Koh Kood travel guide: Everything you need to know in 2024
Koh Kood (also called Koh Kut) was one of my favourite places I visited during my month long trip to Thailand, I couldn’t believe how many beautiful beaches there were with hardly any tourists on them.
In this Koh Kood travel guide, I’ll cover everything you need to know the plan the perfect trip to the island, including how to get there, how to get around, the best time to go and where to stay, eat and explore.
Where is Koh Kood?
Koh Kood is in Eastern Thailand, close to the Cambodian border.
It’s located in the Gulf of Thailand – a shallow inlet in the western Pacific Ocean, and part of the Trat province.
How do you get to Koh Kood?
There’s no airport on Koh Kood, so you’ll need to take a boat to the island, but even though it might be a bit harder to reach than some other places in Thailand, it’s so worth the journey.
If you’re travelling to Koh Kood from Bangkok, you have two options for getting here:
FLIGHT + boat
Fly from Bangkok to Trat Airport (1 hour + 2 hours in the airport before), then take a taxi or a shuttle to Laem Sok Pier (50 minutes), followed by a ferry to Koh Kood (1-2 hours).
Total journey time: 6 hours
Cost: £90
bus + boat (recommended)
You can take a bus from Bangkok to Laem Sok Pier, followed by a ferry to Koh Kood.
Total journey time: 9.5 hours
Cost: £26
I’d recommend travelling by bus and boat even though it takes longer. The ticket is sold as a package, meaning you’re picked up in Bangkok, driven onto the boat and then dropped at your hotel on the other side.
All of your connections are guaranteed so there’s no need to worry about missing the ferry if your flight’s delayed.
Plus, you’ll save yourself over £60, so it’s a win win.
How far is Koh Kood from Koh Chang?
Koh Kood is around 1 hour and 30 minutes from Koh Chang on the ferry, so it’s really easy to visit them both.
I took a Boonsiri ferry from Bang Bao pier in Koh Chang to Ao Salad Pier on Koh Kood and I was really impressed with the service, everything ran very efficiently and the crossing was really smooth.
I booked my ticket with 12Go – a site that compares the different routes and finds you the best price available. It’s really easy to use and meant I saved a lot of money throughout my month in Thailand.
How to get around Koh Kood
The best way to get around Koh Kood is to by motorbike, which gives you complete freedom to visit more remote parts of the island, and stop where you like along the way.
There’s motorbike rental shops all over the island, so you’ll have no issue finding one close to where you’re staying, but I’d recommend doing some research and checking the reviews first, as each place will have different standards for safety and bike quality.
Expect to pay around 300 THB/£6.50 per day for motorbike hire.
When’s the best time to visit Koh Kood?
The best time to visit Koh Kood is between November and February, when its the islands dry season.
During these months, rainfall should be minimal, and you can expect temperatures of around 30° during the day.
November – February is also when you’ll find more frequent ferry crossings, making it much easier to reach the island.
How many days do you need in Koh Kood?
Because it takes such a long time to get here, I’d recommend spending at least 3 full days in Koh Kood for the journey to feel worth it.
In 3 days you can explore the majority of the beaches across the island, enjoy the waterfalls, visit the fishing village, and most importantly, have some time to relax.
If you have time, I’d really recommend setting aside 10 days in your Thailand itinerary to visit Koh Chang, Koh Kood and Koh Mak. They’re located really close to each other and ferries run regularly, so it’s very easy to hop between them.
All 3 of these islands are away from the typical tourist trail and offer incredible scenery without the crowds.
Things to do in Koh Kood
Koh Kood isn’t an island with endless activities and excursions, it’s a relatively untouched slice of paradise with incredible beaches, and it’s the perfect place to relax and unwind.
Ao Yai fisherman village
This traditional village on the South East of the island is built on stilts above the water, and is home to a number of seafood restaurants selling fresh fish caught by the locals who live there.
Scuba diving & snorkelling
Koh Kood has a number of incredible dive sites full of rich marine life, making it the ideal place for both beginners and certified divers.
If you’re interested in getting your PADI whilst you’re here, I’d recommend Koh Kood Divers – they’re a fully accredited PADI diving centre with exceptional reviews.
