Taking it piece of cake off Good Feeling Resort's budget beachside bungalows Ko Wai - that's large Ko Chang inwards the background.Last visited Feb 2012
Ko Wai is a pocket-sized hilly isle nearly ane threescore minutes past times tedious ferry (there are speedboats) southward of large Ko Chang inwards the eastern Gulf.
Party types together with comfort-travellers volition loathe this house - at that topographic point are no specialist bars, clubs or restaurants, no roads, few tracks, no villages, no shops, no ATMs, - but 5 resorts, ane a relatively recent together with isolated midrange joint, the other 4 budget oriented, the flashest of which struggles to larn higher upward flash-packer. Some recent visitors remove hold complained nearly the influx of daytrippers from Chang together with the mainland each day, but these are piece of cake to avoid together with tin give notice inwards fact offering expert variety.
Ko Wai inwards the far eastern Gulf to the southward of Ko Chang together with north-west of Ko Mak. Trat is the nearest mainland regional metropolis (modified Google globe image).
Party types together with comfort-travellers volition loathe this house - at that topographic point are no specialist bars, clubs or restaurants, no roads, few tracks, no villages, no shops, no ATMs, - but 5 resorts, ane a relatively recent together with isolated midrange joint, the other 4 budget oriented, the flashest of which struggles to larn higher upward flash-packer. Some recent visitors remove hold complained nearly the influx of daytrippers from Chang together with the mainland each day, but these are piece of cake to avoid together with tin give notice inwards fact offering expert variety.
Ko Wai inwards the far eastern Gulf to the southward of Ko Chang together with north-west of Ko Mak. Trat is the nearest mainland regional metropolis (modified Google globe image).
A re-create of an aerial photograph at Pakarang Resort inwards 1998 - the beach at top left is where Paradise Resort is located. Good Feeling resort starts at the pier on the correct of this beach together with continues around the corner of the coast halfway to the pier inwards the middle. This pier belongs to Pakarang Resort. The pier together with beaches at top correct are where Ao Yai Ma (Gran Ma Hut) is located. I reckon this shot must remove hold been taken at the lowest tide of the twelvemonth - at that topographic point was non this much sand on both my trips - image Wikepedia Commons - khaosaming
Pakarang had a novel ikon when I returned inwards 2012. Map nerds volition loathe how they remove hold reversed things therefore that northward is at nowadays straight down, but I approximate it makes feel inwards orientating yourself when standing inwards front end of the map - Ko Wai Paradise Resort is indeed to the correct etc.Note how the amount of sand has diminished markedly - maybe a total Luna high tide afterward some moisture flavor tempest erosion.
THE BEACHES
With the exception of the novel Ko Wai Beach Resort, all the beaches on Wai extend along the North Coast together with are piece of cake to access. You tin give notice walk from Paradise#3 to Gran Ma Hut#3 along a pretty expert coastal rails inwards nether 45 minutes (modifies from Google Earth).Might last clearer if yous click ikon to expand.
Starting from the western halt of the northward coast:
Ko Wai Paradise's 3rd "unknown" beach. This is a expert 250m from the resort's eating topographic point behind the principal beach, but bungalows truly extend all the way to here. None of the daytrippers seem to discovery this jewel - hell fifty-fifty some Paradise guests never brand it here. Nice sand, some okay snorkelling off the beach.
Bungalows behind Paradise's 3rd beach. H5N1 German linguistic communication daughter nosotros talked to inwards the ferry got ane of these for 300baht - okay, exterior bath together with breakfast non-inclusive but similar would cost yous double inwards the Andaman high flavor 2012. If yous desire to larn away from it all inwards an idyllic spot this would last difficult to beat. Um, apart from Wai's Good Feeling together with Gran Ma Huts.
Ko Wai Paradis'es 2nd beach is a picayune closer the eating topographic point which is behind the principal beach inwards background. Notice proximity of bungalow to sand far correct of pic.
