What to do on the island of Koh Mook, Thailand – Hiking on Koh Mook & Kayaking in the Andaman Sea

Koh Mook, a delightful little island in the Andaman Sea. Koh Mook ( also Koh Muk ) is part of the Trang Islands group and falls under the Hat Chao Mai National Park. I visited it during my trip in March ’23 and found it really a super nice relaxed island. I came from the busy and touristy Koh Lipe and had also been to Langkawi, Malaysia, for a while before that so was already fully into the island rhythm. Hiking on Koh Mook was lovely again and kayaking in the Andaman Sea was another great workout!

Hiking on Koh Mook & Kayakking in the Andaman Sea

This island is nowhere near as touristy as Koh Lipe, and that was precisely what was very welcome. I really felt the local feel of laidback Thailand here. When I had just arrived on the island, I briefly walked into the village, the ‘bustling’ centre of Koh Mook. There are a few shops, lots of restaurants and some hostels. Right from the pier, you walk up a slightly wider street into the island. After a while, you come to a turning to the left. That one goes to a school…and then to some resorts.

At that turn-off is Mr Dew and he can tell you all about the island, what you can do there and what the best times are. I was given a handy map with his tips and then set off.

Hiking on Koh Mook

• Walking along villages / beach walk Koh Mook

That afternoon, I started with a walk on Koh Mook towards the local village. But since I had heard from Mr Dew that I should actually do a beach walk in front of the resorts to see the crabs around 3 o’clock, I stayed there first. I drank a coke on a beach terrace there and sat on a swing for a bit. Of course, a nice beach walk on Koh Mook is not a punishment at all.

Beach Walk Koh Mook – Thailand

I did see all those other crabs that clean the sand to eat the algae off and put away in that pellets in pretty patterns on the beach. You’ve probably seen them too. They are super small and almost the same colour as the beach. Super busy they are making all these beautiful perfectly round balls.

Not knowing how big those crabs were, I thought I wouldn’t see them when I still didn’t see anything around 3.30pm. I then continued walking on the beach and suddenly I did see something moving. As I got closer, I also saw the ‘droves’ of little crabs running away. What a super sight!

Strolling the beaches of Koh Mook – Thailand

Tip: Take a beach walk Koh Mook and see hundreds of crabs moving across the beach. This is so after 3pm on Sivalay Beach in front of Riviera Beach Resort and Koh Mook De Tara Beach Resort among others. I really enjoyed seeing it.

I spent some time trying to get them in the picture, not causing any shadow myself and getting close. I have searched online what name belongs to this crab but I can’t figure it out. If you know, I’d love to hear it!

There are two paths that go through the local village on Koh Mook. The footpaths eventually rejoin the main road to Charlie Beach. You really walk through the local village with houses here and there on stilts, a lot of rubbish I have to be honest near the houses. We always make it neat around the house but that was far from the case here. Even when I peeked inside the houses, I didn’t think they were very tidy.

I saw all kinds of stuff packed inside. Not much space to make yourself comfortable and cosy, at first sight. Of course, I didn’t look behind the houses so who knows there? In the climate of Koh Mook, you obviously live much more outside than inside…

• To get you started with hiking on Koh Mook, I share with you the location of this road
  GPS location road through the local village

Hiking on Koh Mook Thailand

After the local village, turn left before Charlie Beach on the slightly larger road and walk about 1.5 kilometres more. I found it a nice walk across the island of Koh Mook. You come across some shops, a petrol station which I only know from the old days here in the NL. And lots of palm and banana trees, of course!

What to do on the island of Koh Mook, Thailand

Largely, the road is already well constructed and they are still working on it. And so I also walked a bit on an unpaved road, which actually brought a charm…but also a lot of dust haha. As with everything, this too has advantages and disadvantages.

At Charlie Beach, you can then enjoy the late afternoon, have a drink or a meal. There is plenty to do on the small beach. I took the tuktuk back from there. This always costs 50 baht p.p. for a single trip across the island to anywhere. You don’t have to bargain, it’s a fixed price that applies to everyone and always. If you share the taxi with several people, there is room for negotiation.

• Jungle hike Koh Mook to Jungle Viewpoint

A fine hiking trail has been set out on the island of Koh Mook. A real jungle walk on Koh Mook that takes you to a nice viewpoint. You can take the path inland from the resort Inhale at Hill. There you’ll pass the nursing home and then disappear into the rubber plantations. At one point, the path splits and I chose the left side which should have been right. After a hefty climb into the rubber plantation where I was holding a rope to get up, this path appeared to really stop and I turned around.

