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Want to experience the most beautiful beach in Thailand? Paradise Beach on Koh Kradan is it. Well, I think it is.
Tiny Koh Kradan (only 2.4 square kilometers!) is one of Thailand’s Trang Islands on the dreamy Andadan Coast. It’s a popular day trip destination from nearby Koh Mook and Koh Ngai for the spectacular white sand Paradies Beach with crystal clear turquoise water. This beach has to be seen to be believed – it’s that perfect.
But here’s the thing – I don’t think visiting Koh Kradan on a day trip does it justice.
If that is all the time you have, then by all means, visit on a day trip – it’s definitely still worth it. But if you have a night or two (or more) to spare, there are a number of reasons why I think you should stay overnight on the island instead.
We spent two nights on Koh Kradan and could have easily spent even more time. It’s true that it isn’t the cheapest island, but a night or two is worth the splurge, and then you can continue on to the super authentic Thai island of Koh Libong where everything is much cheaper to balance it out after.
So if you are considering whether you should spend at least a night on Koh Kradan, let me convince you…
Why You Should Spend Longer Than a Day on Koh Kradan
Explore More of the Island
There is more to Koh Kradan than just its most famous beach, but you don’t have much time to explore more of the island if you are just visiting on a day trip as a “day trip” here is actually only a few hours.
Stay longer and you can hike through the jungle to Sunset Beach to see a glorious sunset, visit lovely Ao Niang Beach to snorkel on the reef just offshore, go diving with Sevenseas Resort – the island is part of the protected Hat Chao Mai National Park so the diving is excellent, or you can even kayak around the island.
This island truly is a dream so it’s definitely worth making the time to experience more of it.
Escape the Day-Tripping Crowds
‘Crowds’ is a relative term here because tourism on Koh Kradan is not excessive like on Koh Samui, Koh Phi Phi and Phuket, but it is a small island and although Paradise Beach is 1.5 km long, it does get pretty crowded during the day.
Most of the day trips visit the beach between approximately 10 am and 3 pm so you won’t have to share the beach with many other people if you visit outside these hours – something that would be hard to do if you aren’t spending at least a night.
Experience the Sunset From Koh Kradan
One of my favorite things to do on any Thai island is to watch the sunset from the beach – I don’t know if I have seen a more spectacular sunset than a Thai island sunset. If you stay overnight on Koh Kradan you can catch the sunset at the aptly named Sunset Beach.
It is around a 15-minute walk through the jungle to reach the beach so make sure you take a flashlight for the journey back.
If you don’t want to walk through the jungle at night, I also enjoyed walking Paradise Beach as the sky changed colors from blue to pink and orange to black. You don’t get to experience that on a day trip.
See the Main Beach During High Tide and Low Tide
Paradise Beach changes drastically depending on what tide it is when you visit and it will definitely affect your experience, possibly badly, if you visit at the wrong time.
During high tide it is actually quite deep close to shore, which I like, during mid tide it is shallow and you can walk out for ages without it getting much deeper than knee-deep, and then at low tide, the water recedes dramatically and you have to walk over lots of muddy sand to even reach the water.
If your day trip happened to be timed with low tide, you definitely wouldn’t see the beach at its best and would likely be disappointed. So stay overnight and you will get to experience Paradise Beach during all its different phases.
Enjoy This Paradise Island For Longer
Why would you want to only spend a few hours at one of the most beautiful beaches in Thailand? Seriously – it’s not enough time to soak up all its beauty. We spent two nights and two days on Koh Kradan and I wish we had a couple more nights to just relax and enjoy the gorgeous beach.
So have I convinced you to spend more than a day on Koh Kradan? I hope so – you won’t regret it!
Plan Your Koh Kradan Vacation
Where To Stay on Koh Kradan
There aren’t a lot of accommodation options on Koh Kradan and most of them are not very budget-friendly. Make sure to book in advance or you may miss out during high season.
We stayed at Kradan Beach Resort and really enjoyed our beach bungalow – especially the front porch where I spent a lot of time reading and gazing out at the beach. The food was pretty good here too, especially the whole fried fish with garlic and pepper. We paid $85 per night to stay here.
The most budget-friendly option is Paradise Lost Bungalows which offers simple rooms and bungalows about a ten-minute walk inland from the beach. These go for around $30 – $40 per night usually.
The Sevenseas Resort Koh Kradan, Mali Kradan, and The Reef Resort are all more luxurious (but more expensive) options, starting at over $100 per night.
How To Get To Koh Kradan
We arrived on Koh Kradan from Koh Ngai by ferry, with a short stop in Koh Mook. We then caught a private longtail to Koh Libong that we arranged through our resort.
You can catch the ferry or a private longtail boat from Koh Mook, Koh Ngai, Koh Lipe, and Koh Lanta, as well as the mainland with connections from Krabi and Trang Airports. Both airports have flights from Bangkok daily.
If you are coming from another island, book with a travel agent or through your accommodations, and if you are flying in from Krabi or Trang Airport, you can book a shuttle/ferry combo on arrival with an airport travel agent.
When To Visit Koh Kradan
You should definitely visit during the high season from November till April for blue skies and little chance of rain. Outside of these months, there can be a lot of storms and rain, and not many ferries or accommodation options.
The Best Insurance For Your Thailand Trip
Make sure you get travel and health insurance before your Thailand trip, just to be on the safe side. Safety Wing is my go-to and they are cheap and easy to claim with.
Safety Wing also allows you to sign up when you are already traveling, unlike a lot of other travel insurance providers.
If you liked this post, why not check out some more of my Thailand posts:
- Don’t Miss Koh Libong: One of Thailand’s Most Authentic Local Islands
- Visit Thong Nai Pan: A Quieter Side to Koh Phangan, Thailand
- Fun Things To Do in Koh Lanta For Budget Travelers
- A Fun Thai Adventure: Exploring and Rock Climbing in Railay Bay
- Koh Phi Phi Island Tour: A Day at ‘The Beach’
- One Week Koh Lanta Guide: The Imperfect Island of my Dreams
- The Best Koh Lipe Snorkeling and Island-Hopping Tour
- Things To Do in Koh Lipe: A Real Thai Paradise
- Fun and Adventurous Things To Do in Pai, Thailand
- Temple Hopping and Stuffing My Face in Chiang Mai
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