Ko Wai Paradise's principal beach. This is a fine beach, start off the arrival pier inwards background. Sand continues some distance into the sea, H2O is crystal clear together with non also shallow at lowest tide. Snorkelling is pretty expert hither past times Thai standards - together with attracts a crowd of daytrippers from nearby Ko Chang. However this mid-afternoon 2012 shot shows relatively few people, perchance they remove hold moved on to Pakarang's beach because my 1998 remain at Paradise saw busy afternoons. German linguistic communication daughter said at that topographic point were lots of daytrippers from nearly G to 1300. Interestingly at that topographic point is a sign together with chain on the principal beach but behind photographic tv set camera maxim PRIVATE GUESTS ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT. In English linguistic communication script which mightiness girlfriend the grade considering the mass of daytrippers are Russian. However the far halt of the principal beach seemed to remove hold few people inwards busy 1998 together with no daytrippers seemed to discovery fifty-fifty the 2nd beach.Paradise's bungalows start behind the sand but this side of the jetty. Good Feeling's eating topographic point (which is a expert house for a tranquility together with inexpensive repast when Paradise's is busy) is directly on the landward halt of the pier with around 3 of their bungalows on the hillside behind. The residuum are some distance along the northward coast behind the jetty.
I stayed at Paradise my start 2 visits to the isle - to a greater extent than details downward page.
Good Feeling's beach. This is maybe 250m farther east-south-east of the arrivals pier along a rails that is pretty stone oil with stones together with tree-roots underfoot but good lit at night. There is maybe double the beach behind the photographic tv set camera with exclusively one-half a dozen backpacker vogue bungalows - the type which tend to attract those long-term travellers. I retrieve walking downward hither inwards 2008 at total high tide together with some of the bungalow piers were inwards the water. Bungalows all remove hold bathrooms - 300 baht without breakfast high flavor 2012 makes them a tertiary the cost of similar places on tell Phi Phi.Snorkelling is okay off the beach together with continues to last pretty expert for a expert 400m farther on to Pakarang Resort's pier.
The south-east corner of Ko Chang from Good Feeling's beach - I reckon this was shot with a wide-angle lens (which deepens distance) because the mountains are to a greater extent than dramatic live (image Panoramio-Hammarat)
Pakarang Resort's 2nd beach is following east. I shot this off the top of the National Park pavillion on Pakarang's pier - at that topographic point is truly double the beach seen - behind the close rocks/palms. H5N1 pretty overnice beach together with exclusively Pakarang guests discovery this ane - the daytrippers who pile inwards from around 1400 to 1600 seem to girlfriend it, the nearer principal beach beingness therefore much to a greater extent than obvious from pier level.Snorkelling is non also bad off this beach - best unopen to the pier, improve IMHO than off the principal beach.
Pakarang Resort's principal beach from the pier. Nice sand kept good groomed. Crystal clear H2O which gets a chip shallow depression tide but swimmable before the fringing reef (starts nearly 40m out) except at those lowest tides around total Luna together with no Luna together with and then for exclusively an threescore minutes or therefore around lowest tide (which could last at nighttime depending on when yous visit).Coral together with fishies therefore so on the reef (the onetime pretty mono- coloured), best unopen to the pier (actually but on the seaward side of the National Park pavilion).
I stayed at Pakarang latest 2012 trip - to a greater extent than details downward page.
Coral on the fringing reef shot from Pakarang's pier, lowest tide. H5N1 expert fish present along hither at times.
Ao Yai Ma - Gran Ma Hut's main beach - is 10/15 minutes walk along the coastal rails E of Pakarang. Pretty piece of cake going these days - at that topographic point is a pocket-sized steep headland to cross but I noticed some steps had been cast to brand this non the employment it was inwards before visit.Once over again a overnice beach, ane which doesn't larn visited past times also many other people. Water tends to last a chip shallow at lowest tides but no worse than Pakarang. There is a similar fringing reef together with I think the snorkelling must last okay because ane of the daytrip snorkelling boats out of Ko Chang moored off this together with the 2 smaller neighbouring beaches each day.
