Koh Kudu & Koh Nok – lagoon, beach and silence in Phang Nga Bay

Koh Kudu, more precisely Koh Kudu Yai, is a limestone island with a lagoon accessible through an opening in the rock wall. Depending on the water level you swim or wade in, and inside a quiet, green-shimmering space open to the sky awaits.

As with Koh Roi, access depends on the tides. A captain with experience in the bay knows when the window is right – and when it is better to visit the neighbouring islands first.

Koh Nok is a small island with a pale sandy beach and views of the bay’s karst towers. This is where you stop for lunch, swim in calm water and enjoy the silence. There are hardly any facilities – everything you need comes on the boat.

It is precisely the absence of beach bars and sunloungers that makes it special. Instead of music you hear the sea; instead of crowds you see rocks and water.

A typical route combines Koh Roi, Koh Kudu and Koh Nok. The order is adjusted to the tides. The ride between the islands passes through one of the world’s most impressive karst landscapes – hundreds of green-clad rocks rising from the water.

Most group tours from Ao Nang focus on the Poda group, Hong and Phi Phi. The Phang Nga Bay islands are a little awkward for big boats with a fixed schedule, and tide-dependent lagoons fit poorly into a rigid timetable. For a small private boat these are not obstacles but exactly the opportunities that make a day special.

Of course, no place is guaranteed empty – but the chance of having a lagoon or beach to yourself is much higher here than at the classics.

The bay is well protected from the open sea by islands and mainland. That is why the route to Koh Kudu and Koh Nok is doable on many days even during the southwest monsoon, when trips towards Phi Phi or Koh Rok would be too rough.

It is still most pleasant in the dry season. In the morning the bay is often glassy and the karst towers are mirrored in the water – a sight worth getting up early for.

Koh Nok is the perfect swim stop: the water off the beach is usually calm and shallow, ideal for swimming and for children. You can snorkel along the rocks at the edges of the beach, although visibility in Phang Nga Bay is rarely as clear as at the islands in the open sea.

For relaxing, find a spot in the shade of the trees at the edge of the beach – the boat’s hardtop cabin also gives shade. The water is clearest at high tide and in the dry season.

The lagoons are small, enclosed ecosystems. Please don’t step on coral or plants, leave no rubbish and don’t disturb wildlife. Reef-safe sunscreen is required in Thai marine national parks anyway.