The Essential Guide to Koh Adang: Thailand’s Secret Island Paradise (2024)

Koh Adang is a truly magical place. Long, white sand beaches. A wild jungle interior. Crystal clear water with incredible coral and marine life. And best of all, it’s peaceful and serene.  

Koh Adang greatly exceeded our expectations (which were pretty high to begin with). So much so that we ended up staying longer than anticipated and are already talking about our next trip back. 

Ready to see for yourself? Read on for our complete guide to Koh Adang, Thailand’s secret island paradise.

Koh Adang: Overview

Koh Adang is an undeveloped island with basic facilities, but that’s what makes it so special. There’s absolutely no mass tourism and no crowds. As we discovered in our travels, many people don’t know about Koh Adang. It’s a secluded piece of paradise and we really hope it stays that way! 

If you’re a lover of the outdoors and enjoy staying in a quiet and rustic setting with very few people around, then this is the perfect place for you.

Where is Koh Adang?

Koh Adang is an island located within Tarutao National Marine Park, off the coast of Satun province in the Andaman Sea. This is as far south Thailand as you can get. In fact, you’re so far south, you’re pretty much in Malaysia. 

Tarutao National Marine Park is comprised of 53 different islands scattered through the south Andaman. Koh Adang is the second-largest island within Tarutao Park, spanning 6 km long and 5 km wide. Most of that space is pure, dense, uninhabited jungle. 

Koh Adang is 500 metres, and a 10-minute long-tail boat ride, from the much better-known (and extremely popular) Koh Lipe. 

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How to Get to Koh Adang

We’ll be honest with you, getting to Koh Adang takes a bit of effort. When I first stumbled upon it and told Zandy I wanted to go, the first thing he said after looking at the map was, ‘that looks like a pain in the ass to get to’. 

Yes, but that’s also what makes it so special! 

Getting to Koh Adang involves a number of steps, including making your way to Koh Lipe. Let’s break it down. 

1. First, you need to get to Hat Yai.

To get to Hat Yai, you can either fly (easy, fast, albeit somewhat expensive), or you can take a bus or a train. 

Flying to Hat Yai

There are multiple flights from Bangkok to Hat Yai daily. The trip is 1.5 hours and can cost anywhere from 800 – 2,500 THB. We booked ours very last minute and paid 2,240 THB each, including 20kg of luggage.

The easiest way to find cheap flights to Hat Yai is through Skyscanner.

Bus to Hat Yai

There are multiple buses from Bangkok to Hat Yai daily. The trip is approximately 17 hours and most leave in the late afternoon and arrive early in the morning.

At the time of writing, there was one bus that left at 6.25 a.m. and arrived just before midnight. These costs from around 750 – 900 THB. 

You can buy your bus tickets here.

Train to Hat Yai

There are regular afternoon trains from Bangkok to Hat Yai. These arrive in Hat Yai in the morning. The trip is approximately 17 hours. They cost between 1000 – 2000 THB, depending on which tier you choose. You can buy these here.

2. From Hat Yai, you go to Pak Bara Pier

From Hat Yai, take a minibus to Pak Bara Pier. 

This is the pier from which all the ferries/speedboats to Koh Lipe depart. 

Minibuses depart hourly from the bus station and cost 150 THB. The trip takes around 1.5 hours to 1 hour 45 minutes. You can buy your tickets here.

3. From Pak Bara, you take a Speedboat to Koh Lipe

From Pak Bara, speedboats leave for Koh Lipe at 11.30 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. There are a number of companies leaving at each designated time. These tickets cost 500 THB. The trip takes 1.5 – 2 hours.

Each company usually makes two stops en route to Koh Lipe: first at Koh Tarutao and then at Koh Kai. You get around 20 minutes to explore Koh Tarutao and 5-10 minutes to wander around tiny Koh Kai. All boats arrive at Pattaya Beach on Koh Lipe.

Alternatively, many travel agencies offer a combined minibus/boat ticket. This costs 750 THB. You can be picked up at the airport, or any venue of your choice. This can be booked through 12Go Asia, or through the travel agency directly. 

Whilst we normally eschew travel agency tickets and prefer to organise things independently, we found this to be a much more convenient option. Plus, when factoring in the cost of transport to the Hat Yai bus station, the price difference was negligible. 

If you want to be as efficient as possible, we’d recommend catching a very early flight from Bangkok to Hat Yai, and then arranging the 9.00 a.m. minibus/ferry combination. It will be a very early morning and a long day, but it will get you to Koh Lipe by 2.00 p.m. (and then Koh Adang 30 minutes later). 

4. From Koh Lipe, it’s a short boat ride to Koh Adang

These leave from Sunrise Beach (a 15-minute walk from Pattaya Beach where the speedboat drops you off) and cost 100 THB per person. The ride takes 5 minutes. 

If you want to take a boat from Pattaya Beach, these cost 200 THB.

When you want to finally leave Koh Adang (which may be never!), you simply wait at the pier for a water taxi to arrive and then return to Koh Lipe. 

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The Best Time to Visit Koh Adang

The best time to visit Koh Adang is during the high season, which is from mid-November until March. During this time, you should have clear, warm days. 

