Thailand is well-known for its fabulous white beaches and wild party islands. But we actually came to Thailand not to get wild but to find some peace and a relaxing getaway after we finished our Motorcycle trip from Cambodia to Vietnam and prepare for our backpacking trip in India.
A place where you can find peace and serenity in a very touristic country is no other than in its unfamiliar places. By googling “unspoiled islands in Thailand“, we found this island called Koh Kood. And yeah, the website was absolutely right
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THE ISLAND EXPERIENCE
Koh Kood (or Koh Kut) is an island in Trat Province in the Gulf of Thailand and the easternmost island before Cambodia.
There’s no better way to wander around the island but by motorcycle. And you really have to get one! For there is not a lot of public transportation on the island (I don’t even remember if there was one)
It was the rainy season when we got to visit Koh Kood but the beaches were still gorgeous. The sands are fine white and the water was very clear. I think all the beaches on the island were amazing, but the 2 beaches that we frequently visit were Klong Chao Beach and Klong Hin Beach
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THE BEACHES
Klong Chao Beach is about 800 meters wide stretch beach with white fine sand. It’s the most popular beach on the island yet it’s not even crowded.
Photos may not have many colors but their beauty still shows.
Klong Hin Beach is a hidden beach located southwest of the island. You have to go through Klong Hin Beach Resort to see the beach, anyone is free to get in the said resort.
NOTE: Beware of beach sandflies! Dab some coconut oil to prevent itchy sandfly bites!
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THE WATERFALLS
There are also three (3) waterfalls you must see in Koh Kood: Klong Chao Waterfalls, Huang Nam Kaew Waterfalls, and Klong Yai Kee Waterfalls.
Klong Chao Waterfalls is the most popular waterfall in Koh Kood. We’re not quite sure if you could swim in all the three waterfalls though, for the current was very strong when we got there. But during summer, people are allowed to swim in Klong Chao waterfalls.
Huan Nam Kaew Waterfalls is our favorite! And although I hate long walks, I kind of enjoyed hiking few kilometers through the forest and climbing down rocks to reach the waterfalls. Nature was just amazing!
Klong Yai Kee Waterfalls was good but nothing special compared to Huang Nam Kaew and climbing down to reach the waterfalls was through a man-made stairway (ugh!)
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THE BEST HANG OUT
On our first night, we tried to check out some places where we could chill and have a couple of beers, and we ended up knowing this awesome local reggae place, called Tawan Eco Bar (THE BEST BAR IN KOH KOOD!)
Jong, the owner of the said bar is a very cool guy. He let’s his guests make their own drinks, pay and get their own change in the cashier, while he plays some nice music with his guitar together with his harmonica and a tambourine under his foot. We hang out at his bar every night since then.
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Booking.comSQUID FISHING
One of the highlights of our trip was when a German couple we met on our second night at Tawan Eco Bar, invited us to go on squid fishing with them and Jhong at the other side of Klong Hin Beach. The place was secluded and so amazing!
Jong frequently invites his guests to go on squid fishing with him, he provides all the fishing gear for free! (you really have to visit his bar and meet him!). After we caught some squids, Jhong cooked it himself and invited us for dinner at his bar.
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THE BEST PLACE TO EAT
The German couple got into squid fishing that they go fish squids every day while in Koh Kood! After fishing, they always head to the Fisherman Village to have it cooked.
The Fisherman Village is located southeast of the island, near Ao Yin Port. You could also pick fresh live seafood and have it cooked to your choice at a very affordable price.
A very cool spot in the Fisherman Village is at Chonthicha Seafood Restaurant. It has a quiet and relaxing vibe.
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THE BEST MASSAGE
On our last night, we had a Thai massage at D & Y Massage for ฿300 (bargained from ฿350).
As an Asian, I had a lot of massages in my life for it was fairly cheap in the Philippines. But this is by far the best massage I have ever had! They really know where to hit the right spots! The owner has been giving massages for almost 20 years now!
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THE AWESOME SUNSETS
Even though it was the rainy season, every sunset each day in any part of the Island was unexpectedly amazing!
HOW TO GET TO KOH KOOD
SKIP THE EXPENSIVE TRAVEL AGENCIES AND FOLLOW THESE EASY STEPS!
1. From Bangkok, take a taxi going to the Eastern Terminal (Ekkamai Bus Terminal). Pay the taxi not more than ฿200. The earliest bus leaves at 5:00 am, better leave Bangkok at 4:00 am.
2. At the bus station, take a bus going to Trat – Laem Ngop. The bus company, Cherdchai Tour has the earliest bus and cheapest fare going to Trat, ฿236 for one way. We bought two-way for ฿223/ticket. You can use the return ticket any day you would want to return to Bangkok. The bus trip takes 5-6 hours.
3. At Trat Bus Terminal, purchase a boat ticket going to Koh Kood (Koh Kood Princess – Ninmangkorn Boat) which only costs ฿350. The shuttle from the bus station to Trat Port and also the shuttle from Koh Kood Port to your hotel are all included in your boat ticket. We also purchased a return boat ticket, where you could also use any day you want. The boat from Koh Kood back to Trat leaves at 10:00 am.
Note: There is only one (1) ATM on the island, so it’s better to bring enough money for the whole trip!
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To summarize everything up, you could also check out this cool video of Koh Kood by TravelizeYourLife:
