Relatively untouched but easily explored, Koh Mak had always been an island that was in the back of our head. Well ever since we heard about it at least. We always managed to ignore it for other destinations though like Koh Lipe or other islands in the south.

Then, come mid-December 2018, we finally decided it was time. Time to see what the fuss was all about and why it was considered one of Thailand’s top island.

Now as there are plenty of guides out there and we only stayed for 2 days, we can’t even contemplate giving you whatever sort of travel advice for Koh Mak. So here’s what we did and what we learned from our short trip.

Day 1 – relax, drinks with a sunset view

After such a long journey (5 hour drive and 1-hour ferry ride), we didn’t really want to do any exploring or hectic activities. We checked in to our hotel – Makathanee resort and simply chilled around here. As it also turned out, our hotel has a very nice “rooftop” bar, so we decided to check it out. They have a happy hour from 3 pm – 5 pm where you can buy 1 and get 1 free cocktail and beers. Drinks with a gorgeous view!

Naturally, we had to take them up on this awesome deal. However, I wish that the happy hour extended until 6 or even 7, which is when the sun actually starts to set.

Another popular spot for a beautiful sunset view (with food/drinks) is Banana sunset bar. We did go here on day 2 but later in the evening, way past sunset time.

Day 2 – adventure is out there

Kayaking to Koh Kham

We heard about this island from a friend of ours and he mentioned it is a great idea to kayak there from Koh Mak. We could see Koh Kham directly in front of us.

It was probably around 1 km away. Since we had come early morning, the tide was kind of strong so we just relaxed at Ao Soun Yai Beach until the tide dissipated. By 11 am, it seemed calm enough.

It had been a while since we both had done some kayaking so it was a bit challenging. At first. We quickly got the hang of it and within 20 minutes we were on this absolutely gorgeous, breathtaking island.

We had to pay 200 Baht per person since it is privately owned. You get one complimentary soft drink though. All worth it, however, since the island is the personification of all islands. Palm trees, white powdery sand, and water of varying shades of blue and green. It was hard to believe we were actually here!

There is a resort here but it seems to be deserted or incomplete. In any case, you can’t stay the night on Koh Kham. Also, you won’t find much to do here either except sunbathe, swim, kayak around or snorkel.

Piers, piers, piers

While waiting to go for our kayak ride to Koh Kham, we noticed on the local map that there were a lot of piers on Koh Mak. Much like how we like to chase waterfalls, we thought it would be cool to see all the piers. While we did miss a few, here all the ones we managed to visit.

Pier @ Ao Soun Yai Beach

Pier with a bar (blue pearl) in front of Cococape Resort

Cinnamon Scenic Boardwalk @ the Cinnamon Art Resort

This was by the far the most impressive one as it extends out about a kilometer into the sea. The water is actually pretty shallow and on low tide, you could actually walk along the pier in the water if you like. We saw lots of fish here and corals. It’s an interesting place to visit for sure.

A broken pier next to the main pier @ Ao Nid

Pier in front of Makathanee resort (where we stayed)

A night out on the town

On our second night, it was time to experience the “nightlife” of Koh Mak. While the island is not known for it, we manage to find one or two venues that kept us out. First was the banana sunset bar, known for its sunset views, yummy drinks and delicious Khmer food.

After that, we came across a little local bar that recently opened. It is called Cbar. If you follow the road east from Makathanee resort, you can’t miss it. 

Cbar is open till 2 am and it is full of locals. They serve cocktails, beers, and snacks at extremely reasonable prices. Music? Whatever you want as there is a laptop plugged to the speakers, ready for your requests. We spent a good amount of time here meeting new people and having a few drinks.

Other bars you can check out are:

• Cafe Del Mak
• Monkey Bar
• Koh Mak Sports Bar

How to explore the island

Koh Mak is not a big island unlike Koh Chang or Koh Samui so it is not difficult to explore the entire island in just a few days. You could surely see and experience everything properly in less than a week and the best way to do so is by renting a motorbike. It costs between 300-400 THB per day and gas costs 40 THB per liter.

Now we still don’t know how to ride a motorbike so we just used the songthaews (the local taxis) and it would cost us 50 THB/person/trip. Now it did add up but never over 400/day which is the same as renting a motorbike. It was also safer for us because were we to have an accident, it would not just cost us more but also ruin our trip. Better safe than sorry. Also, some resorts/restaurants/hotels will cover your ride if you call ahead and dine with them. For example, Banana sunset bar covered the cost for both ways.

We also learned that you can rent a bicycle. The hills aren’t bad in Koh Mak, so as long as you are the least bit fit, you can bike around the island. Having said that, it is better to opt for the best mountain bikes you can find because anything without gears will make riding up those hills very difficult. Some good mountain bikes can be found at Koh Mak information and bike rental shop.

We would have done this if we had more time. Looking back, we wish we stayed another day or two in Koh Mak. There is so much more to see and do here. 2 days were definitely not enough.