Gran Ma Hut is maybe the most set dorsum resort on the island. Most bungalows are inwards the trees behind the beach. Restaurant is upward on a pocket-sized loma overlooking the pier through thick tree crowns. Fish pens at pier's halt guarantee fresh seafood. I noticed both the speedboats together with the Bang Bao tedious boat were dropping passengers whereas inwards 2008 the bigger tedious boat (Bang Bao tedious boat was non running) avoided the pier at lower tides - a dude on my trip had to lug his quite large pack from the Pakarang pier.
Oops! Falling tree did a expert demolition chore on this bungalow. I wouldn't freak - falling trees tend to last a moisture flavor matter when high winds, moisture soggy soils, rotting wood together with weight of H2O on leaf combine to convey them down. I'd last surprised if Gran Ma Hut stays opened upward moisture flavor - sure Pakarang together with Paradise unopen betwixt mid-August together with the start of October.
A picayune farther E over a brusk department of rocks is Gran Ma's 2nd beach - non also much sand hither but when I came past times inwards 2008 a daytrip speedboat had called inwards to accept wages of a much nicer beach. Maybe nosotros tin give notice telephone telephone this Ao Noi Ma (Noi way small). 
Gran Ma's tertiary beach is a picayune farther on over again - the most easterly beach on the northward coast. I shot this from the halt of the pier at the far western halt of the start beach - I couldn't last bothered rock-hopping over there. Then I noticed a twosome of Gran Ma guests walking around on a rails behind the headland trees. Duh.Ko Wai Beach Resort's (the novel mid-range place) beach is around the eastern corner of the isle on the south-east coast. Pakarang Resort didn't desire to give me whatsoever hiking instructions because they idea I'd larn lost (Lady Tezza was hoping I'd larn lost) therefore I grabbed a kayak together with checked it out. But because I knew the strongish easterly body of body of water breeze would brand for choppy conditions ane time around the isle corner for this inexperienced kayaker I didn't accept my photographic tv set camera inwards illustration it got a dunking. The beach is pocket-sized (one guy told me it is artificial but Pakarang's early aerial phot0 which predates the novel house shows a piece of sand there) but it looked okay - although I didn't encounter whatsoever guests inwards fairly busy mid February. Note this house catches the air current inwards dry out flavor whereas the northward coast beaches are fairly sheltered.
I couldn't discovery a film of the beach I could pinch on the spider web - the resort's website has an anti-copying thingy. So you'll remove hold to google it upward for yourself. The house seems expensive compared to its appearance.
Staying at Ko Wai Paradise
I wrote this afterward my 2nd remain inwards 2008. The start was inwards 1998.
I similar to remain at a dissimilar house when I revisit an isle together with I ordinarily outflow off the ferry un-booked, but this trip coincided with the leadup to Chinese New Year's Day together with mindful of how pop Wai was with weekending Thais on my 1998 visit, I chickened out. I was existent keen on staying at Ao Yai Ma - Gran Ma Hut inwards the southward of the isle but the exclusively telephone # I could access was Paradise Resort, my accommodation start trip.
No employment truly because Paradise is a pretty expert place, on the nicest stretch of beach with fairly expert snorkelling along the fringing reef, keen views of Chang’s mountainous southern coast together with other islands together with value bungalows at 250 together with 300. (UPDATE - some of the smaller bungalows were still 250 inwards 2012. Hell, I paid that inwards 1998 together with was happy).
All the bungalows are exterior bath jobs - split roughly equal betwixt pocket-sized 250baht jobs together with bigger 300s. They start but due west of the jetty, built on piers against the steep hillside correct along the path heading due west almost to that 3rd beach mentioned before. It must last the best business office of 500m from bungalow #1 to bungalow #37. (UPDATE - to a greater extent than inwards 2012). No bungalow is to a greater extent than than 25m from the water. In the far western department the woods tends to overshadow the bungalows - the guys at reception referred to this business office every bit “In the Jungle”. Looked pretty neat to me - the ane grab - a fair walk dorsum to the eating topographic point inwards the middle of the start beach.
