Kao pier, where I enjoyed a delicious burger at Pivo and Grill , well yes, sometimes it's a change from rice!
Day 2: Snorkeling day around Ko Mak
This second day was mainly dedicated to snorkeling . Scheduled the day before with our hotel, the full article about this day can be found below:
Otherwise, we simply had dinner that evening at the restaurant of the Hotel Islanda , next to the Vista Lookout café. A good choice since the food was good, reasonably priced, and the view was fantastic!
Day 3: Excursion to Ko Kradat and relaxation in Ao Tan
For this last day in Ko Mak, Jitima wanted to go to Ko Kradat. Since it's on the other side of Ko Mak, and to keep things simple, we decided to rent a scooter again, this time from the street for 200 baht.
Since Jitima is easily moved by puppies, she insisted that we first go back to the temple to make another donation (originally, I also wanted to take photos of the view at sunrise, but we had slept badly the night before because of a group of partygoers…).
Before heading to Laem Son beach, we stopped for a coffee at Vista Lookout Point , to start the busy day off right!
Next, we headed towards Laem Son, taking a slightly different route, mostly sandy and winding through coconut palms – I absolutely loved it. As planned, we boarded a small local boat to spend some time on Deer Island.
→ Read the dedicated article on Ko Kradat
To end this day, we were first going to sit down at the restaurant of The Cinnamon Art Resort and Spa hotel , which also has a good reputation for offering a nice setting for taking photos.
Which is quite true! Here we have a view of Ko Chang opposite, Ko Kradat visible on the right, and this long jetty which begins in the mangrove, named Cinnamon Boardwalk.
The hotel is quite stylish too, although opinions seem to vary a bit. I can imagine some people complaining that the beach isn't suitable for swimming there. The water is shallow. We each had a drink after the photo shoot, then decided to spend our last evening in Ao Suan Yai Bay.
→ Note that now, for visitors not staying at the hotel, they require an entrance fee of 50 baht to access the pontoon.
When we arrived at the large beach of Ao Suan Yai (sometimes spelled Ao Soun), still deserted in the early evening, we witnessed the last rays of daylight, the red sun sinking behind the coconut palms. Fittingly, this beach is also nicknamed "Long Sunset Beach"!
Before our delicious evening meal, we sipped cocktails while enjoying happy hour. And we were right to do so, as we ended up watching a short show of jugglers and fire-eaters (apparently from Cambodia, which is nearby).
This has become very common on the beaches of Thailand in recent years, but it adds a little something extra, especially here in Ko Mak where there is ultimately very little activity.
That concluded this perfect stay on the island of Ko Mak, a little paradise, which I hope will remain so for a long time!
The next day, we returned to Bangkok, but not before stopping to visit the coast around Trat.
Small warning: watch out for jellyfish
According to the small first aid stations located along each beach, jellyfish sometimes swim near the shores of Ko Mak. Read the instructions and locate the stations; this could be helpful if needed (apply the provided vinegar to the sting as quickly as possible, among other things!).
No need to panic though, it's not systematic and in our case, we didn't see any jellyfish during our entire stay.