The entire national park closes from mid-May until October and you are unable to visit during this time.

Tarutao National Park Entrance Fee

Being a National Park, there is a 200 THB fee to enter the Tarutao National Marine Park. You will likely pay for this at Pak Bara pier before boarding your boat. If for some reason you did not, you can pay it at the pier when you arrive in Koh Adang. 

The ticket is valid for 5 days across all the islands in Tarutao National Park. However, the ranger at Koh Adang never checked ours once. 

You will also have to pay a 20 THB pier fee at Pak Bara. 

Love discovering Thailand’s remote islands? Check out our Koh Tarutao Guide

Koh Adang Island

Koh Adang is split into two sections:

1. The resort, Adang Island Resort, which has its own beach and is cut off from the main area by jungle; and 

2. The Tarutao National Park. This area contains a camping area and Koh Adang Bungalows. 

You can stay in either part. We stayed in both! 

Koh Adang Island Resort

For those who crave a bit of luxury, there is one small resort on the southern end of Koh Adang.

The Adang Island Resort is a 3-star resort located on a private beach approximately 1.5 km from the national park. This is the only commercial development on the island. The resort offers spacious bungalows, all with a/c. A few are beachfront and the rest are garden-view. 

The resort is a lovely little piece of paradise on the island. There are some great features that make for a very comfortable stay, including a lovely pool overlooking the Andaman, which is an especially great place to watch the sunset. The staff can also arrange snorkelling tours to nearby islands and other excursions. 

The best part about staying at the resort is the free use of water sports gear. There are kayaks and snorkels so you can explore above and below the water. 

There is an onsite restaurant at the resort and let me tell you, the food is fabulous. I still count it as some of the best meals we have had in Thailand. Also, the portions are massive. We made the mistake the first night by ordering a main each and could barely walk out of the restaurant. The next night, we shared a main and it was the perfect amount (we are also very big eaters). 

Prices range from 2000 THB – 6000 THB and can be booked here. Breakfast is included.

Tarutao National Park 

The southern part of the island is considered Tarutao National Park. Being government-run, there is no development in this part and it feels very isolated and remote.

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Where to stay on Koh Adang

Within the National Park, there are two choices of accommodation on Koh Adang: camping or government-run Koh Adang Bungalows.

Camping on Koh Adang

Koh Adang is an incredible place to camp. The camping area is set out under massive Sumatran pine trees overlooking the Andaman Sea. The camping area is large and you can set your tent up wherever you wish. 

There is a good amount of shade in the camping area so you don’t have to worry about baking under the hot sun. 

If you have your own tent, camping costs 80 THB/night per person.

If you don’t have your own tent, you can rent a tent plus camping gear from the National Park. This costs 340 THB per night for two people and includes the camping fee. The Park provides a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping mat. These are already set up and you can just speak to the visitor’s centre upon arrival to arrange. 

There is no booking ahead of time for camping. Just show up, speak to the staff at the visitor’s centre, find your dream spot and pitch your tent! 

Read more about camping in Thailand

Koh Adang Bungalows

If camping’s not your thing, or you just want to switch it up, the park rents cute cabins. 

Whilst these are basic, they are large and spacious. All have air conditioning (but remember, there’s only power on the island from 6 p.m. – 6 a.m.), a mosquito net, a private bathroom (with cold water shower) and come with towels. Apparently, the mattresses are rock-hard.

Bungalows 1-4 and 6-8 all have sea views. The lower-numbered bungalows are the furthest from the beach and restaurant, and thus have the most direct views and are more secluded. For some reason, Bungalow 5 is set back from the rest, so try to avoid that one.

The Koh Adang Bungalows cost 1500 THB per night. 

The easiest way to book is to either have a Thai speaker call the National Park on 074 783 597 or speak to the National Parks Office directly in Pak Bara. 

Theoretically, you’re supposed to be able to book via the National Parks Website, however, it appears hard to navigate and we couldn’t find an option to do so.

Related: Best of Thailand Off The Beaten Track

Where to eat on Koh Adang

There is one restaurant on Koh Adang. Considering it is the only place on the island to get food, the prices are reasonable and the food is good. 

For example:

• Scrambled eggs – 90 THB
• Som Tam – 120 THB
• Fried Rice – 100 THB
• Green Curry – 280 THB

On average, we paid 250 THB – 300 THB per meal for the two of us. 

Although all meals are advertised with meat or seafood, if you ask for only vegetables (sy phak), they will happily make you a vegetarian version, at a discount. 

Read: 13 Epic Things to Do in Khao Sok National Park + Essential Travel Guide

Facilities on Koh Adang

The facilities on Ko Adang are amazing. For a rustic, secluded island, that is. We were really surprised about this and we were very comfortable for our entire stay. 

Electricity has recently been brought to the island but only runs from 6.30 pm to 6.00 am. There is no wifi, but there is good 4G reception. 

There are three different bathroom blocks on the island, each containing multiple toilets, sinks and showers (bring your own toilet paper). There are even cute outdoor showers scattered throughout the island so that you can rinse off after swimming in the sea. 