Note at that topographic point are 3 bath blocks along the way, together with they were inwards fair status together with kept reasonably clean. Squat toilets. Good mirrors together with basins.
Most bungalows are largely unchanged since my start trip except the timber has weathered into a greyish hue - together with at that topographic point are at nowadays to a greater extent than of them. In ‘98 they exclusively stretched to the 2nd beach, together with at nowadays (2008) they become almost to the third. (UPDATE 2012 - they exercise extend to directly behind the most distant beach). H5N1 lot of the newer ones are 300 jobs together with showed a diverseness of designs - some with really extensive balconies. The 250s seemed to last cloned off each other.
Typical 250b bungalow. This is truly my '98 hut (this trip, my camera's backup batteries failed on Wai) - the exclusively departure inwards 2008 is the wood had weathered to grey.The 250 bungalows are basically a box with a double bed together with verandah. Just plenty room for 2 together with their gear. No shelves, few hooks. The mattress was really firm, the pillows fluffy together with the musquito internet was inwards expert condition. No fan, no towel, no john newspaper or soap. (Update - this could remove hold changed since 2008 - many LOS budget bungalows are providing lather together with towels now). Light just brilliant plenty for reading. Nice spacious veranda with those keen beach, bay together with southern Chang views. No hammock. Big exterior trash bin only. Quiet at nighttime - no long tails together with the generator which is over close the eating topographic point cuts out around 2300.
Value at 250? Well yeah - yous don’t larn also many bungalows below 300 these days, especially therefore unopen to the beach/water. Just nearly all of these remove hold overnice views, which made hanging on the raised veranda afterward a 24-hour interval of sun, snorkelling together with swimming a pretty sweetness way to pass some time.
This is a 2012 shot of my 2008 250 baht bungalow (dates tin give notice confuse but retrieve my photographic tv set camera was out of activity inwards 2008). The interesting matter is it looks every bit if it has been refurbished - the timber is much less a weathered gray. Not sure if hammocks are at nowadays supplied - a lot of travellers convey their own.Some of the to a greater extent than lately built bungalows due west of the eating topographic point are bigger together with a few part mutual verandahs together with await to last suitable for big-family accommodation when combined.
The grounds were kept pretty gear upward clean - I noticed that xx minutes afterward the in conclusion daytripper had left the principal beach was spotless.
The downside is that Paradise is the daytrip beach together with it gets existent busy - at ane phase I counted 5 small/medium Thai type ferries together with 2 speedboats tied upward at the pier together with over a hundred people inwards the water, to a greater extent than than one-half with masks together with snorkels.
The pocket-sized pier at Paradise/Good Feeling tin give notice larn pretty crowded (image Panoramio-mdeck_1999)Good Feeling’s restaurant is truly directly behind the pier on the eastern halt of Paradise’s beach. The eating topographic point is a expert house to consume because nutrient was appreciably less expensive than Paradise’s. It was also ane of the top people-watching places on the isle - some daytrippers come upward for the total 24-hour interval but to a greater extent than larn inwards in shuttles every bit the snorkel/island trip boats exercise their circular of locations - therefore at that topographic point was ever a draw of colourful people shuffling past times together with boats putting inwards together with casting off from the pier.
The daytrippers seemed divided pretty evenly betwixt farangs together with Thais. The Thais are ever expert value inwards their brightly coloured flotation vests together with high vacation spirits - together with with a bulk of the farangs beingness Russian together with quite a few of them similar Anna Kournikova bikini-babe/g-string girrrl clones to those decorating Ko Samet, a chip of relaxed people watching from my bungalow’s veranda was no hardship.
Another gratuitous shot of a Russian bikini baby (see Ko Samet page). Wait a chip - this aint no Kourni-clone, but she sure exercise await familiar - ikon Sports IllustratedBut if yous desire peace together with quiet, no problems. For a start, at that topographic point is a double sign nearly 2 thirds along the beach maxim PRIVATE BEACH PAST HERE - RESORT GUESTS ONLY, together with I was surprised at how many of the daytrippers were respecting this. Not all, but if yous hold heading due west at Paradise past times the principal 300m long beach at that topographic point is nearly 50m of stone together with and then a 2nd beach tell 60m long. Then comes some other longer department of stone together with finally on the immediate far side of the depression western rocky signal is some other tiny but really overnice stretch of sand with quite expert swimming together with snorkelling off the beach. Paradise’s path with bungalows side past times side goes correct along here, together with no daytrippers seem to brand the tertiary beach.
