Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak is a small beachfront resort of old school Thai bungalows on Koh Mak, and it was the last stop on our Thai island hop. We came over from The Beach Natural Resort on Koh Kood, and when we first got here I actually thought I made a mistake booking this hotel.
Below I’ll tell you where it is on the island, how we got here from Koh Kood and why I booked it. You’ll also learn about the rooms, the breakfast, the best massage I had of our whole trip, the downsides and whether I’d stay again.
I have to say, it’s nothing flash, but it won us over quite quickly. Waking up literally looking at the ocean from our bed was incredible, and it was the first place on the whole trip where we had that.
There’s no pool and no bar, so have a read of the downsides before you book.
We paid for our stay ourselves so this is not a sponsored post.
See prices and availability at Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak
Where is Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak?
Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak is right on the beach at the far end of Ao Kao, on the south west side of the island. Koh Mak is small and flat, and it only takes about 20 minutes to drive all the way around, so nothing is far away.
White Sands is right next door, and you can walk along the beach between the two. Cha Cha Beach Club, Ball Cafe and Hidden Beach Resort are all a short moped ride away.
There are no 7-Elevens on Koh Mak, and nothing westernised at all, only a few little shops. So if there’s anything you can’t live without, bring it with you.
Is Ao Kao a good area to stay in?
Yes, and one big reason is the bugs. We didn’t have any sandflies or mozzies on our side of the island. When we went over to Bannyai Beach, the sandflies and mozzies were a bit extreme, and there were even signs up about them.
How to get to Koh Mak from Koh Kood
Getting to Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak from Koh Kood was so easy, and it was all organised by our hotel. We took the Boonsiri boat for 450 baht each, and that included pickup from The Beach Natural and drop off right here at Lazy Day.
That’s been the same everywhere we’ve been. We just booked it the night before, but we were here at the very beginning of high season, so there weren’t a lot of people around. If you’re coming in high season, which is from November to March, I’d book a couple of days before you leave.
I’ve written up how we got to Koh Kood in the first place in my guide on how to get to Koh Kood from Koh Chang.
How to get to Koh Mak from Koh Chang or Bangkok
Most people come to Koh Mak from Koh Chang, and the boats to Koh Kood stop here on the way. Ours from Koh Chang dropped people at Koh Mak after about half an hour. I’ve read you can also get a speedboat straight from the mainland near Trat, which takes about an hour.
If you’re coming from Bangkok, my guide on how to get to Koh Chang from Bangkok covers the flight and the first leg. It’s a long day, so have your travel insurance sorted before you set off.
Why we picked Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak
I booked Lazy Day because it had a really high rating on Tripadvisor and really good reviews. We were originally going to stay next door at White Sands, but I wanted to save a bit of money. There was about AU$250 between them.
Lazy Day came to just under AU$400 for our three nights, and White Sands was about AU$650 for the same. We’d been staying at more expensive resorts before this, so I thought we’d stay somewhere cheaper and just pop over to White Sands if we wanted to.
Arriving at Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak
After The Beach Natural, which was such a beautiful resort, arriving at Lazy Day was a bit of a shock. Suddenly we were in old school Thai beach vibes, with a little cabin on the beach. It’s clean and everything, but there aren’t beautiful gardens around it, and there’s just a little kitchen and no bar.
Our room wasn’t ready yet, so I walked along the beach next door to see what White Sands looked like. The rooms looked more modern and it has a rooftop bar, and I instantly thought, I should have booked this place.
As soon as I got back, I went online to see if I could find something else, but everything was booked up. So I said to Steve, if it’s mouldy inside, we’ll figure out what to do next. But other than that, we have to stay put.
And then we saw the room, and I was realised it wasn’t so bad, actually.
Our room at Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak
We stayed in a Sunset Twin bungalow, and the bed is massive. It’s two big single beds pushed together, but it doesn’t feel like separate beds, and it’s super comfy.
The bathroom is simple but clean, and our room was right on the beach, with a view out onto the ocean.
There’s nothing better than waking up literally looking at the ocean, and this is the first place on our trip where we had that. Even at Sol Beach on Koh Chang, where we were on the sand, we couldn’t see the beach from our room, because the sauna and the gym were in the way.
There are only 12 bungalows, and they all have sea views. The listings show smaller Sunset bungalows and a bigger Lazy Bungalow with a double and two singles, and the biggest ones sleep four or five, so there’s room for a family.
I also realised that only a couple of rooms at White Sands are on the beach. At Lazy Day you’ve got more space between the rooms, so you don’t feel like people are walking right in front of you all the time. I think I prefer it to White Sands in the end, but I’d still check White Sands out.
The food at Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak
Breakfast
Breakfast was included in our rate, and the way it works is you tell them what you want the day before. They give you a little list, and it’s everything from an English breakfast to poached eggs on toast, pancakes and tom yum soup.
