Trang island daytrip boats on the main eastern beach at Kradan. Ko Muk in background. (image CocoHut Resort - note this place is now calling itself Kradan Island Hut Resort or just Kradan Island Resort - not too long back it was called Ko Kradan Paradise Resort)Ko Kradan is a small island in the Trang group, close to but a little further out to sea than Ko Ngai and Ko Muk. It is distinguished by having the nicest beaches and best coral of all the Trang islands which are easily reached.
BEACHES
There are 3 very nice accessible beaches on Kradan. The main beach is a drop dead gorgeous 2km long white sand job on the eastern side of the island. Water is very clear, there is some coral on the fringing reef some distance from the beach but it does get shallow at lower tide levels. This beach attracts quite a lot of Thai daytrip groups and so can be quite busy at times, although its length allows you to find a deserted spot easily enough.
The National Park headquarters is on this beach, and I noticed they had some quite flash looking bungalows under construction in their compound - commercial in appearance. Looks like the tree huggers are getting entrepreneurial (there is no high end accommodation on the island at present).
Very close to the north is the Amari Trang Beach Resort’s daytrip facility. Amari has a mega-expensive hotel on the mainland Trang coast with a beach which is not as brilliant as Kradan's, so they shuttle guests over to Kradan to enjoy something top-notch.
A few hundred meters further north is the only resort on this beach**, KO KRADAN PARADISE BEACH ....(UPDATE APRIL08 - now they have changed names to Kradan Beach Resort ) which has a large range of bungalows from ‘budget’ to ‘flash packer’. This place has attracted some scathing reports for poor quality overpriced bungalows and crummy food from a number of sources. So naturally I had to check it out. They showed me a second row fairly big bungalow with bathroom, looked okay, 800baht instantly discounted to 500 for a stay of more than a couple of nights, probably really a 400 bungalow most other places. Their website says big discounts are available low season. The big beachside restaurant looked okay, didn’t try the food but I didn’t notice any guests having instant ptomaine attacks. Nevertheless, the little resort I stayed at in the jungle had a steady number of Paradise Beach guests at meal times.
(See ISLANDBOI321s update on KO KRADAN PARADISE at the end of this report - seems to have lifted its game).
A secluded west coast beach can be reaches in about 10-15 minutes via cross island tracks from the Amari Beach Resort or PARADISE BEACH. This is much smaller, maybe only 250m across, has good deep water all tides, some reasonable snorkeling and drop dead gorgeous sunsets. I never saw more than a half dozen people on this beach and often it was deserted. There are two nice viewpoints over the beach each side of the access track.
Wally at PARADISE LOST told me this beach gets surf in wet season and he has surfers stay at this time, plus remote-control kite flyers from Singapore attracted by the updrafts of the onshore winds against the low cliffs behind the beach.
On the south end of the island are 2 adjoining beaches which have nice sand, water deep enough at low tide and excellent snorkeling by Thai standards on the fringing reef about 70m off the shore. You can see one of these on the PARADISE LOST WEBSITE down page. Closer to the beach are some reasonable lumps of coral for poorer swimmers. This reef attracts daytrip snorkel boats both big and small from the other Trang islands and from the mainland . Nevertheless, away form the eastern end of the beach where there is a small sea gypsy settlement these beaches were either deserted or had one or two other travelers when I visited. You can reach them by cross island track - 15 minutes from Amari Beach Resort via PARADISE LOST. The track comes out at the small sea gypsy settlement on the more eastern beach - to get to the adjoining western beach follow a track behind the small farther headland.
PARADISE LOST is a bit of a gem - situated in a jungle clearing about a short walk in from the main eastern beach, you literally have your native hut in the jungle, as some of those shots on the website show. It consists of only 3 smallish trad style bungalows - woven-bamboo walls and thatched-roofs - with outside toilets, plus 2 bigger attached-bathroom bungalows. At 400 and 700 baht in March, these are a bit overpriced, but not compared to KRADAN PARADISE on the beach.
