Koh Mak and Koh Kood in Thailand: two islands far from the mass tourism of Phuket

Koh Mak, Koh Kood (or Koh Kut) and Koh Chang, three jewels set in the crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Thailand.

However, the last one, “Elephant Island”, turns out to be a victim of its own success and gradually loses its soul.

So much so that the Thais are annoyed:

The nocturnal and festive activity is intense there, the traffic complicated and the exploitation of the pachyderms raises questions.

Diverting to the serene and authentic

and

is a great option.

Go

It all starts at the Laem Sok pier in Trat, 350 kilometers from Bangkok.

From the Thai capital, it is first by air-conditioned bus that the long journey (6 hours) takes place to the ferries which serve the two islands.

In Bangkok, the majority of guesthouses offer the precious voucher.

For 850 baht (24 €), Boonsiri Ferry, the only operator to provide drop-off at Koh Mak, picks you up by taxi or tuk-tuk in front of your hotel and takes you to the bus that leaves from Khao San Road.

Departures are at dawn (5 a.m. and 7:30 a.m.).

If you want to save yourself this journey and save almost a day on your stay, you can take a domestic flight to Trat with Bangkok Airways in an hour (from 40 € one way).

This formula is practical on the return since the plane drops you off directly in Suvarnabhumi,

Bangkok International Terminal.

At Trat airport, Boonsiri has a counter and drops you off by van at the pier, allow another three hours by boat to Koh Mak.

If you opt for a stay on the two islands, plan two good weeks on site.

Koh Mak, the beautiful stranger

Koh Mak is still under the radar of tourist destinations.

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With only 800 French visitors in 2018 (

R), under the radar of tourist destinations, an islet seven kilometers long, bordered by sublime deserted white sand beaches.

The ferry drops you off at

, where many resorts pick you up free of charge.

There are very few cars on the island, apart from the few taxis and private vehicles that criss-cross it with caution.

Koh Mak is revealed on foot, by scooter or by bicycle.

Here, tourists are welcomed with kindness, but sparingly.

Unlike Koh Chang and Koh Kood, the territory is flat and easily lends itself to exploration on two wheels.

The roads are well maintained and allow you to criss-cross the island under the shaded foliage of the luxuriant jungle and under the remonstrances of the mynahs.

The heart of the activity is concentrated three kilometers from Ao Nid, the only port of arrival, along the beach of

 : resorts, bars, stalls, pharmacy, restaurants, fruit and vegetable stalls that give off their exotic scents to the wind.

On the island, the Smile Koh Mak Thai Cooking School is a must.

Four hours of initiation and tasting, which open onto the owner's garden.

Discovery of spices, their medicinal virtues and the fundamentals of Thai cuisine.

The school is a few hundred meters from the port, very close to the temple.

The package is 1200 baht (30 €).

Further north, a 10-minute drive away,

Beach is the starting point for

, the mystery island.

Kradad: the mysterious island and its 2000 deer on the beach

At the end of the 19th century, while the French insisted on this small islet, King Rama V of Thailand privatized it to establish his sovereignty and installed two pairs of deer there.

They would currently be more than 2000... Koh Kradad emerges to the northeast of Koh Mak, about fifteen minutes by

from Laem Son beach in Koh Mak.

To get there, negotiate the crossing with the fishermen on site for a few hundred bahts (400, 10 € per person).

No accommodation possible, the price includes a ride on two wheels, with driver, for a tour of the island and a few hours on its incredible beach.

Deer, not very shy, will not fail to come and greet you.

At table

In Koh Mak, for typical cuisine, it is at the

that it happens.

The last establishment in the lively area, along Ao Kao beach, is a small family canteen open on three walls with a charming decor.

The welcome is exceptional and the dishes concert.

Pok, its owner, fled Koh Chang

and provides a high-flying culinary score.

The chicken red curry will be long in your memory (

).

Where do we sleep?