The eating topographic point serves expert food. I noticed the prices were maybe 20-30% higher than nearby Good Feeling together with to a greater extent than distant Pakarang inwards both 2008 together with 2012 trips.
Thorntree regular Callippo gave me this information nearly Pakarang: "Pakarang's restaraunt is at nowadays improve value, the nutrient beingness much improve than Paradise (it ever had a improve menu). It must last the daytrippers - also tempting for Paradise non to upward the prices with a captive daytime market". When I called inwards at lunchtime latest trip to cheque prices at that topographic point must remove hold been 130 daytrippers getting stuck into their set meal. Maybe a expert fourth dimension to caput for ane of the other restaurants for prompt service.
Ko Wai Paradise's eating topographic point inwards 1998
Paradise's eating topographic point 2012 - non greatly changed.Staying at Pakarang Resort
For my latest trip I decided to remain at Pakarang - mainly on draw organisation human relationship it has a website together with tin give notice last booked online (when I locomote with The Bride I rarely remove hold the courage to outflow off the ferry unbooked). Lady Tezza hauling bags around inwards search of a vacancy aint a happy camper.
The southern one-half of Pakarang Resort from the top of the National Park rotunda on the pier.Pakarang is a surprisingly large house with a broad attain of rooms together with bungalows (about 50) which attain from flashpacker to budget. It has a large pier with a really fancy 2 storey rotunda type thingo - business office of the side past times side National Park Oceanic Research outfit, which par for the course of written report for Thai regime instrumentalities, has the flashest buildings on the isle together with the usual bunch of guys sitting around doing nothing. Oh yeah, together with large concrete tanks total of seawater together with turtle hatchlings.
Chez Tezza at Pakarang
This is what they telephone telephone a large wooden bungalow. Plenty of room for an extra unmarried mattress amongst the existing manlike individual monarch sized bed. This mattress sparse but reasonaby comfy. Fan, mutual frigidity water. Clean together with inwards expert condition. Insect screens seemed to work, therefore nosotros didn't set upward the net. Nice large verandah for checking the beach together with distant Chang persuasion (most of Pakarang's bungalows are front end row - the few 2nd rowers are staggered together with higher upward gradient therefore they also remove hold a view).At G baht (2012 high season) non keen value compared to smaller fan bungalows at the other resorts, but overall this was ane overnice house - our 2nd favourite of the seven resorts stayed at on our Feb/March Thailand trip (first was Boutique Raft Resort at Sai Yok northward of Kanchanaburi). Budget travellers volition discovery improve value inwards Pakarang's 600b pocket-sized bungalows.
Aircon bungalows are also available.
This motel-like block together with a similar ane farther southward seemed popular. It has some interconnecting rooms (fan together with aircon) expert for large families. I think they also may remove hold been used past times overnighting Russian island-trippers out of Pattaya - both were running 100% our start night.
The Russsians are coming! Each afternoon around 1400 iv or v daytrip boats would dock together with a bunch of Farangs (mostly Russian) would descend on Pakarang's eating topographic point together with principal beach. Interestingly a expert 2 dozen or therefore would walk southward on the coastal path nether our bungalow verandah from which this is taken - I'm non sure if they were heading for the turtle tanks 2 minutes on or Gran Ma Hut's overnice beach 10 minutes on.I'm non against daytrippers - they sure add together color together with ensure a expert turnover of nutrient etc inwards the eating topographic point therefore it stays fresh together with cheap.
But 1630 they were gone.
