Koh Kradan: Thailand’s dream beach

Are you looking for long dream beaches and turquoise blue water in Thailand? Then you shouldn’t miss out on this island: Koh Kradan is a true paradise! In this article, I’ll tell you the best way to get to Koh Kradan and what you can experience there!

Like Koh Mook, Koh Kradan is part of the Had Chao Mai National Park in the Andaman Sea and is a mere two and a half square kilometers in size. The island is only 10 kilometers as the crow flies from the mainland in the south of Thailand and is also a popular excursion destination for locals.

Koh Kradan: One of the most beautiful beaches in the world

You read that right: Koh Kradan is home to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world! In any case, in 2016, the British daily newspaper “The Guardian” voted Koh Kradan one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world – and this has really raised Koh Kradan’s profile.

By the way, Koh Kradan is also known for its underwater weddings on Valentine’s Day, for which people willing to get married travel from all over Thailand.

Beaches on Koh Kradan

The famous Paradise Beach is located on the east coast of the island, where most of the resorts are located. Here you can snorkel straight away and explore the underwater world.

You will also find other good snorkeling opportunities in the southeast of the island. Simply walk south along Paradise Beach, past the ferry landing stage and the national park ranger base: there aren’t as many excursion boats at Ao Nieng Beach and there aren’t as many resorts as at Paradise Beach.

Sunset Beach is reached via a jungle path through the middle of the island to the west coast. You are supposed to be able to experience a great sunset here, but the beach itself is unfortunately a bit littered. On the way, you will also pass the Paradise Lost Bungalows*, the only low-budget resort on the island.

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Where to stay: The best resorts on Koh Kradan

You will only find a handful of accommodations on Koh Kradan. This is also reflected in the prices: in general, everything here is much more expensive than in other vacation regions of Thailand and the price-performance ratio for accommodation is also rather poor.

Koh Kradan Beach Resort

If you are looking for something solid, I can recommend the Koh Kradan Beach Resort . Most of the bungalows have a beach or sea view, are sturdily built and are also equipped with air conditioning for those who need it.

Unfortunately, the associated restaurant is not very good; the included breakfast is western-oriented and rather unkind. But these are basically compromises that you have to make on the very touristy island of Koh Kradan.

Koh Kradan Beach Resort Book Here*

Kalume’ Eco Boutique Resort

Very popular is Kalume’ Eco Boutique Resort*, a small resort run by Italians. The resort also includes an Italian restaurant that offers really good Italian cuisine from pizza to homemade pasta.

Whether this is really necessary on a remote little island in Thailand is probably a matter of taste. In view of the otherwise poor food situation on the island (most of the restaurants are not very good), it is certainly a good alternative. The complex is very beautiful and you’re sure to have a good time here if you’re one of the friends of the house whose memories adorn the beautifully decorated bar. Unfortunately, everyone else has a bit of a hard time and has to fight a bit for the favor of the service.

More comfortable, but then also more expensive, is The Sevenseas Resort* or Mali Kradan Resort*.

Koh Kradan or Koh Ngai?

Koh Kradan is really beautiful, but unfortunately now also anything but an insider tip. Sometimes the resort atmosphere gets a bit out of hand and among all the Western tourists, you sometimes forget that you are in Thailand. If you love Koh Samui or similar places in Thailand, you will still like it; for others, one or two nights are enough. (I belong to the latter group).

However, there is another island among the Trang Islands that is very similar to Koh Kradan and where you can spend a few relaxing days.

Koh Ngai is also a small island paradise: Car- and scooter-free, quiet and perfect for snorkeling and relaxing.

Here you can find my guide for Koh Ngai

If you don’t have much time and would prefer to choose an island, I would recommend Koh Ngai. Koh Ngai is somewhat less visited by day trippers than Koh Kradan and is therefore quieter.

In addition, there is a really great boutique accommodation here, the Coco Cottage*, which I liked much better than the similar Kalumé Beach Resort on Koh Kradan. Since there isn’t really much to do on either island, you do spend a fair amount of time in and around your resort, so it’s an advantage to find something pretty right away.

Journey to Koh Kradan

The nearest port on the mainland is Pak Meng Pier. From here boats depart regularly to Koh Kradan. The trip takes about 45 minutes.

In the high season from November to April, Koh Kradan is also on the speedboat route of all major ferry operators, which connects many islands in the Andaman Sea from Phuket via Koh Lanta down to Koh Lipe. The speedboats are often very crowded, noisy and relatively expensive, but also a good way to hop from island to island.

You can book tickets well in advance on 12go.asia*, e.g. for
Koh Lanta – Koh Kradan*
Phuket – Koh Kradan*
Koh Mook – Koh Kradan*

The nearest airport is Trang (TST). There are a few daily connections from Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok.

Check here direct flights from Bangkok (DMK) to Trang*.

You can also find out more about island hopping in this region in my big guide with lots of tips:

Island hopping in the southern Andaman Sea

Helpful tips for your stay on Koh Kradan

As on many small islands, you should have some cash with you. Credit cards are often accepted only with difficulty or not at all. ATMs and the ubiquitous 7Eleven stores in Thailand are not to be found here. Some resorts have small stores where you can stock up on necessities. But it’s best if you bring everything with you.

In any case, Koh Kradan will suit you well if you long for relaxation and tranquility!

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