White sand, clear water and almost nothing else: Koh Kradan

Koh Lanta: 4 Islands, Emerald Cave & Koh Kradan by Longtail

The most-reviewed trip that reaches Koh Kradan, with well over a thousand reviews. A traditional longtail takes you south from Koh Lanta to the Trang islands: Emerald Cave, snorkelling stops and a beach lunch. There are two options — pick the one that names Koh Kradan if the island is why you are going.

• Swim through Emerald Cave to the hidden beach on Koh Muk
• Snorkel stops on the reefs of the Trang islands
• Beach lunch — choose the option that includes Koh Kradan

4-Island Tour from Koh Lanta to Koh Kradan with Beach Lunch

A full day built around Koh Kradan, rated 4.6 by several hundred travellers: island-hopping and snorkelling through the Trang islands, with lunch on Kradan’s white east beach. A good choice if you want real beach time on Kradan rather than a quick stop.

• Lunch on the beach at Koh Kradan
• Snorkelling and island-hopping in the Trang islands
• Pickup available from many Koh Lanta hotels

Koh Lanta: 4 Islands, Emerald Cave & Koh Kradan by Speedboat

The same classic route as the longtail trips, but by speedboat, which cuts the crossing time from Lanta and leaves more time in the water. Rated 4.7, with lunch on Koh Kradan. Speedboats are less comfortable in a choppy sea, so it is best in the calm months.

• Faster crossings by speedboat — more time at the stops
• Emerald Cave, coral reef snorkelling and island beaches
• Buffet lunch on Koh Kradan

Trang: Full-Day Big Boat Adventure to Kradan & Chueak Islands

The best-established GetYourGuide trip from the Trang side: a full day on a bigger boat to Emerald Cave, Koh Kradan and the reefs of Koh Chueak. A bigger boat is steadier in a swell, though less nimble at the stops. Rated 4.2 from a small number of reviews.

• Emerald Cave and its hidden beach
• Koh Kradan and snorkelling at Koh Chueak
• A larger, steadier boat than a longtail

Trang: 4 Islands Full-Day Tour with Snorkeling & Lunch

Another full-day 4-islands tour starting from Trang, with the Emerald Cave, Koh Kradan and snorkelling at Koh Chueak and Koh Waen, plus lunch. New on GetYourGuide and not yet reviewed — compare it with the Trang big-boat trip before you decide.

• Emerald Cave’s hidden lagoon
• White sand on Koh Kradan
• Reef snorkelling at Koh Chueak and Koh Waen, with lunch

From Ko Kradan: Private Long-Tail Boat Adventure

The one GetYourGuide product that leaves from Koh Kradan itself: a private longtail for three to four hours to Emerald Cave, Koh Ngai and the reef at Koh Chueak. If you are staying on Kradan, this is the simplest way to see the other islands — and you can go early, before the day-trip boats from Lanta arrive. No reviews yet; resorts on Kradan can also arrange boats.

• Starts on Koh Kradan itself — no transfer needed
• Morakot (Emerald) Cave, Koh Ngai and Koh Chueak
• Priced per boat, so good value for a small group

The East Beach, Koh Kradan

Kradan’s long white beach facing Koh Muk

The island’s main beach runs along the east coast: fine white sand, shallow turquoise water and a view across the channel to the limestone cliffs of Koh Muk and, on clear days, the mountains of the Trang mainland. Almost all of Kradan’s resorts sit behind it, and day-trip boats pull in here around lunchtime.

Sunset Beach, Koh Kradan

A short jungle walk to the west coast

A small, wild beach on Kradan’s west side, reached by a signposted path through the forest from the east beach in roughly a quarter of an hour. There is little or nothing built here — just sand, rocks and the open Andaman Sea — which makes it the island’s favourite place to watch the sun go down.

The Kradan House Reef

Snorkelling straight off the east beach

A fringing reef runs along parts of Kradan’s east coast, close enough to swim to from the sand at the right tide. It is the reason most Trang island-hopping trips stop here: hard and soft corals, reef fish and, with luck, a turtle — all in warm, usually clear water in the dry season.

Emerald Cave (Tham Morakot), Koh Muk

Swim through a sea cave to a hidden beach

The most famous stop on the Trang 4-islands trip: an opening in the limestone cliffs of Koh Muk, through which you swim or are guided along a dark passage of roughly 80 metres to a small beach enclosed by sheer, jungle-hung walls. Entry depends on the tide, and boats time their visits to it.

Koh Ngai (Koh Hai)

Soft sand, resorts and clear water to the north

A forested island north of Kradan with a long, soft-sand beach on its east coast, a handful of resorts and some easy snorkelling just offshore. It belongs to Krabi province administratively but is usually counted among the Trang islands, and it is a regular lunch or swim stop on 4-islands trips.

Koh Chueak & Koh Waen

The 4-islands trip’s snorkelling stops

Two small, steep limestone islets between Koh Muk and Koh Ngai, uninhabited and ringed with coral. They are the snorkelling stops on most Trang 4-islands trips: boats anchor beside the cliffs and you drop straight in among reef fish — and often a crowd of other boats in peak season.