There are no ATMs on Koh Adang, so ensure you bring enough cash with you for the duration of your stay. There are plenty of ATMs on nearby Koh Lipe to stock up on cash.

Read next: The Top 5 Thailand Camping Sites

What To Do on Koh Adang

Koh Adang Beaches

There are multiple beaches on Koh Adang. The main beach, where the camping and bungalows are, is 1.3 km long and absolutely gorgeous. There is a main allocated swimming area on the west side of the island near the visitor’s centre, along with a snack shop, and another allocated on the east. 

There are many other beaches on Koh Adang, but to reach these, you will need to charter a long-tail boat. This is pretty straightforward and you just need to speak to the visitor’s centre to arrange it. 

Pirate Waterfall – Koh Adang

This is a 3 km return hike to a lovely inland waterfall. It takes about 30 – 45 minutes to reach the waterfall. 

The start is at the far west end of the main beach (where the snack stand is). You will see a sign advertising the entrance. 

The trail is through pretty thick jungle, with lots of tree roots and rocks to climb over. We’d recommend wearing close-toed shoes and putting on some mosquito repellant. 

Koh Lipe Viewpoint Hike

A must-do! The hike to the viewpoint offers extraordinary views of the Andaman and Ko Lipe. 

The trail starts from the far east of the park, behind the last bathroom block. There is a sign pointing in the right direction. 

The trail is approximately 850 metres (one way) and takes 30-45 minutes, depending on your level of fitness and how many breaks you take. It took us 33 minutes (but Zandy is notoriously fast and I have learned to run to keep up with him). 

There are 3 different viewpoints, all of which are stunning and offer a different perspective. Take time to enjoy each one.

The trail is pretty steep and can be very slippery, especially descending. You’ll want to wear good shoes as there are lots of things to stub your toe on or trip. You don’t need hiking boots, but flip-flops would not suffice.

Snorkelling

The waters around Ko Adang are blessed with incredible coral and marine life. It’s often referred to as ‘the Maldives of Thailand’. If you are heading down here, you need to do a little bit of snorkelling (or even scuba diving).

There is very good snorkelling just off the beach in the east swimming area. Expect to see angelfish, clownfish, barracuda and trumpet fish. The area is also renowned for its massive schools of fish (we saw a few that were at least a couple thousand strong). 

You can rent decent snorkels from the visitor’s centre for 50 THB per person. 

In addition to off-beach snorkelling, there is fantastic coral and snorkelling amongst the various other islands within Tarutao National Park. These need to be visited by long-tail boat. 

Generally, there are two routes:

1. The inner islands, which include:

• Jabang
• Hin Ngam
• Koh Yang
• Koh Rawi
• Koh Adang

2. The outer islands, which include:

• Hin Son
• Bulo
• Koh Dong
• Koh Lugoi
• Koh Pung
• Hin Ngam

From Koh Lipe, there are snorkel trips going out to these spots every day. Expect to pay 500 – 750 THB per person. 

If you want to arrange a trip from Adang, it involves chartering a boat. For the inner islands, it is 1500 THB for the entire boat. For the outer islands, it is 2500 THB. Each boat can fit up to 8 people. If you can find a group of people to split this with, it is great value. 

If you are unsure if you’ll be able to get numbers to charter a boat, then you can spend a day or two on Lipe before/after coming to Adang and join one of the many trips that leave each day from there. 

When we stayed on Adang, we met a man (whom we’ll call JP), who has been travelling to Adang since the 1990s. He loves snorkelling and has spent years finding the best spots. We chartered a boat with him and he set the itinerary. It cost 2000 THB in total. It was absolutely incredible! 

Moral of the story: if you’re on Adang and an Italian man asks if you’d like to go on a boat trip with him, take him up on the offer! 

Bioluminescence

The Andaman is blessed with bioluminescence, so if you enter the water at night and move around, it will activate and you’ll notice little flashes around you. This is absolutely magical!

For the best viewing, go after 9 p.m. and as far from the campground lights as you can. Get in the water, splash and kick around and it’ll feel like you’re swimming through the stars. 

Sunrise and Sunset on Koh Adang

Koh Adang is one of the very few places where you can easily watch both the sunrise and sunset, without having to travel very far. We found that both sunrises and sunsets were fabulous and made the effort to watch both every day. 

Kayaking on Koh Adang

Another great way to explore Koh Adang is by kayak. If you’re staying in the resort, kayaks are free to rent and provide a beautiful perspective of the island. If you’re not staying at the resort, it’s worth going over and just asking if you could rent one for a few hours.

2024 Update: Apparently now the resort will NOT let you rent kayaks if you are not a guest. Bummer! Hopefully this will change in the future.

Other Important Points to Note

There are a lot of monkeys around, so watch your stuff. Never leave food out unattended and if camping, make sure you zip up your tent. 

We’d also recommend bringing some mosquito repellant (though the mozzies aren’t normally bad due to the directional sea breeze) and stocking up on snacks and/or breakfast food in Koh Lipe.

Besides bottled water from the restaurant, there is no potable water on Koh Adang. We recommend bringing a Steripen, so you have access to clean water 24/7! It’s what we did and it was a game-changer.

What to Pack for Koh Adang

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