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Your native hut in the jungle (image Paradise Lost Resort)
It is run by a big old bear of a guy, Wally, originally from Hawaii, who is an ex-yachtie, knows the Trang islands intimately and is a real expert on local landowning and politics. He is particularly keen to stop big (and small) developers grabbing public and National Park land. I don’t think Kradan will do a Phi Phi while Wally is around.
Like most big guys, Wally is not afraid of food and is particularly disdainful of “small Thai helpings”. Consequently the food at PARADISE LOST's airy open sided thatch-roof restaurant is not only very tasty, but HUGE in quantities. If you order the muslii-fruit-yogurt for breakfast don’t order anything else except maybe a juice or a coffee. Prices are higher than most budget restaurants, in proportion to the helpings. PARADISE LOST has 2 restaurant seating areas, simply because people come across from KRADAN PARADISE, and passing boaties are constantly dropping in. The restaurant offers ice-cream, wine and for you Aussies, VEGEMITE!! I found the service pretty quick.
Wally runs the generator 24/7, which keeps that ice-cream and all the other food safe and allows you to run your lights, fan and recharge yer Big Boy #10s etc whenever you like. The downside is you always can hear it - it is not overly loud, but it is always there.
Note the second eating area has a TV and video set-up, which seems a bit incongruent for such a place, but Wally likes to keep abreast of the news. It is far enough from the bungalows not to be noisy.
To reach Wally’s from the main beach, take either track which runs inland each side of the white Amari Beach Club. The left hand one (facing inland) is shorter (a bit over 5 minutes) and has more shade, although it has a slight hill.
From Wally’s to the nice sunset beach on the west coast is a litle under 10 minutes by jungle track - the twin southern beaches with the good snorkeling on the fringing reef is a bit over 10 on a similar track.
I took a 400 bungalow, sturdy and clean but a bit squeezy for 2 people and their gear. There were no shelves but a couple of hooks. The bed seemed to be 90% the size of a normal double with a comfy mattress, excellent mozzie net and nice big soft pillows. A fan, broom and towels were supplied, but no mirror - and no hammock on the big veranda which was a nice place to spend some time. Lights both there and inside were great for reading.
The outside toilet/shower block was clean, had western toilets and the water pressure was excellent. Grounds were clean and attractive, although the area around my veranda just failed the no ciggy butts, no plastic ring pulls test.
Hey, pretty nice place, PARADISE LOST.
Email: info@kokradan.com
Phone - Mr Wally (0066) 089 5872409
UPDATE SEPT 09 - several people have found contacting Wally a bit difficult. I just got a message from Karoolsie - "I was there in June. He is not too keen on E.mail Cell: 0895872409 Also (0066) 09567 2409 But he said that must regulars make bookings with a SMS."
Tito also gave this information on the Forum page:
Update on Ko Kradan Paradise Lost phone.
I just spoke to Wally today and made a reservation. To reach him from the United States, you dial 011-66 as usual, and then 89-5872409. I could not connect using 9, 09 or 089 as a prefix. Finally succeeded with 89.
Amari Beach Resort's rather swish beach club on the main eastern beach (image Amari Trang Beach Resort)UPDATE DEC 07 - I just saw a report said Wally has sold Paradise Lost. No indication on the buyer - let's hope it is someone who will keep it much the same as at present - the native huts in the jungle thing. A few more huts wouldn't hurt.
The sale is no surprise - Wal's health was pretty dodgy when I visited.
UPDATE APRIL 08 - nope, Wally hasn't sold. See Click4Gap's comment at the end of the page.
GETTING TO KRADAN.
FROM THE MAINLAND - There are no regular ferries to Kradan (um..see update below).
The cheapest access is to get Ko Kradan Hut Resort's discounted minibus/long tail trip from their office opposite the train station in Trang which is a bargain 350baht (400 April 08) on their website. Of course this means you will have to book at least one night there. Well, as I said, it didn’t look too bad a place.
Otherwise you can get longtails from Pak Meng, Hat Yao pier (Ban Chao Mai). Or Kuan Thung Khu pier, which is between the first 2. Minibuses leave Trang roughly hourly for the first two and the Hat Yao bus will detour to Kuan Thung (the closest pier) for a small extra payment.