Kayak in the mangroves
You’ll find rivers with mangroves across the island, making it the perfect place to hire a kayak and go exploring.
Our hotel, A La Koh Kood, actually backed onto mangroves and had free kayaks available to use, which is one of the main reason I booked it – it was such a fun experience.
Swim in the waterfalls
There’s 3 waterfalls in Koh Kood – Khlong Chao, Khlong Yai Kee, and Huang Khiao.
Khlong Chao Waterfall is the most popular and has a deep pool at the bottom perfect for a dip.
Koh Kood best beaches
Koh Kood has so many beautiful beaches to explore, and the most beautiful ones are located on the West of the island, which is also very handy for watching the sunset.
BANG BAO BEACH
It was Bang Bao beach that actually made me want to visit Koh Kood after I saw a video of it on Instagram, and it was even more incredible in real life.
Even by mid morning the beach was still relatively empty, I couldn’t believe that somewhere this beautiful wasn’t swarming with tourists.
The water stays shallow for a really long time, we had to actually walk quite far out before we could swim, so it’s a great beach if you’re not very confident in the water, or if you’re travelling with children.
There’s a few resorts and bars scattered along Bang Bao Beach – head to Hidden Gem by Monkey bar in the evening to watch the sunset.
AO NOI BEACH
Ao Noi Beach was my second favourite beach on Koh Kood, but frustratingly it’s only accessible through the Ao Noi Resort.
There are no private beaches in Thailand and it’s actually illegal for resorts to claim a beach belongs to them so it’s very annoying when this happens.
As you turn onto the road to the resort there’s a sign letting you know that it’s only for hotel guests, but we just ignored it and went down anyway.
We had to walk through the resort to get to the beach but no one stopped us from doing it, so I’m sure you’ll be fine if you want to do the same.
KhLONG HIN BEACH
Our hotel backed onto Khlong Hin beach so we spent a lot of time here. It’s a wide sandy beach lined with palm trees, and it remains fairly quiet as it’s only accessible through the resorts.
The only places to eat here are the resorts and the service is quite hit and miss, so I’d recommend coming here for a dip and then heading for food elsewhere.
Where to stay in Koh Kood
££££: Soneva Kiri. Soneva is one of the worlds leading luxury hotel brands, and rooms at their Koh Kood location start at £900 per night. Although they can’t really be described as rooms, as each of their sprawling villas has a private pool, multiple balconies, an outdoor bathroom, and some even have their own gyms.
£££: High Season is located on Klong Chao Beach and consists only of spacious villas with private pools, some with direct beach access. There’s also a main swimming pool, spa, fitness centre and a restaurant. This property gets brilliant reviews, especially for its location.
£££: Hideout Koh Kood. Located just a short walk from Khlong Hin Beach, this hotel is newly opened so everything is in pristine condition. They offer a range of villas with a neutral and contemporary design, some with private pools and direct beach access. The resort also has a large swimming pool, a restaurant and a bar.
£££: Shantaa Resort. This hotel is located near to Ao Tapao beach and offers villas and bungalows, all with balconies. Some have outdoor baths and spacious terraces, and this property gets exceptional reviews, especially for cleanliness and comfort.
££: A La Koh Kood is where I stayed, and I booked it mainly because of its unique location amongst the mangroves. It has direct access to Khlong Hin beach, and free kayaks available to use during your stay, perfect for exploring the coastline. The rooms are basic but comfortable with balconies overlooking the mangroves.
Is it worth visiting Koh Kood?
I imagine its the journey to Koh Kood that has you questioning whether it’s even worth it, but I promise you it is.
It was one of my favourite places I visited during my month in Thailand, I couldn’t believe how many beautiful beaches there were with hardly any people on them. I found myself waiting for the crowds to arrive, but they never did.
This definitely isn’t a party island, so if that’s what you’re searching for, it won’t be for you. But it’s relaxed vibe is exactly what I loved about it – it genuinely feels like a slice of paradise.
Koh Kood seems to offer a glimpse of what Thailand was like before mass tourism swept the country, and I imagine it won’t be much longer before it becomes really popular, so I’d recommend visiting sooner rather than later.