I had the tom yum soup the first morning, and poached eggs the next. It’s super simple and nothing flash, but I kind of like it like that.
Drinks
There’s no bar, just wine and beer, so if you like a cocktail, you’ll need to go out for one. The funny thing is, I liked it more for that. We weren’t sitting at a bar buying loads of drinks and ordering loads of food, so it felt like we were spending a lot less money.
Where to eat nearby
Cha Cha Beach Club was amazing. Steve said it was the best gyros he’s ever had, the drinks are really good and the food is all Western.
Ball Cafe did the best sandwiches I think I’ve ever had, on homemade bread. And for sunset, go to Talay Time at the very southern tip of the island. It felt like a real hidden gem, but I’d go for drinks, not dinner.
The massage at Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak
The best massage I had on our entire trip was right here at Lazy Day, from one of the local women. It was amazing, and it cost 500 baht, which is 100 baht more than at White Sands next door, but it was so worth it.
Massages on the rest of Koh Mak are about 400 baht. We paid 1,500 baht each for one somewhere else on the island, and mine wasn’t anywhere near as good, so I’d just have it at your hotel.
Getting around from Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak
You can hire a moped for 300 baht a day or a golf buggy for 1,000 baht a day straight from the resort. The roads are flat, with no big hills, and it’s so easy to get around. If you do ride, check your travel insurance covers you on a moped.
Steve felt more comfortable on a moped by this point, so as soon as we were happy with our room, we went straight out to drive around the island. We were instantly like, wow, this island’s super cool.
What I didn’t expect is that having no pool or bar actually made us go out and explore more. On Koh Chang and Koh Kood we didn’t get out and explore until our final day. So I said to Steve, right, we’re going out as soon as we get to Koh Mak, so we don’t miss anything.
Day trips from Lazy Day
Koh Kham is about 5 minutes away by boat, and it had by far the best water we saw on the whole trip. The boat was 350 baht each, and your ticket gets you a free drink on the island.
We also hired a kayak from Hidden Beach Resort and paddled over to Koh Rayang Nok in about 15 minutes. It was literally just us and a couple of other women on the island.
What Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak feels like
It’s been really interesting staying here, because it’s made me realise this is how Steve and I have always travelled. Rather than staying at flashy resorts, we’d stay in places like this, and I think that’s why we felt so at home here so quickly. It took us about 2 hours to warm up to it, and then it felt like ours.
Koh Mak is the same. It’s a rustic, authentic Thai island, which is really hard to come by these days, and everybody working here is super nice, friendly and welcoming. I’ve read that a few old families still own most of the island and have kept the big developers out, and you can feel it.
We were told there’s a sound curfew at about 10pm, so it’s not a party island. If you want to chill out somewhere that isn’t packed with tourists, this is it.
When to go, and how long to stay
High season on Koh Mak runs from November to March. We came right at the start of it, which meant there weren’t many people around.
We stayed three nights, and we could easily have spent a week here. Most people only give Koh Mak two nights, which definitely isn’t enough. I’d give it about five, and if you’re island hopping, save it for last like we did, because it’s the island where you properly switch off. I’ve compared all three islands in Koh Chang vs Koh Kood vs Koh Mak.
The downsides
There’s no pool and no bar, only wine and beer, so if you want a resort with lots of facilities, this isn’t it. It’s simple, and there aren’t beautiful gardens like we had at The Beach Natural.
(above picture taken at Baanyai Beach Bar, Koh Mak)
Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak is best for
- Couples who want to switch off completely
- Anyone who travelled Thailand back in the day and misses that old school feel and low key vibes
- Waking up looking at the ocean
- Getting out and exploring the island, rather than staying in a resort all day
- A smaller budget, at just under AU$400 for three nights
Would I stay at Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak again?
Yes, I’d definitely stay again. I booked it to save money and spent the first couple of hours thinking I’d got it wrong, and by the end I preferred it to the place next door.
It’s lovely. Maybe it’s because we were staying somewhere that felt more like us, and then we got on a moped and started seeing the island, and we just felt at home here.
You can also see what it’s like in our reels on Instagram at @itsannieandsteve.
See prices and availability at Lazy Day Resort Koh Mak
If you’re booking a trip to Koh Mak, sort your travel insurance when you book your flights.
Have you been to Koh Mak? Let me know where you stayed in the comments below.
Travelling to Koh Kood and Koh Chang as well? Check out my other articles
I only ever write honest content that will help you plan your trip. Below are some articles that might help with the rest of yours.
My Koh Kood articles
- The Beach Natural Resort Koh Kood: Thailand’s Hidden Gem
- Where To Stay On Koh Kood: My Honest Hotel Guide
- How To Get To Koh Kood From Koh Chang, ferry times included
