A good friend of mine Annie invited me on a last minute trip to Koh Mak and I signed right up. She knows the best Thai islands to visit and is an expert on getting around.  I’d heard of Trat which is the closest mainland town and also a nearby island called Koh Chang but not Koh Mak.

Getting there

We left early, like too early to drink coffee kind of early and it was about a four hour car ride to Trat. We arrived in time to grab some machine coffee from the local Tesco lotus (No Moo Ping in site) and then waited to board the fast boat. My friend Annie had booked the tickets in advance but you have to collect them and register for a boat once you’re there.  It’s chaotic. Be aggressive in the line (There is no line) and make sure you listen/watch out for other people on the same boat so you know when to move.

The boat ride is about 60 to 90 minutes, there are slower boats that are cheaper - this one was close about USD 30.  Once we arrived at the port we got picked up by our transfer, also booked in advance via the accommodation.

We hired motorbikes for the whole time we were there, they’re about USD 5 a day and the only way to get around.  The roads are pretty quiet so its fairly safe, the island is really hilly though and in some spots super steep, but seriously zooming around these little windy roads in and out of the sun and amongst the rubber plantations is a fun afternoon in itself!

Accommodation

We stayed in Islanda Resort hotel which was nice enough, clean, fairly simple, a pool a view and breakfast was included. There are only a few options that are actually on the beach and the Koh Mak Cococape  resort would be my first choice if I were to go back. 

They have rooms overlooking the beach and with balcony’s and hammocks and averages about USD 100 a night.  Another fancier option is the Mira Montra resort, again on the beach, great views and private balcony’s with lounge chairs and hammocks, the beach here isn’t private but it might as well be as there aren’t any other hotels or resorts or anything really nearby.

booking.com seems to be the best site for booking accommodation on Koh Mak but there are a few okay looking airbnb’s. I would suggest staying closer to the port so if you go for drinks etc you don’t need to worry about driving back.

Eating and drinking

I visited a few small local Thai restaurants, all were awesome. In true Bea style I ate my body weight in Pad Siew Ew, Roti’s and green curry and a tonne of Pad kra pow.

The Cococape resort has a restaurant that advertises the best burgers on the island, I didn’t try any other burgers so I can’t compare but their burger was pretty awesome. They also have the best sunset bar. It’s literally a hut at the end of the pier with some beach chairs and tables. You can swim right off the pier and the Singh is ice cold. The sunset here is amazing and so the bar gets pretty busy, best to get there early to grab a seat.  They don’t serve food so if you’re hungry take a bag of chips or order a burger from the restaurant at the resort.

Another late night spot was Sunset spot where we had beer and satay, I’ll confess I was a little tipsy when eating the satay but I think it was pretty tasty….

What to do

There is a small island called Koh Kam. You can get there from the main pier by speed boat or you can Kayak. Don’t Kayak. 1) It’s a lot further away than you think and 2) you have to kayak back, which is not ideal, especially after a few beers.

Once you arrive most people head to the right where there is a refreshment hut and two smaller beaches.  You have to pay about USD 3 for entry to the island but this includes a soft drink. There is a sandbank so you can walk out and swim, you can Kayak around the different beaches and there are plenty of spots for snorkelling around here.  You can also literally just stand in the water though and the fish will come and swim around you. If you head to the left there is a huge white beach with a great big tree which is a perfect spot for a picnic and some afternoon sun. You can also snorkel right off this beach, there are a stack of the big Black Sea urchins and according to my research they shoot their spines at you. I have been told by multiple people that this isn’t true but they definitely don’t look trustworthy. If you like the beach, snorkelling and sitting in the sun then this is the prefect spot.

Another island that you can go to is Koh Rayang Nai, there are small local boats to take you there or at low tide you can walk across the sandbank from Koh Mak. Just head to the south part of the island closest to Koh Rayang - the hut where the boat is also sells great Pad Siew Ew.  On the island there is a huge deer population and there is a tractor ride around the island, bit random but whatever. We got off and then decided to walk back from the half way point. This was a lot further than we thought it would be and we got attacked by sand flies so not ideal, I would advise you just get the tractor back.

Koh Mak is the perfect place if you want somewhere quiet, clean and very pretty. If you want a big party atmosphere this probably isn’t the place for you.