The private beach of the Big Easy Resort in Koh Mak Jean-Michel Véry / Le Figaro

In terms of accommodation, the

is the right choice.

5 minutes walk from the shopping area by the beach, here is a very simple

of half a dozen bungalows with Thai architecture and decoration.

Red wood, identical parquet flooring, terrace with a bamboo hammock with sea view, bathroom in black Trat stone, fridge, air conditioning and private beach.

Paul, its owner, is English, he

and left the City for this little paradise.

Opt for bungalow n° 1, the view is inalienable (3000 bahts per night in a double room in high season, i.e. 90 €,

).

Koh Kood, the lush

The beaches have made the reputation of the island of Koh Kood, like Ao Phrao, in the south.

Jean-Michel Very / Le Figaro

Although a little busier than Koh Mak, its postcard beaches, its waterfalls, its century-old trees and its fishing villages remain easily accessible.

Because if Koh Kood (or Ko Kut) is one of the largest islands in the kingdom, it is also one of the least inhabited.

With its winding hills, it was not so long ago totally covered by tropical forest.

To get there, 45 minutes by ferry from Koh Mak (300 bahts/person, €9) or two hours from Trat pier (750 bahts/person, €22) for an arrival at the port of

, northeast of Koh Kood.

Resorts and restaurants are shared throughout the island, however, activity is concentrated in the north.

Allow about thirty minutes to cross the island by taxi (100 bahts, €3 per person) or by scooter (250 bahts per day, or €7, French license required).

The beaches have made the reputation of the island,

, in the south, or

, in the center, are the brilliant demonstration.

To the south-east, a guaranteed escape to the fishing village of

 : sidewalks and houses on stilts, colorful boats, repairing fishing nets, scaling fish, restaurants... Don't miss the viewpoint, two kilometers from the arrival, for a bird's eye view of the village.

At table

On the catering side, the offer is plethora.

For authentic cuisine, do not hesitate to try the little eateries along the road.

For a beautifully crafted Italian, near Bang Bao Beach,

, run by an expatriate from La Botte, will reconcile you with European cuisine (

).

Where do we sleep?

The massage area, Rest Sea beach, Koh Kood / Jean-Michel Véry / Le Figaro

To land, the

, at the southern end (Ao-Phrao-Beach), offers comfortable little villas with a terrace, some with a jacuzzi.

The resort is out of the way, twenty kilometers from the port and lively areas, but has a swimming pool, a restaurant and a private beach (6200 baht, €170/double room, for a Deluxe Pool Villa, restseakohkood. com

Soneva Kiri, a hidden paradise

Considered one of the 10 most beautiful leisure hotels in the world, this Robinson Crusoe-style luxury eco resort, located near the northwest of the island, is much more than that.

Soneva Kiri is nestled in a circular hillside above a superb bay lined with mangroves.

The forest is lush.

We call it the jungle.

The villas, because there are only villas here, are arranged either along the beach or on the heights dominating the bay.

The house slogan?

"No News, No Shoes", the tone is set.

From 800 euros per night.

To know

Avoid the monsoon from May to mid-October, the temperature remains mild (30°C) but you will be limited in your movements.

As proof, the ferry connection is closed on Koh Mak during this period.

Provide cash on

, the only cash dispenser (ATM) delivers its baht drop by drop and very randomly.

It's much the same on

where there are only 2 ATM.

In the same area as the hospital and the police station, opposite the main government buildings, there is a bank and an ATM (pink).

A second ATM can be found between the Sea Dog restaurant and BB Divers, at Klong Chao Beach itself.

Small precaution, it is not uncommon for dogs to be drowsy in the middle of the road, not aggressive, they are content to raise a baleful eye, borderline contemptuous, but will not move one iota.

Be careful after dark.

Finally, on the beaches, beware of the shade of palm trees to avoid the possible fall of a coconut...

When to go to Thailand?

Weather, festivities… The best period by region

National Tourist Office of Thailand, 90 Av. des Champs-Élysées, 75008 Paris.