Discover the Untouched Paradise of Koh Mak: Thailand's Hidden Gem
Koh Mak is still a real insider tip on Thailand's east coast. The island, which is only 16 square kilometers in size, has been privately owned for over 100 years. Ko Mak is located between Ko Chang and Ko Kood in a marine national park. In addition to beautiful white sandy beaches and secluded bays, it offers many coral reefs. These invite you to snorkel as well as to dive. There are several bungalow resorts, from the simple to the deluxe class. All of the facilities are beautifully integrated into the natural landscape.
Koh Mak Thailand
Koh-Mak
The island was given to a loyal officer by King Rama V at the beginning of the 18th century. His successors still live on part of the island to this day. You are committed to developing sustainable tourism. The first bungalows for visitors were built in 1974 in the east of the island. But because of the remoteness, only a few backpackers and a few Thais came. In 1982 Koh Mak was integrated into the Koh Chang Marine National Park with around 50 other islands. In 1987 the beach sections began to be expanded for tourist purposes. Resorts have been built for Thai and foreign visitors under close supervision. This was the beginning of the gentle development.
The island has about 400 inhabitants. The enchanting beaches and the interior of the island are easy to explore with a bike tour. The small islands around Koh Mak are mostly uninhabited. Some of them can be reached by swimming or by paddle boat. Cash should be changed before the crossing.
The beaches on Koh Mak
Koh Mak has a large number of good beaches with crystal clear water. The magnificent underwater world can be explored directly from many beaches while snorkeling.
Suan Yai Bay is located in the north of the island. There is a small restaurant, a beach bar and a supermarket on the pier.
North of Koh Mak is the small, dreamy island of Koh Kham. This as well as the offshore island of Koh Rayang in the south can be reached by a short boat trip. The little-visited beaches are ideal for a day trip.
Activities & sights on Koh Mak
The island has numerous smaller, offshore islands with very quiet stretches of beach. But the interior of the island is also worth a visit.
Exploration tours
The still quite untouched island can be explored on foot or by bike. The lonely bays and the temple in the south should certainly be visited. The exploration leads through much of the original rainforest, past rubber, coconut and fruit plantations. The village in the interior of the island should also be visited. It offers a market, small shops and a village school. To relax along the way, there are simple, traditional massages.
Diving & snorkeling
There are also barter debts on Koh Mak. They offer diving courses and diving safaris to the surrounding coral reefs during the high season. Nearby are the small islands of Koh Rung, Koh Yak, Koh Kra, Koh Tien and Koh Ma-Pring. All of them have a fantastically beautiful and untouched underwater world. A project has been developed around these islands for years, which works towards the preservation and enlargement of the existing coral reefs.
Koh Chang
From November to April two speedboats operate daily between Koh Chang and Koh Mak. This enables the islands to be combined easily and conveniently. You can find detailed information about the island of Koh Chang here .
Koh Kood
The island is located south of Koh Mak and can be reached in 30 minutes and is ideal for day trips. You can find useful data about the island
Arrival possible & means of transport on Koh Mak
The most convenient solution is to arrive by plane from Bangkok. The nearest airport is near the city of Trat and is owned by Bangkok Airways. This also serves the route.
State buses run from Bangkok Ekkamai Terminal to Trat several times a day. This is the cheapest, but also the slowest way to get there.
Both variants take you from Trat by land transfer to Laem Knob Pier. The journey takes about 2 hours. The ferry to Koh Mak takes about 60 minutes.
The journey by car from Bangkok is possible and takes about 4 hours. Arrivals from Pattaya (3 hours) or Ban Phe at Koh Samet (2 hours) can also be organized. All journeys by car lead to one of the mainland piers. After that, the ferry will take you across and the last section on the island will be covered again by car.
Climate & travel time for Koh Mak
The good time to travel is among November and May. It's dry and comfortable. Many vacationers visit the island from December to March. During this time, temperatures rarely rise above 30 ° C. The sea breeze can make it a bit chilly in the evenings and at night. It is not wrong to bring a sweater or light jacket with you.
In general, it should be mentioned that the weather during the off-season, from May to October, is better than that on the Andaman coast. Thus, this region is an extremely good travel destination. Only from September to the end of October can it rain for several days at a time.
In July and August, many holidaymakers from Europe travel to the island. This can mean something more going on. In the other months of the off-season it is pleasantly quiet. Thus, dreamy bays and secluded, idyllic beaches are available.
