THE BEST THINGS TO DO ON KOH KOOD, THAILAND (2024)
Compared to many of the other countries that I have traveled around, there is no denying that Thailand is a hotspot filled with first time solo travelers and backpackers, families with children of all ages, older couples, and everyone in between.
The crowds can seem hard to escape a lot of the time-though I have to remember that I am a tourist as well-but if you are looking for the silence, Koh Kood (known also as Koh Kut) serves as a quieter, lesser known oasis to the east right along the Cambodian border.
Ao Tapao Beach, Koh Kood
I met so many kind people as I spent my slow days on the island, and one woman had began to tell me stories of her life and travels in and throughout Thailand, explaining how present day Koh Kood looks almost the same as all of the country did 20+ years ago. If any of those factors sound convincing, Koh Kood might be your place.
Though it is way more chilled out, there is still plenty of things to do! I write about them below, along with listing the best beaches and waterfalls. Enjoy.
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KOH KOOD OVERVIEW
Koh Kood is only reachable by boat.
Motorbikes are essential for getting around-rentals are cheap and extremely easy to come by anywhere on the island.
There are no large supermarkets, just loads of smaller family run markets, stands and little restaurants that will have all that you need.
Mostly only cash is used on the island, but there are a couple of ATMs so you shouldn’t worry.
No matter where you stay on the island, there will be little shuttles to take everyone to their accommodation upon arrival.
Life moves slow on the island and you’re simply not allowed to rush or live on any time except for island time.
BEACH HOPPING
When planning a Thailand vacation, Koh Kood’s biggest draw for bringing in visitors is undoubtedly the wide-stretching white sand beaches with some of the clearest blue water that you will see.
Most beaches on Koh Kood will have at least one beach bar and some resorts style bungalows, set along the sand unless you venture down to the coast line off a beaten path. The resorts and guests were never a bother on any of the beaches, there was no lack of peaceful beach runs during my time on the island at all.
THE BEST BEACHES ON KOH KOOD:
1. Ao Tapao 2. Bang Bao
3. Khlong Chao 4. Ao Noi
5. Ao Phrao
WATERFALL HOPPING
If you enjoy the beach but want the occasional switch up, after getting out of the clear turquoise ocean water, hop on your bike to one of the three waterfalls on the island and hop in the clear turquoise water there instead. Koh Kood’s 3 main waterfalls are:
Klong Chao (Main Falls)
Klong Yai Kee
Huang Nam Keaw
All of the waterfalls are easily accessible by foot after parking your bike at the trail head.
LEARN TO RIDE/PRACTICE YOUR MOTORBIKE SKILLS
With the entire island using motorbikes to get around, it might seem intimidating knowing the classic Thailand traffic-but Koh Kood is a great, and arguably the best place to learn to drive and get comfortable on a motorbike.
With long stretches of rural island roads, quiet streets and a smaller population, there may not be better circumstances to learn under-especially if you want to drive a bike in other places around Southeast Asia. With such little pressure it is low-key crucial to learn this way before anything else.
Again it is hard to not come across a motorbike for rent, and almost, if not all, accommodation options will have a little deal with a rental company to be the middle man in getting you a bike when you arrive.
Bikes on the island will cost from ฿150-200/day (approx. $4.25-$5.75) depending on the bike and where you rent from.
The most common bike on Koh Kood is the Honda Wave, with the Honda Click being a close second.
There are a couple stand alone self-service gas pumps on the island, but the most common and cheapest way to fill up is by buying a large plastic water bottle filled with gasoline at almost any of the little family markets. One bottle will cost you about ฿40 ($1.15 USD) (as of January 2024).
Foreigners traveling to Thailand to rent motorbikes just to evidently crash them with no travel insurance seems to really be a tale as old as time-it is actually pretty impossible to meet any young backpackers that doesn’t have at least one story about either them or someone that they know wrecking a bike with no insurance-Thailand and Bali are usually the main suspects. I very strongly recommend using SafetyWing insurance while traveling, it is by far the most popular option among travelers for very good reason.
Inexpensive, trustworthy, and quick, you can buy your SafetyWing insurance plan HERE.
MEET LOCALS AND LEARN ABOUT LIFE ON KOH KOOD
On most of the other more notable and more visited Thai islands, it is going to be hard to see the real island life lived by the locals away from all of the surf shops, trendy cafes, and beach bars.
Stop at the small family run markets and fruit stands, buy some meals and smoothies and talk with the population to learn more about them-Thai people are so unbelievably kind and will always engage in a fun conversation despite what language barrier might stand in the middle.
If you’re willing to stay outside of the resorts stay at a little family run guesthouse, get to know them, and appreciate them. Not only will you get fabulous home cooked meals and fun interesting stories, you will also get the exposure and experience of the culture-the best souvenir that you can pick up while traveling.
STARGAZE UNDER THE NIGHT SKY
After watching sunset on any of the west side beaches, it might be hard to think that anything else can compete, until you look up at the dark sky and see the insanity that is the shining Milky Way above you, the kind of night sky that you will remember for tens of years to come.
A Koh Kood Sunset, Ao Noi Beach
THINKING OF TRAVELING TO KOH KOOD? DO IT.
HERE ARE ALL OF THE RESOURCES I USE TO PLAN MY TRIPS:
FLIGHTS AND ACCOMMODATION: BOOKING.COM IS WHAT I WILL ALWAYS USE TO BOOK FLIGHTS AND STAYS. NEVER DONE ME WRONG.
TOURS, DRIVERS, AND ALL THAT FUN STUFF: VIATOR IS MY GO-TO.
TRAVEL INSURANCE: SAFETYWING HAS ALWAYS BEEN FABULOUS. THE BEST EVER.
RENTAL CARS: WHEN BOOKING ANY TRIP THAT YOU DECIDE TO RENT A CAR FOR, BOOKING.COM IS FABULOUS LIKE ALWAYS.
