Klong Chao Beach
Koh Kood, Trat, Thailand
Klong Chao is one of the best known beaches on Koh Kood, an island in Trat province, Thailand, near the Cambodian border, where a freshwater canal meets the sea beside a stretch of pale, powder soft sand lined with coconut palms. The water stays calm and shallow well out from shore, and a waterfall a short walk upriver gives the beach a second stop built in.
One of the most reliably beautiful beaches on an island that still feels underdeveloped, but the lack of banks or ATMs and limited ferry schedule mean it takes real planning to reach.
Combine the beach with the Klong Chao waterfall just upstream, reachable by longtail boat up the canal or a short walk, and go before midday when the tour boats from the pier start arriving.
Koh Kood has no bridge to the mainland, so getting there means a ferry or speedboat from Trat, and once on the island most people get around by rented scooter or resort shuttle rather than a car.
The beach is a flat, easy walk from the nearby resorts and the canal mouth, with sand that stays firm enough for an easy stroll even for young kids.
The dry season from November through April brings the calmest water and sunniest days, while the wet season from May through October can bring heavy rain and rougher ferry crossings from Trat.
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