Koh Kood Island Hopping: Routes from Koh Mak & Koh Chang (2026)

Featured image: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Koh Kood island hopping: the short answer

Two things get called island hopping here. One is moving between the Trat islands by boat. The other is a day trip from Koh Kood to reefs and small islets. We'd plan both, but in that order of importance. Our pick for most travelers is Koh Chang, Koh Mak, then Koh Kood, with at least 4 nights on Koh Kood itself. Operators list the Koh Mak to Koh Kood boat at about 30 minutes and ฿500. Treat every fare in this guide as a lead to confirm on the operator's own timetable. Coming from the capital? Our Bangkok to Koh Kood guide covers the long first leg.

Which kind of island hopping do you want?

Pick one of three styles before you book anything. Each trades boat legs against time on the sand.

• Trat chain: Koh Chang, Koh Mak and Koh Kood in one trip. It suits travelers with 7 nights or more and light luggage.
• Snorkel day trips: base on Koh Kood and join a boat to Koh Rang Marine Park or the small islets nearby. Most of these tours are run by resorts and dive shops, not by independent hop-on operators.
• Base and explore: one beach, one scooter, no inter-island boats. It suits short trips and anyone who needs a fixed schedule.

Best route order: Koh Chang, Koh Mak, Koh Kood

We'd end on Koh Kood. Boat legs are fewest that way, and the quietest island gets your longest stay. Koh Chang to Koh Kood is listed at about 1.5 hours on a Boonsiri island hopper, and that service runs in high season only. If the direct boat is not running, go via Koh Mak. A reverse route puts the long mainland leg at the end of the trip, where a missed boat costs you a flight or bus. Our table compares the three options.

Boats between the islands and from the mainland

Everyone reaches Koh Kood by boat at Ao Salad Pier. Mainland boats leave Laem Sok Pier, about 30 km south of Trat town. The crossing takes about 1 hour, and operator listings in October 2026 show ฿600 one way. Boonsiri and Koh Kood Express both run it. The ticket normally includes the pickup truck to your resort, so ask before you pay. Bangkok bus-and-boat packages start from ฿1,100 and take 7 to 8 hours. Our ferry timetables and fares guide goes deeper on schedules. For the full mainland route, see how to reach the island. A Koh Mak hotel typically arranges the transfer to Ao Nid pier, so confirm that when you book.

• Late arrivals: one traveler reported the pier transfer was not included on an afternoon ticket, at ฿200 to ฿300 extra.
• Buffer rule: if your bus lands in Trat after the last morning boat, we'd sleep in Trat and sail the next day.
• Slow versus fast boats: older posts list ฿350 and ฿500 fares. Newer listings show ฿600, so verify.

When island hopping works: a season-by-season calendar

Season decides whether a hop exists at all. One competitor says hops drop to a single daily boat or stop between June and September. Another says Boonsiri keeps at least one daily service even then. Those claims conflict, so check the current timetable. For weather context, the Thai Meteorological Department forecasts are the official source. Our best time to visit guide covers the beaches month by month. Sources list highs of 27 to 29°C in the cool months and 33 to 35°C in April.

Snorkeling and day trips from Bang Bao

The reefs near Koh Kood are decent. For better water, join a day trip to Koh Rang Marine Park. One source says those trips leave from Bang Bao in the morning and return in the late afternoon. Another puts the island about an hour away by boat. The park fee is around ฿400, paid in cash on the boat. Verify it before you go. Many tours add small islets off Koh Kood. Ask your resort which ones its boat visits, since this is mostly resort-run. For local half-day snorkel trips, sources list ฿800 to ฿1,200, and one dive shop quotes ฿1,000 for about 6 hours. One 2025 report described coral bleaching around Koh Rang, so ask operators about current reef conditions. Sheltered Bang Bao is also the easiest departure point if you stay there.

Pick a base beach for your hopping style

You Don't need a beach list. Match the base to how you travel. We keep depth in our Koh Kood beaches guide.

• Klong Chao: the most services, plus kayaks to the waterfall. A kayak takes about 45 minutes one way. Best for first-timers.
• Bang Bao: sheltered bay and snorkel departures. Best for families and snorkelers.
• Ao Tapao: quiet and shallow for a long way out. Best for weak swimmers.
• Ao Phrao: south coast and the quietest of the big beaches. Best for quiet-seekers, about 25 minutes by scooter from Klong Chao.

Sample 4-, 5- and 7-night plans

These are skeletons. We have not priced them, because operator fares change. Our where to stay guide helps you pick rooms once the boats are fixed.

• 4 nights: Koh Kood only. Fly or bus into Trat, sleep nearby if needed, then cross on a morning boat.
• 5 nights: 1 night on Koh Mak, then 4 on Koh Kood via the 30-minute hop.
• 7 nights: 2 nights on Koh Chang, 2 on Koh Mak, 3 on Koh Kood. Move on morning boats only.

Costs and cash to plan for

Bring cash. One source says ATMs sit in Klong Hin Dam and Klong Chao but occasionally run dry in peak season. Park fees and many small bungalows are cash only. Scooter rental runs about ฿150 to ฿350 per day across sources. Songthaews are not metered and are scarcer in low season. Agree the fare first. Our getting around Koh Kood guide covers the choice. Budget a day for Bang Bao snorkel departures, because the pickup is early. A mid-range snorkel trip plus a ฿600 boat can eat a day's budget quickly.

Mistakes to avoid and a safety check

Most trouble comes from tight connections. Don't book a same-day flight after leaving the island. Don't count on a direct Koh Chang boat in the rainy season. Don't assume cards work. On safety, one source says Thailand's land border crossings with Cambodia have closed since mid-2025. It also cites UK advice against all but essential travel within 20 km of the land border. The island itself is not named in that advice, but this is a competitor claim. Check your own government's current advisory and insurance before you book.

Verdict: who should and should not hop

We'd hop if you have 7 nights or more, light bags, and travel from November to February. Skip it if you have fewer than 4 nights, travel in the rainy season, carry heavy luggage, or need a fixed schedule. Base on one beach instead. If you're still deciding, read whether Koh Kood is worth visiting. Once boats are booked, things to do on Koh Kood fills the days.