Island Hopping: Koh Chang - Koh Kood - Koh Mak

[muffhunter1]

Very good report! I was wondering about some of the other islands around KC and you answered that. I have been to KC 2 times now and was wondering could one stay at KC and make a day trip to these other islands?

After what you have shown here I don't think I would want to spend much time at the other islands but Koh Mak does like to be nice.

 

Thx

[Komando]

Great photos!

[Piece Corp]

Very good report! I was wondering about some of the other islands around KC and you answered that. I have been to KC 2 times now and was wondering could one stay at KC and make a day trip to these other islands?

After what you have shown here I don't think I would want to spend much time at the other islands but Koh Mak does like to be nice.

 

Thx

During high season, you can get speedboat service from Koh Chang direct to other islands

 

http://www.kohchangboat.com/

[Mick Pattaya]

During high season, you can get speedboat service from Koh Chang direct to other islands

 

http://www.kohchangboat.com/

Thanks, that should save considerable travel time.

[Jack Frost]

Thanks for the thread.

 

[jaynewcastle]

An enjoyable read & good pictures, thank you for posting.

[scratch]

Grreat report. Koh Chang was the 1st island I visited in LOS (2005). Thinking of going back there on my next trip and probably will if the weather is not too bad. I stayed in White Sand and had a good time. Would be interesting to see how it has changed.

[Tingtong4Thai]

Thanks for the writeup and the pictures!  Will be very helpful in future planning.   

[Piece Corp]

There IS nightlife on Koh Kood.  Jong runs the Tawan Eco Bar, and is on a first name basis with all his customers.  He'll even invite you to jam with him.

 

 

Of the limited dining options on the island, Chaing Mai Restaurant is among the best.

 

 

Check out the White-Bellied Sea Eagle

 

 

Speedboat service to Koh Kood from Koh Chang begins on October 15th.

 

[limirl]

I stayed in Koh Kood last october and loved it, got a great room at Dusita resort for 1000B beautiful place and surprisingly the in house restaurant was quite good. We ate at several places around the island and didn't care too much for them. Nightlife was barely existent, ended up buying beer and whiskey and drank on the dock of the resort or outside our room. It is very pretty with nice beaches and crystal clear water.

I like Koh Chang also but have never made it to Koh Maak, the reports I have heard are that the sandflies there are atrocious. I had a miserable experience with them last year in Cambodia and never want to repeat it again.

[ozzieguy22]

Cozy House is a great spot to stay on Kooh Kood, Meals are awesome nightly bbq. Koh Mak is nice I stayed  at both Islands for 6 nights, Be careful driving at night on Koh Mak had wild boars nearly hit me on a few occassions. Koh Kood also during high season the Sunset Bar and Regaie Bars ar open quite late. We didn't lock room or even remove key from  motorbike it was very relaxing on both islands. Def more to do on Koh Kood than Koh Mak. I also think that after slumming it a little on the islands it was nice to book into the KC Grand Resort and Spa, Got some good offers and paid about $60 Aussie a night with a free upgrade to the new wing on the hill and i liked that there were three swim up bars. I liked also staying in Kae Bai at Rammayana resort. So much more to see on Koh Chang than White sands beach.

[Piece Corp]

Koh Kood has an ATM now, also new restaurants opening up.  Here are a few pics from my last visit

 

[benchod]

Sir good to see your back on the island . any more info on koh chang

[Piece Corp]

Sir good to see your back on the island . any more info on koh chang

 

Thanks!  The Emerald Cove raised their rates this year but I booked again there anyway.  This from last year

 

[docmullet]

Piece Corp

 

thank you for sharing, its a great post and I really enjoyed your pictures that are fantastic quality and well taken, may I ask what camera you are using?

[JustL]

Great TR and your pictures really helped me get a feel for Koh Chang and the other islands. Hopefully things will go as planned and I will get to Koh Chang my next trip in June. 

[Piece Corp]

Piece Corp

 

thank you for sharing, its a great post and I really enjoyed your pictures that are fantastic quality and well taken, may I ask what camera you are using?

Nikon D610

[Piece Corp]

The Emerald Cove, Koh Chang

Poolside entertainment at the Emerald Cove Resort

Mango Cooler at the Pool Bar, fresh mango, tequila & lime.  138 baht during happy hour.

Something for the newlyweds, a romantic, candle light dinner

More inform on Koh Chang in this thread

INTER ISLAND TRANSPORT

I was able to take a speedboat from Koh Chang to Koh Kood this time, rather than having to return to the mainland.  The cost was 900 and it saved over 3 hours.  Taxi pick-up at 9 AM and take your luggage along to the end of the pier at Bang Bao.

30 passengers crammed into a small speedboat.  No one cared to sit in front without canopy protection and fry in the sun. I sat on the floor.  Someone asked if there were life preservers.  "Yes, have life preservers", said the captain.  Presumably they were under the seats, or perhaps we were expected to fight over the seat cushions in case of an emergency. 

The boat made 2 stops on Koh Mak after a 30 minute ride.  Fortunately, several passengers exited and I was able to secure a seat,  Koh Kood took another hour, with the boat stopping at Siam Beach and the Away Resort before making a final stop at the estuary. From there, I needed to call my resort to have someone pick me up.  I don't know how far into May the inter-island service is available, if you take the boat from the mainland however, a taxi will be waiting to transport you. 

KOH KOOD

The Away Resort

By noon, I was at my destination, the Koh Kood Beach Resort.  Despite an increase in tourism, they've held their prices at 2500 off-season.

Their beach is small but still good for swimming

I rented a scooter (400/day) and rode down to Chonthicha seafood restaurant at Ao Yai,

Then to the public beach, which was completely deserted.

...but eventually someone came strolling by

...and another reminder that I'll be heading back to Pattaya soon

The biggest news is the new ATM, first on the island, located near the hospital.

 

If money is no object, check out the Soneva Kiri Resort, the most exclusive in Thailand.  24 luxury beach villas, all with surrounding pools, spread across 150 acres on the north side of Koh Kood. Access by sea only, guests are flown in from Bangkok on a small plane that lands on a tiny private airstrip nearby.

This video describes the experience. Need a villa with 4 outdoor showers?

 

[Piece Corp]

Exclusive Soneva Kiri resort on Koh Kood is offering a 30% discount in November

http://www.inspirebangkok.com/bangkok/november-big-savings-month-soneva-kiri-koh-kood-30-discount/

 

[Piece Corp]

So what happened to all my photos?

[mikkle]

On 11/25/2017 at 23:09, Piece Corp said:

So what happened to all my photos?

I'd like to see them!

i'm thinking of heading over to Kohs Kood and Mak in March / April. Is the weather there OK/good at that time of the year? 

[Piece Corp]

43 minutes ago, mikkle said:

I'd like to see them!

i'm thinking of heading over to Kohs Kood and Mak in March / April. Is the weather there OK/good at that time of the year? 

Weather is good in March/April.  Rates usually drop after Songkran.

[Piece Corp]

Let's get some photos back into this thread.  Many photos were lost because of a forum "upgrade".  Here from my last visit to Koh Chang and Koh Kood, these are hot linked from flickr.com

First, here's Koh Chang

Stayed where I usually do at Klong Prao

There's not much around Klong Prao other than the waterfall, so I took a walk around Kai Bae village, just to the south

The Walking Street bar area is at the northern edge of Kae Bae,  It's been outgrowing the bar area at White Sands in recent years.  I visited in late afternoon, not much happening.

..just a little curb-side pussy

Some new bars have opened in the past year

Captain Morgan's Pirate Pub has been closed a while

Next, I took the speedboat to Koh Kood for 900, still no life preservers, but I don't mind as I'm a good swimmer.  It was my seventh visit to this island.

There were other passengers staying at the same resort, so we were let off at Ban Makok, just a 5 minute walk.

There are new resorts and restaurants since my last visit

The island is still very clean, and there's a campaign to keep it that way, but some of the locals refuse to cooperate.

I went to Noochy at Ao Yai for some fresh mud crab, it's about a 30 minute ride by motorbike.

Ao Yai is in desperate need for some urban renewal

Third day was beautiful!

The main public beach was as crowded as usual

There's a new football stadium, with lighting for night games.

The Away Dream, at the Castaways Bar.  Vodka, Malibu, Banana Liqueur, pineapple juice, and coconut milk.

Irish Coffee at the Deck Bar at the Koh Kood Resort

 

TBH, the Irish Coffee was not that good, so I followed up with a Strawberry Daiquri, which was much better.

Mango Mojito at the Sunset Bar

When you visit Phuket, Samui, etc, you'll hear people say, "Oh, you should have been here 20-30 years ago.  It was paradise."  That's where Koh Kood is at today.