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Trang Islands
Koh Kradan
Often called the most beautiful island in Trang, with dazzling white sand, glassy water and coral gardens right off the beach.
📅 1–3 nightsBeachSnorkelingQuietNature
Often called the most beautiful island in Trang, with dazzling white sand, glassy water and coral gardens right off the beach.
Why Koh Kradan? Often called the most beautiful island in Trang, with dazzling white sand, glassy water and coral gardens right off the beach.
Koh Kradan is the postcard island of the Trang archipelago: a slim, forested island inside Hat Chao Mai National Park, with a long beach of blindingly white sand, water so clear the boats seem to float, and living coral a few strokes from shore. There are no roads or villages, just a small number of resorts and a jungle path to a wild sunset beach on the other side.
Many people only come on a day tour, but staying one to three nights lets you enjoy the island in the early morning and evening when the longtails have gone. It suits couples, beach lovers and snorkellers who want simple, beautiful and quiet.
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Start in Trang, reached by a flight of about 1.5 hours from Bangkok or an overnight train. From town it is roughly an hour by minivan to Pak Meng or Kuantungku pier, then about 30-45 minutes by longtail or speedboat to Kradan; most resorts can arrange the whole transfer. From November to April island-hopping speedboats also connect Kradan with Koh Lanta, Koh Ngai, Koh Mook and Koh Lipe. Boats land directly on the beach, so expect to wade in. There are no roads - you walk everywhere, barefoot most of the time.
The main east-coast beach is where the resorts are, ranging from simple bungalows to a couple of stylish boutique options, each with its own restaurant. The sand is at its best in the middle stretch, and the water here is calm and shallow in high season. A shaded trail of 10-20 minutes crosses the island to Sunset Beach, a wilder, rockier strip that is usually almost deserted. Stay overnight and you will have much of the island to yourself after about 4 pm.
Kradan's reef lies just off the main beach, with hard corals, anemones, clownfish and giant clams in shallow water, so bring or rent a mask. A four-island tour adds snorkelling at Koh Chueak and Koh Waen and a swim into the Emerald Cave on Koh Mook. Every February, around Valentine's Day, the island is linked with the Trang Underwater Wedding, when couples dive to exchange vows. Please protect the reef: no touching, no standing on coral and reef-safe sunscreen only. Early morning, before the tour boats arrive, is the calmest time to swim out.
Kradan makes an easy base for exploring the rest of the Trang islands. Koh Mook is only a short longtail ride away, with its fishing village, sunset beach and the Emerald Cave, while Koh Ngai offers another long, calm beach and good snorkelling off the sand. Further south, Koh Libong is known for its seagrass meadows and rare dugongs, best seen on responsible boat trips that keep their distance. Ask your resort about chartering a private longtail so you can set your own timing and avoid the crowds.
Dining is limited to the resort restaurants, serving fresh fish, southern Thai curries and simple Western dishes; there are no shops or ATMs, so bring cash from Trang. Evenings mean a drink on the sand, a starry sky and quiet. Visit between November and April for calm, clear water. From May to October the southwest monsoon brings rain and rough seas, several resorts close and boat services thin out, so it is best kept as a high-season stop. Expect a national park entry fee on arrival.
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All hotels in Koh Kradan →1-3 nights to enjoy the beach after the day-trippers leave, snorkel the reef and catch sunset on the far side.
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