From Kuan Thung Khu Pier a whole boat to Ko Kradan costs around 1000B.
You can see these 3 departure points in the area map above.
Last time I used Pak Meng pier (2006), the National Park guys in their booth at the start of the pier tried to charge me the ripoff 400 baht NP entry fee (farangs only) - this was for Ko Ngai, but Kradan is also within the park. I didn’t see any NP guys at Kuan Thung, and at Ban Chao Mai the longtails leave off the beach, not the flash new pier. The Lanta boats I mention below are a great way to avoid this big charge (at present at least) - I’m told there is a small charge built into each ticket.
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UPDATE OCT 08
mysticpaki says there is an 11am boat to Kradan: "...railway station travel agenices have a bus going to the pier at 11am from there the long tail boat will take u to ko Kradan.If youre alone then the boat fare is 1000 baht."
billp adds that if you fly in on the morning Nok Air flight: "In the airport you'll be approached by reps from travel agencies which are legit. They will bus you into town, sign you up for the trip to Kradan via minibus and longtail, and book you for one night's accommodation in Kradan Paradise. This is the simplest, most problem-free way of getting there. You can move on to Wally's the next day."
I find these travel agents very reliable, and their cut seems to come out of the normal bungalow and longtail/ferry prices.
Kradan is very popular with domestic tourist snorkelling daytrips around the Trang islands- the travel agents might be able to sell you a part-fare ticket as far as Kradan on one of these boats, which could allow you to visit some of the other islands including the fabulous Emerald Cave on Muk. This would depend on the schedule - I think the route varies according to high tide time at the cave, where on Spring Tide days (big high tides roughly twice monthly), access to the cave can be tight.
FROM BANGKOK - besides flights, there are two sleeper trains running overnight from Bangkok - at least one gets in in time for you to go across the road to the travel agents and arrange transport and accommodation.
There are overnight buses from the Southern Bus Station too, of course.
Details of trains/plains and buses to Trang can be found here
FROM LANTA - you can go down to Kradan on the fast Trang island daytrip boats which leave Lanta around 8am. I used this method this trip - the cost was 400baht and it took maybe 4 hours, but this included a stop for snorkeling the islets between Ko Ngai and Ko Muk plus a swim into the incomparable Emerald Cave on Muk. Note you aren’t guaranteed these extras - the order of the schedule varies according to the tides.
Any resort or travel agent on Lanta can arrange this trip for you. Note it runs back to Lanta in the afternoon, but there is no service in low season - roughly May to end of Oct.
There is a fast speedboat service linking Lanta to Ko Lipe in high season, which also drops off and picks up at Muk and Ngai - probably it would detour to Kradan too. Google for SPD speedboat.
In low season the long-tail guys who hang around the pier at Lanta town could take you down to Kradan on calmer days. This would not be cheap - I have a May 07 report on my Lanta info thingy saying a Ngai-Lanta town longtail charter was 1200 - Kradan is a bit further. You could maybe google for Lantalongtails.
FROM KOS MUK, NGAI AND LIBONG - most people pay for a ride across on one of the daytrip snorkeling longtails out of these islands. I think standard price from Muk is 300baht, a bit high for a pretty short trip. I paid 200 for the reverse trip on PARADISE RESORTS’ longtail which detoured into Muk on its morning trip to Kuan Thung Khu.
Ngai is a shorter distance, should be cheaper than 300.
I saw a post saying a Libong-Kradan was 700 last high season - it wasn’t clear if this was per person or the whole boat. Libong Beach Resort’s 3 island daytrip is way less than 700, so I’d try to get a one way trip on that or similar if I was solo on Libong.
UPDATE - Tigerline is running ferries from Phi Phi/Lanta to Lipe, via the pier at Hat Yao south of Trang. This ferry (not a speedboat) goes on to Langkawi. Details can be seen on their website
At the time of writing Lanta-Lipe was 1400 baht - 4.5 hours. Trang Yao-Lipe 650. Lipe-Langkawi 950. It calls in at places along the way including Muk and Ngai. Kradan is not on the website, but it would probably go there if asked. Accoring to Zach at Laoliang it also will call in there. UPDATE - for 09/10 Kradan is on Tigerline's schedule. Laoliang was included 08/09.