Part of Pakarang's large restaurant. Good views, service together with food. Prices seemed typical of budget bungalow restaurants although the 65 baht gild sangas with chips together with 40/70 baht small/big Changs are lower than average. There was a estimator for guests' purpose (not free) together with wi-fi for those with their ain laptops inwards the restaurant.TREKKING
This is ane pocket-sized isle with really express tracks. You tin give notice walk from Paradise’s tertiary beach inwards the NW along the coastal rails past times Good Feeling together with Pakarang to Granma Hut’s tertiary beach inwards the NE inwards 45 minutes no exertion (track 1 on map).
When downward at Gran Ma's bay, at that topographic point is a stone oil rails which climbs upward over the loma to a pocket-sized rocky cove on the south-east coast (track 2).
Back at Pakarang yous tin give notice walk upward past times the garbage dump benind the bungalows together with become over the loma to a bigger but nondescript southern coast bay (no existent beach) together with provide on some other rails which follows a fence-line to halt upward at Good Feeling’s seaside bungalows. Some overnice rainforest together with prophylactic tree vegetation along here, non much else (track 3).
There is a sign around nearly Paradise’s #20 bungalow to Sunset Viewpoint - this goes steeply across to a narrow rocky inlet on the south-west coast which indeed is overnice for sunset viewing together with non bad for swimming if yous are experienced inwards entering together with leaving H2O inwards sometimes choppy conditions off rocks. Don’t larn out your provide also belatedly - thick vegetation together with a steep sometimes tricky rails makes for no fun when it gets black (track 4).
In 2008 at that topographic point was a sign+map on the dorsum wall of Paradise's eating topographic point showing the location of these tracks. Hopefully it is nevertheless there, but I forgot to await latest visit.
As I said, at that topographic point is supposed to last a rails from Pakarang to the novel Ko Wai Beach Resort, but Pakarang were non also keen to tell me where it started. I had a await but zilch seemed obvious unless it goes off rails 3 higher upward which I in conclusion did inwards 2008 before the novel resort opened.
GETTING THERE
FROM THE MAINLAND
Pakarang Resort’s tedious boat, a pocket-sized ferry, delivered to all 3 piers on Wai inwards 1998 together with 2008. It left Laem Ngop around 1500 together with returned around 0800. I went dorsum to the mainland on this boat - it is reasonably comfortable (much to a greater extent than therefore than the best topographic point on a speedboat) together with the views of the southward together with E coast of Chang together with the smaller nearby islands are really nice. I think the trip was a chip nether 2 hours.
However it stayed tied to the pier the total length of my 2012 remain which suggests the speedboats from the mainland are the become these days. Maybe Parkarang's ferry is used to haul nutrient together with other supplies these days.
You tin give notice larn a speedboat from Laem Ngop together with I think from the Leam Sok pier which is farther to the south-east from Trat (but closer to Wai).
Mr Ball’s KO MAK.com speedboat information is expert for speedboat times every bit is his information on getting to Trat/Laem Ngop from Bangkok together with Leam Sok from Trat.
FROM SURROUNDING ISLANDS.
Speedboats together with slowboats come upward from Bang Bao on Ko Chang - the slowboat goes on to Ko Mak together with the speedboats also connect Mak together with the to a greater extent than distant Ko Kut. Bang Bao boat is ane outfit together with Google volition discovery others similar Kae Bea Hut speedboat. Once over again Mr Ball's website has expert information on times etc.
The Bang Bao tedious boat ("wooden boat") out of Bang Bao on large Chang. H5N1 pretty relaxed way to larn to Wai compared to a sometimes bumpy, moisture speedboat. Less than one-half the passengers left the boat at Wai - the residuum continued to Ko Mak. Like virtually all boats out of Chang, this ane does a gratis shuttle connecter from accommodation to the pier at Bang Bao on Chang's south-west tip..----------------------------------------
If yous are visiting Wai yous mightiness consider nearby:
KO MAK
KO KUT
KO CHANG
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If yous encounter mistakes or remove hold extra info, delight shipping below. If yous remove hold questions, delight pose them on the Forum, accessed via the Index - I don't larn to cheque each isle page each 24-hour interval but I assay to cheque the Forum when non travelling.