Koh Kood (or Ko Kut), an exotic island in the Gulf of Thailand, is the perfect Thai tropical getaway without the typical crowd that such places are associated with. This unspoilt paradise has pristine beaches, beautiful waterfalls, lush greenery, amazing underwater life and friendly fishing villages. This island basically has something for everyone – you can soak the sun at the beaches, trek the waterfalls, explore the island, experience traditional Thai seafood & culture or laze around in your resort with some great food and drinks.
We spent a week in Koh Kood between the last week of December 2018 and first week of January 2019.
Here are, according to us, the 8 must visit attractions in Koh Kood for all kinds of travellers.
Klong Chao Beach: The most happening beach of Koh Kood. You can go for a dip in the clear waters, take a stroll in the sandy stretch, soak up some sun or sit in one of the big rocks at either ends of the beach. During high tides, this beach offers you some really big waves which you can use to surf. Our most favourite thing to do at this beach was to sit in one of the rocks and enjoy some drinks & snacks which we bought at a reasonable price from one of the mini-marts near the beach. Being the most popular beach in Koh Kood, there a lot of people who visit it compared to the other places in Koh Kood yet it is much less crowded than the popular beaches of Thailand. Since we went during the Christmas-New Year period, there were a lot of family crowd and picnickers on the beach but due to sheer size of the beach, it does not feel too crowded and everyone gets their own personal space for a quiet time.
Klong Chao Waterfall: Just like the beach, Klong Chao waterfall is the most popular out of the three waterfalls in Koh Kood. The two probable reasons of it being the most popular could be – one, it’s close proximity to Klong Chao Beach and two, the trek to this waterfall is the easiest as compared to the other two waterfalls in Koh Kood. It can get a little crowded because of it’s popularity but the trick is to go in the early hours to escape the crowd and have the waterfall to yourself. Once you reach the waterfall, you can go for a dip, jump into the water by swinging on a rope or just take a bath under the waterfall. Don’t worry if you don’t want to get wet, you can sit in one of the big rocks and enjoy the beautiful view and maybe, get some amazing clicks. There is no entrance but there is a donation box. Even though there are people sitting near the donation box and would probably ask you to donate, it is entirely voluntary.
Klong Yai Kee Waterfall: You need to trek down some steep steps (don’t worry, there are ropes to grab on both sides of the steps) to reach a wooden platform. From there you would need to climb a few difficult rocks to finally reach the waterfall. After this moderately strenuous trek, you can just jump into the cool water or you can just sit on a rock and dip your feet in the water. Even if you don’t want to try out the first option, you definitely do not want to miss out on the second one. Once you dip your feet in the water and stay still for a while, you will notice the fishes nibbling at your feet, so this basically looks like you’re getting a free pedicure (caution: please do not dip your feet if you have an open wound). The rock surface near the water is a little slippery so please be careful. There is no entrance fee or donation box.
Huang Nam Keaw Waterfall: Here comes the most dangerous of the three waterfalls in Koh Kood. The trek down is relatively easy compared to what is waiting for you next. The only path to reach the waterfall is through climbing and jumping from one boulder to another. It is very risky. We do not recommend families with children to climb the boulders. While the boulders near the water look dry, they have mud smeared over them which has got dry. So, once you step into the water and then step on the boulder, you have the risk of slipping, which happened to one of us. Being the most difficult one to reach, it is not at all crowded, at times you are the only one over there. We recommend you to not go here alone and always take someone to accompany you. Hope we did not scare you a lot as this is an amazing place to visit. It’s very beautiful, serene and peaceful. This waterfall is ideal for all the hardcore trekkers and adventure enthusiasts. Trust us, it’s worth a visit! No entrance fee here as well.
The Big Old Tree: On the way to Huang Nam Keaw waterfall, we stopped in the middle of the forest to see this big old tree which looked hundreds of years old. A very beautiful and serene place, the only sound are the leaves ruffling in the winds and birds chirping. It can be a little eerie but in a good way. The trees are a little difficult to locate but if you go with a local, he will surely take you. One clue of locating it is – look for the signboard which shows the way of Huang Nam Keaw Waterfall – the path to reach the tree is just beside.
Ao Salad Pier (Fishing Village): A fishing village which has turned into the most used public entry port into Koh Kood. Being commercialized into a pier, the fishing village has lost it’s rustic feel but nevertheless, it a beautiful place to visit. If you’re entering Koh Kood through Ao Salad, you will definitely not miss the giant Buddha statue on the pier. As we had booked a speedboat in and out of Koh Kood, we were not travelling through Ao Salad (where only ferries dock), so we planned a visit here to experience this pier/fishing village. If you’re going out of Koh Kood through ferry, you can reach this place a little early and explore it. Otherwise, you can plan a tour to visit it like us. There is an amazing viewpoint over here, which looks like a traditional temple and gives an amazing view of the entire pier. We had lunch at Captain Nhong Seafood. The food and the view were amazing so it is totally recommended if you’re here.
Ao Yai Fishing Village: The best place that we have visited in Koh Kood. From the views to the stilted walk boards, from the authentic Thai cuisine to the fresh seafood, Ao Yai is a traveller’s delight. On the way to the fishing village, do not forget to stopover at the Ao Yai viewpoint which gives you the most picturesque view of an authentic fishing village protruding out of the island landmass into the sea. The village is spread over 500 metres and built entirely on stilts. The colourful houses on the blue sea is a visual treat. The locals in the fishing village are very friendly and apart from fishing, their another way of income is food. There are numerous places to eat as soon as you enter the village. After lots of difficulty in choosing where to lunch, we finally decided to eat at Noochy Seafood. If you visit this restaurant, make sure you sit in the outdoor seating area beside the ocean which makes your dining experience spectacular. The food at Noochy is delicious and the staff are very friendly. It’s surprising to see how a fishing village set in a remote island has evolved to fuse traditional tastes with modern tourism needs.
Bang Bao Bay: This is our favourite place on Koh Kood and also this is where we stayed. The calm of the bay is a contrast to the rough ocean lying just beyond it. Everyday, the sun sets perfectly at the centre of the bay into the ocean which makes it one of the most beautiful places to see sunset at Koh Kood. The water is so calm and clear that you can see fishes just by walking into the ocean without the need of any snorkelling gear. Bang Bao Bay has few of the best resorts of Koh Kood lined up one after the other. We stayed at the Koh Kood Resort which itself was a very satisfying experience and would be covered in a future blog. This turned out to be the most relaxing place of our trip to Koh Kood.
We stayed at Bang Bao Bay and covered all the other places over 2 days. There are only two options to travel in Koh Kood – hire a bike or rent a taxi. To hire a bike, you would need to shell out THB 350-400 per day but we would suggest it only if you are a pro in driving a bike and have proper road maps around Koh Kood. It is such a massive island and it is easy to get lost. Also, there are a lot of uphill and downhill roads so if you are not very pro at driving bikes, please do not attempt it here. The daily rent for a taxi varies from hotel to hotel so you can ask your hotel to help you book one or you can email us and we can give you the contact details of the taxi driver that we went with. He was very helpful and took us to all the places we asked him to.
If you are visiting Koh Kood and need any help booking your speedboat/ferry, hotels in Koh Kood/Trat, car rides to/from pier, you can get in touch with us and we will help you with the bookings.
Also Read Our Blog: Quick Guide: Traveling From Bangkok To Koh Kood (Ko Kut)
Also Read Our Blog: What You Should Do When You Are In Koh Lipe?
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