I have details of how to get to Hat Yao pier in my Ko Libong thread.
For high season 08/09 the service begins Nov 24.
UPDATE - TT poster ISLANDBOI321 gave me this info, which reinforces my suspicion that the beachside KO KRADAN PARADISE RESORT (now Ko Kradan Beach Resort) has lifted its game:
"As for the Ko Kradan Paradise, tezza's experience with the bungalows mirrored mine. I did eat at their restaurant nearly everyday and found the food to be very good, although overpriced. The staff at the restaurant were charming. I was attempting to learn food items in Thai. You know what that is like... I had the whole kitchen staff out watching while the waiter tried to teach me various food items in Thai. All the while they were off in the distance, giggling and smiling. They were so charming. I made a special point of saying goodbye to them when I headed back to the mainland. They were so nice and kind.
A couple I met from Oz who were there last year said the resort is in WAY better shape than it had been in terms of cleanliness and attentive staff. The young man who was the manager (The guy with the high voice, tezza) was well organized and helpful.
I have to reiterate the fact that this 'drop dead' gorgeous beach vanishes at low tide and you have a huge expanse of slimy, rocky, smelly nothingness for 6 hours."
A couple I met from Oz who were there last year said the resort is in WAY better shape than it had been in terms of cleanliness and attentive staff. The young man who was the manager (The guy with the high voice, tezza) was well organized and helpful.
I have to reiterate the fact that this 'drop dead' gorgeous beach vanishes at low tide and you have a huge expanse of slimy, rocky, smelly nothingness for 6 hours."
That's pretty interesting - It seems like the place has responded to the bad publicity. I reckon I might stay a few days at Paradise Resort next time I visit.
As for the beach, it sounds like IB321 was there during the extra-low "Spring" tides with occur twice a month around full moon and no moon. The tide was no-where that low for that long when I visited. Note Spring Tides also have extra-high high tides. So tidal range is at a maximum.
Note, those other two beaches were nice low tide, particularly sunset beach.
** UPDATE AUGUST 08 - looks like high end tourism is coming to Kradan -
Seven Seas Resort opening Nov 1 08.
There is also a newish budget place called Kradan Island Resort.
And another - Kalume' Kradan Village
UPDATE DEC 08 - Jimmy C sent me this on the new Seven Seas:
Just back yesterday. Of all the places we stayed i thought 7 seas was worst value. That being said it is a fine facility and the 4 beachfront units are exquisite and maybe be worth 300$---we only paid 250$ us.(if i were stay there again, i would definitely spring for the beachfront units) the second row units are ok, but the hotel block units in back are nothing special.
The hotel is still under construction and only some units are open. The hotel is also still working out some kinks---no landscaping yet and i'd avoid the restararaunt-slow and wildly overpriced.
The beach itself is near perfect---and there is excellent snorkeling right offshore in front of national park station---say 500 metres or so from the hotel (a white sandy beach with clear water and coral right offshore is a rarity for me).
I asked Jimmy the locaction and from what he said it is adjacent either Kradan Beach Resort or Kradan Island Resort on the main eastern beach - and as he says above, 500m from the National Park station.
UPDATE APRIL 09
claire just provided this info on the FORUM page:
"thought you might be interested to hear that my partner and I visited Wally on Ko Kradan in May last year. He has no plans to sell up (as I'm sure you know by now!) and was in the process of building a couple of new bunglows - one of which was earmarked to be a dorm. Wally seemed in fair spirits but was walking with a stick most of the time.
As for Kradan Beach Resort - it looked like it needed to raise its game to me. Budget-mid range rooms were pretty basic and a bit run-down and the staff seemed fairly disinterested..."
