Planning a trip to Koh Mak and Koh Kut
ARRIVING
BY PLANE -- Bangkok Airways (tel. 02270-6699; www.bangkokair.com) has two to three flights daily, depending on the season, between Bangkok and Trat, each taking 1 hour and costing around 2,800B. From there, take a taxi to Laem Ngop pier (260B; 30-minute ride). Catch a speedboat from there.
BY FERRY -- The Bang Bao Boat (www.kohchangbangbaoboat.com) is the inter-island ferry that runs a loop from Ko Chang to Ko Mak (600B; one hour) and on to Koh Kut (900B; two hours). Boats leave Ko Chang at 9:30am and noon; frequency has been known to change during high season, so check the website.
BY SPEEDBOAD -- Speedboats leave from Laem Ngop Pier on the mainland in Trat province and arrive at the piers on Ao Suan Yai and Ao Nid beaches in Koh Mak 50 minutes later; cost is 450B. If you’re staying on Ko Kut check with your resort to ask which pier is closest to the hotel, noting that the main pier is Ao Salad on the northeast side of the island. Boonsiri (www.boonsiriferry.com; tel. 085921-0111) runs a catamaran twice a day from Laem Sok to Ao Salad (500B; 90 minutes). Koh Kood Princess (www.kohkoodprincess.com; tel. 086126-7860) operates a 350B boat from Koh Kut to Trat once a day. The current schedule leaves Koh Kut at 10am and leaves Trat at 12:30pm. The 90-minute ride is free for children four-years or younger and half price for kids aged four to nine.
GETTING AROUND THE ISLANDS
On Ko Mak you can rent bikes (40B an hour) or motorbikes (200B per day) to zip from beach to beach. A hilly topography on Koh Kut makes cycling an arduous task so use the lack of traffic to master your motorbike skills. Bikes are available for 300B a day. Taxis should be booked via your hotel.
ORIENTATION FOR KO MAK
Only 16-square-kilometres (6-square-miles), Ko Mak is tiny. Ao Pra on the west is the best beach on the island, accessible by nearby hotels, like Cococape Resort. Ao Suan Yai is another lovely beach on the northwestern bay. You’ll see Ko Kham in the horizon (a private island, soon to be a resort).
There are no ATMs, so stock up on cash before arriving; hotels will sometimes change foreign currencies. There is a small health center near Ao Nid pier that can handle sunburns, scrapes, allergic reactions, and basic first-aid. A pin-head size police station is near the health center.
ORIENTATION FOR KOH KUT
During the low season, boats stop running and bungalow-type hotels board up for a few months. To give you an idea of how quaint Koh Kut is, imagine this: When the first ATM opened on the island in 2015, it was the talk of the town and locals lined up to see the machine in person. The ATM is near the hospital and is often out of cash, so be prepared with baht before arriving. A tiny hospital at Ban Khlong Mad takes care of basic first-aid. A police station is nearby.
Two waterfalls are easily reached with a short hike. Nam Tok Khlong Chao is the bigger and more popular and has a pool for swimming at the base. Nam Tok Khlong Yai Ki is other, smaller option and has a small pool.
BY PLANE -- Bangkok Airways (tel. 02270-6699; www.bangkokair.com) has two to three flights daily, depending on the season, between Bangkok and Trat, each taking 1 hour and costing around 2,800B. From there, take a taxi to Laem Ngop pier (260B; 30-minute ride). Catch a speedboat from there.
BY FERRY -- The Bang Bao Boat (www.kohchangbangbaoboat.com) is the inter-island ferry that runs a loop from Ko Chang to Ko Mak (600B; one hour) and on to Koh Kut (900B; two hours). Boats leave Ko Chang at 9:30am and noon; frequency has been known to change during high season, so check the website.
BY SPEEDBOAD -- Speedboats leave from Laem Ngop Pier on the mainland in Trat province and arrive at the piers on Ao Suan Yai and Ao Nid beaches in Koh Mak 50 minutes later; cost is 450B. If you’re staying on Ko Kut check with your resort to ask which pier is closest to the hotel, noting that the main pier is Ao Salad on the northeast side of the island. Boonsiri (www.boonsiriferry.com; tel. 085921-0111) runs a catamaran twice a day from Laem Sok to Ao Salad (500B; 90 minutes). Koh Kood Princess (www.kohkoodprincess.com; tel. 086126-7860) operates a 350B boat from Koh Kut to Trat once a day. The current schedule leaves Koh Kut at 10am and leaves Trat at 12:30pm. The 90-minute ride is free for children four-years or younger and half price for kids aged four to nine.
GETTING AROUND THE ISLANDS
On Ko Mak you can rent bikes (40B an hour) or motorbikes (200B per day) to zip from beach to beach. A hilly topography on Koh Kut makes cycling an arduous task so use the lack of traffic to master your motorbike skills. Bikes are available for 300B a day. Taxis should be booked via your hotel.
ORIENTATION FOR KO MAK
Only 16-square-kilometres (6-square-miles), Ko Mak is tiny. Ao Pra on the west is the best beach on the island, accessible by nearby hotels, like Cococape Resort. Ao Suan Yai is another lovely beach on the northwestern bay. You’ll see Ko Kham in the horizon (a private island, soon to be a resort).
There are no ATMs, so stock up on cash before arriving; hotels will sometimes change foreign currencies. There is a small health center near Ao Nid pier that can handle sunburns, scrapes, allergic reactions, and basic first-aid. A pin-head size police station is near the health center.
ORIENTATION FOR KOH KUT
During the low season, boats stop running and bungalow-type hotels board up for a few months. To give you an idea of how quaint Koh Kut is, imagine this: When the first ATM opened on the island in 2015, it was the talk of the town and locals lined up to see the machine in person. The ATM is near the hospital and is often out of cash, so be prepared with baht before arriving. A tiny hospital at Ban Khlong Mad takes care of basic first-aid. A police station is nearby.
Two waterfalls are easily reached with a short hike. Nam Tok Khlong Chao is the bigger and more popular and has a pool for swimming at the base. Nam Tok Khlong Yai Ki is other, smaller option and has a small pool.
