Koh Kood–Koh Mak 5-Day Plan
Quiet Islands, Slow Days

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

If you're tired of crowded beaches with shops crammed shoulder to shoulder and music going until dawn, Koh Kood and Koh Mak are a different world. There's no 7-Eleven on every corner, no big clubs — at night the islands go properly quiet. What you get in return is water clear enough to see your own feet while standing in it, jungle waterfalls you can walk in and soak under, and a slower rhythm that finally lets you rest. This 5-day, 4-night plan splits into 3 nights on Koh Kood and 1 night on Koh Mak, with travel time built in at each end. If you've got less time, trim it to 4 days and 3 nights by dropping one night on Koh Kood.

Trip Overview — How to Get There

Both islands sit in the Trat sea, and boats now leave from Laem Sok Pier in Mueang Trat district — currently the main departure point for both Koh Kood and Koh Mak. From Bangkok it's about a 5–6 hour drive or van ride to Trat, then a boat across. This plan heads to Koh Kood first because it's the furthest out, then works back to Koh Mak, which is closer to the mainland, before the boat home — so you're never doubling back.

• Getting to Trat: drive or take a van from Bangkok, about 5–6 hours, or fly into Trat Airport (TDX) and connect by road to Laem Sok Pier.
• Boat to Koh Kood: departs Laem Sok Pier; speedboat takes about 45–60 min, ferry about 70–90 min · fares start around ฿350/person one way.
• Boat to Koh Mak: also leaves from Laem Sok, about 45–60 min · fares start around ฿450–600/person depending on the operator.
• Crossing Koh Kood–Koh Mak: speedboats link the two islands in high season, about 30–45 min. Check the schedule and book ahead through your accommodation or the boat company.

Day 1 — Travel to Koh Kood, Settle In by the Sea

Day one is mostly travel. Leave Bangkok early to catch a mid-morning boat, and you'll reach Koh Kood by the afternoon. Don't force yourself to go far — check in, swim out front of your beach, and save your energy for the next day. Koh Kood is a long island with places to stay spread across several beaches, so choose the zone you want to sleep in carefully when you book, because moving around the island takes time.

Day 2 — Khlong Chao Waterfall + Snorkelling in Clear Water

Koh Kood isn't only about the sea — the jungle hides several tiered waterfalls. Khlong Chao Waterfall (Ang Thong Waterfall) is the island's biggest, a short walk in from the car park, with a pool you can wade into under the falling water. King Rama VI once visited, which is why it carried the older name Ang Thong Waterfall. Hit the waterfall in the morning, then head out to snorkel the reefs around the island in the afternoon.

Day 3 — A Lazy Day, Sleep In, Go Nowhere

This is the heart of the quiet-island plan. No schedule today, no early alarm. Wake up, have a late breakfast, stroll the beach, read in a hammock, and get in the water whenever you feel like it. Koh Kood is perfect for doing nothing, because nothing here is pushing you to hurry. If you've still got energy, rent a kayak and paddle along the shore, or take a motorbike around the island to see the fishing villages — but if you'd rather sleep all day, no one's judging.

Day 4 — Cross to Koh Mak, Cycle the Island

Today you switch islands — take the boat from Koh Kood across to Koh Mak, or if there's no direct crossing that day, boat back to the mainland and connect to Koh Mak from there. Koh Mak is much smaller and flatter than Koh Kood, so cycling the loop is easy. It's long been known as a low-carbon island, with locals making a real effort to keep it quiet and green: no high-rises, no big clubs, just small roads cutting through coconut and rubber plantations.

Day 5 — A Morning Swim, Then the Boat Back

On the last morning, soak up Koh Mak one more time — get in the water early while it's still quiet, take photos of the clear sea, then catch the boat back to Laem Sok Pier and drive home to Bangkok. Plan the boat and driving times carefully, since return boats usually leave in the morning to midday — miss one and the wait for the next can be long.

Rough Budget Per Person

These figures assume an easygoing trip, nothing too fancy — the core costs you can't really avoid. Accommodation is on top and depends on the resort you choose; the islands have everything from budget bungalows to upscale resorts.

• Boat to Koh Kood: from around ฿350/person one way (speedboat); about ฿700 round trip.
• Boat to/from Koh Mak: from around ฿450–600/person one way.
• Koh Kood–Koh Mak crossing: speedboat around ฿400–600/person, depending on the schedule and operator.
• Half-day snorkel tour: around ฿600–1,000/person, gear included.
• Motorbike/bicycle rental: motorbike around ฿250–300/day · bicycle around ฿100–150/day.
• Food: seafood roughly ฿250–500 a meal · island prices run a little higher than the mainland since everything has to be shipped over.

When to Go

The Trat sea has a clear dry-versus-rainy split. The clear-water, calm-sea season with all boats running is Nov–Apr — the best window for snorkelling. From May to Oct it's monsoon: frequent rain, a stronger swell, and some days boats run reduced or not at all, with many resorts on both Koh Mak and Koh Kood closed for the season. If you want to go during the rains, always check with your accommodation and the boat company first.