ALSO IN MAY 09 was this update sent to me by Eddie (Mytsicpaki)
Ko Kradan This has 3 drop dead gorgeous beaches, If like me you have a weakness for white sand crystal clear turquoise coloured warm water, deserted beaches, romantic sunsets then sigh you hit the jackpot.A row of new bunglows under construction in 3 lines on the main beach were by Ko Kradan Island resort. This is where the longtail boat drops you.
Lost Paradise. It's still run by a gem of a guy called Wally. His resort is a 5 minute walk from the beach in the midst of the jungle. He now has 9 bungalows which are very nice. Offseason price for the big one was 750 baht. They are big with tiled toilets, comfy bed, super pillows,fan and running cold water. He runs the generator 24-7 so the beer is nice and cold. He has 12 lovely dogs to escort you all around the Island. Food is very good though expensive like on all islands when compared to the mainland.
Mosquitoes are always around, so buy “Off” before heading to any island.I inherited 41 bites on my back. Must have been my sweet terrorist blood lol. Wally's e mail is presently being intercepted therefore best to call him directly for reservation/information 09-5872409.Wally had arranged a long tail boat for me and family from the peir popularly known as Koh Mook Pier (Kuantang Pier). The rate was 1000 baht. No bargaining required, this is the standard rate.
The Emerald Cave at Koh Mook is well worth a visit when going or returning to any of the Islands. Please do tell Wally and his girlfriend that Eddie and family from Pakistan said hi.
Feel free to contact me on fate72@hotmail.com, for any other information or questions.
Eddie also had some info on Trang and surrounds:
Trang is a sleepy quiet town in June July. A 3 hour drive from Krabi.Food especially seafood, is cheap and fresh with “thai prices. Their iced coffee “Ko Pee” is absolutely fantastic.
Thumrin Hotel is a 1 minute walk from the Trang railway station, charging year around 650 bath for a superior room with fridge, carpet, tv aircondition, bath tub and some english channels on its cable. Very nice rooms for this price excluding the fading carpets in the corridor. Standard Room without carpet and fridge is 550 baht. They also allow you to use the pool facility at the new posh hotel Thumrin Thana, free of cost.
In Trang city “Ko Cheng” is a popular seafood restaurant on the right side after the clock tower. Its very famous and anyone can guide you to it.
My favourite place and definitely a don’t miss place to eat is “Baan Tanai Coffee” it is right next to the Clock Tower on the main road with some white ferry lights. This place is really awesome and serves mouth watering Dimsum at 10-20 baht till late at night. It also serves the Best Iced “Ko Pee” I have ever had anywhere for only 20 baht. The lady who runs it is called Ying. Do tell her Eddie and family from Pakistan said hi. The place is open till late and has a nice open air atmosphere. It’s only a 5 minute tuk tuk drive from the railway station or bus station.
The main Trang waterfalls are lovely and the Dragon cave (Le Khaokob cave) is well worth a thrilling experience. Don’t miss it. Rambutan farms are on both sides while driving to the waterfalls. Lush greenery is everywhere.
The Paak Meng beach was a big disappointment with shallow water and a very dirty littered beach. The accommodation was rustic. I checked many places charging 400 to 700 and found them all pretty pathetic, even Paak Meng resort.Paak Meng was also full of mosquitoes. Not being able to take a swim was the biggest disappointment.
The Amari Trang hotel on Paak Meng was the exception, gorgeous and right on the beach with all the 5 star amenities. Price 2700 baht in offseason. My bargaining skills left me helpless so decided to go to Amari Trang next when I hit the jackpot lol. Understand its now completely closed, must have been my evil eyeJ.
Best to stay in town at Thumrin hotel, and hire a scooter to go all around or rent a car from Krabi. Trang also has Pizza Company and Swensens. A few minutes away you also have a Big C. Right next to the railway station is an old but big shopping center for clothes though I didn’t really find it too interesting. Loads of clothes for women.
Tezza again: I've found the Koteng Hotel about half way up the main street from the Trang railway station on the left a good clean low budget place.
If you have any questions, please ask them in THE FORUM rather than below. I don't get a chance to check all threads daily, but unless I'm travelling I'll try to monitor THE FORUM regularly.
