Three Under-The-Radar Islands, One Perfect Thailand Romantic Escape

Thailand has long been one of the world’s great honeymoon destinations. The luxury resorts, the warm seas, the food, the hospitality: it delivers on every level. But travellers who have been coming back for years will regale you with stories of the more famous islands and how they used to be before the world discovered them. Push the Thailand travel veteran a little further though, and if you are lucky, they might tell you there is still another side to the country that feels almost like those islands did twenty years ago: quieter, slower, and just as beautiful.

That place is Trat. A province tucked into the eastern Gulf of Thailand, and home to three islands that most Australian couples have never heard of: Koh Chang, Koh Kood and Koh Mak. Each one different in character, each one easy to reach from Bangkok, and together they make a compelling case for getting a little creative with your Thailand itinerary.

Koh Chang

One of Thailand’s great islands, Koh Chang rises from the ferry as a wall of green; over seventy percent is protected rainforest, and its mountain spine gives it a scale and drama that more developed islands rarely match, all without ever compromising the privacy or calm that couples come here for.

At Klong Prao, casuarina trees lean over a long curve of sand where river meets sea; longtail boats rest in the shallows and the beach stretches wide enough that finding your own stretch of it takes no effort at all. On the quieter south coast, Wai Chaek Beach lies at the end of a rough track through coconut plantations: four hundred metres of sand and, on most days, not another soul.

Below the surface lies one of Thailand’s most remarkable dive sites. The HTMS Chang, a former US Navy vessel intentionally sunk in 2012, now rests as an artificial reef, where groupers, barracudas and the occasional whale shark move through its structure as if it has always belonged there. As evening falls, Bang Bao fishing village stretches along its wooden pier, seafood restaurants glowing softly in the last light over the water.

Koh Kood

Just a forty-minute speedboat ride from Koh Chang, Koh Kood is one of Thailand’s last truly untouched islands. With around a thousand residents and patchy mobile coverage, life here still follows the rhythm of nature rather than modern schedules.

Often described as a virgin island, it is where dense tropical rainforest rolls straight down to pristine white-sand beaches. At Khlong Chao, pale jade waters and soft sands meet jungle-clad interiors, where walking trails lead to a waterfall and cool freshwater pools deep in the forest. Along the coast, fishing villages such as Ao Salat sit on wooden stilts above calm bays, where colourful boats and slow, sea-based livelihoods continue much as they always have.

The island also offers understated luxury, with a handful of beachfront wellness resorts designed to blend into the natural environment, offering privacy, ocean views and restorative escape. Widely regarded as one of Thailand’s finest sunset destinations, Koh Kood closes each day in wide, uninterrupted horizons of gold and amber, the light spilling across sea, sand and rainforest canopy; the island feels remote, unspoiled and deeply unhurried.

Koh Mak

The smallest of Trat’s three main islands, Koh Mak moves at a pace that has changed little over time. While rubber farmers tend their plantations and fishermen head out at dawn, visitors settle into an island life where the hours pass without urgency.

Thailand’s first official low-carbon destination, Koh Mak embraces sustainable tourism with a seriousness that has drawn international recognition: electric vehicles, solar-powered boats and a community-wide charter that bans foam packaging and limits motorised water sports. There are no convenience store chains here, just locally run shops that reflect the island’s strong sense of place.

On the western coast, Ao Kao Beach stretches in a long arc of pale sand fringed by clear turquoise water; the island is compact enough to explore entirely by electric golf cart, revealing quiet coves, coconut groves and peaceful coastal roads at every turn. As the sun sets, the sea moves slowly through amber and rose, the colours holding long after dusk, and the beach bars along the shore offer the kind of evening where conversation and the sound of waves are all the entertainment anyone needs.

Trat province is served by Bangkok Air from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to Trat Airport, with ferry connections to all three islands. The best time to visit is November through April. For more information visit amazingthailand.com.au