After this, I did see where it went wrong. I overlooked a red arrow on a rubber tree because the path is really indicated where needed.

After this turn-off, there was actually no more indication needed. There is just 1 fine jungle path leading uphill. Partly through the rubber plantation and later through the forest. It soon warmed up and the jungle sounds were lovely around me. I encountered 1 couple on my way up. And when I reached the top at the jungle viewpoint, another couple was standing there.

Jungle hike Koh Mook & Kayakking in the Andaman Sea

I took my time there and walked around, took some photos and when the couple had left
Also took a picture of myself in a yoga pose of course 🙂

I loved hiking on Koh Mook – Thailand

Soon after, Englishwoman Angela came upstairs. She told me a whole story about why she had been on Koh Mook for weeks. The reason was that she was writing a book about her life her childhood in a family of travellers/gypsies, brother who had died of an overdose, abuse in a home she was placed in and all the drama in those tumultuous 70s/80s. Who her father was she did not know, probably a Greek or Egyptian. In quick succession and with that typical British Snake accent, she told me this. I found it super interesting.

As a final comment, she said: I guess you now think why did I ask her? Haha that’s exactly what I didn’t think. These encounters actually colour your day!

After this, I calmly walked down again. I loved the walk and downhill felt less hot for me and also took my time again. I took a fine lunch of rice with curry at Dulay Cafe.

GPS Jungle View Point Koh Mook

• Jungle Hike Koh Mook to Ao Lo Dung Beach

There is also a nice walking path leading to Ao Lo Dung beach. This is a really nice jungle walk Koh Mook to do in the morning. Not very challenging but it takes you to two nice secluded beaches where you can snorkel and or relax for a while.

When I reach the beach, I take a moment to ‘stare ahead’. Lovely with those sounds of the sea and jungle in the background. When I start looking around again I see several little shells crawling by. So cute!

I really enjoyed the jungle walk again, I heard a lot of birds and monkeys again. I also saw some beautiful butterflies and reptiles! I’ve only been taking photos with my mobile in recent years and that’s quite difficult with reptiles, birds and butterflies.

Once I got back, I was really hungry and took a late breakfast/early lunch on the terrace of Exhale Bar & Cafe. See at eating in Koh Mook for a picture of this 🙂

• Duration of the walk is about an hour there and an hour back. So then it depends a bit on how long you spend time on the two little beaches.

GPS beach 1 / GPS beach Ao Lo Dung

Tips for kayakking on Koh Mook – Thailand

Kayakking and snorkling near Koh Mook

Kayaking and snorkelling Koh Mook, that should definitely be part of your trip on this paradise island in the Andaman Sea. On the last afternoon I stayed on this cute little island, I went kayaking out into the Andaman Sea. On the map I got the first day, I could see that there would be some caves along the coast that I could visit. There was also beach to visit, Sabai Beach. During the jungle walk to the jungle viewpoint, I had looked over this bay. So now I could go snorkelling down there for a while.

Since I also checked in at Mayow Bungelow that afternoon, I could get a kayak through them. They arrange that through Mong Bar Koh Mook. This is at the very far corner of Charlie Beach, just next to Koyao Bungelows which has a raised terrace.

After a bit of fitting and measuring for the snorkel, I set off. Taking my waterproof bag with me and my phone in its case. I can tell you that you think you’re about to go around the corner of the cliffs when you’re on the beach…. Until you get on the water and start kayaking. It took quite a while for me to stop seeing the beach.

So then I was alone in the kayak and sailing along an immensely high cliff. The water below me was quite dark so I couldn’t see anything. You might not expect this from me right away but I don’t really like fishing. I certainly don’t swim easily here in the North Sea either. It is far too dark and so I can’t see if there are fish swimming near my legs. And so now too, I was safe on the kayak but I couldn’t see at all what was swimming below me.

And then your brain starts running away with you. So stupid… for the same money a big fish swims and flips my kayak…and then what? It took a while and then I was able to pull myself together. Really huh? Get a hold of yourself! Hardly anything ever happens and the fear is in fact irrational…. And suppose something does happen then worrying about it when it hasn’t happened yet has no added value….

My Kayaking adventure Koh Mook

• Tiger Cave

I started concentrating on the beautiful cliff I was passing. I saw all the crabs walking on it. And I made a nice arc around a rock wall sticking out of the water like that, saw there that the ground appeared partially visible and that it didn’t seem to be as deep as before. I also passed a stretch that I think is the Tiger Cave. I was able to enter it and took a few photos.

Moving on again, I saw some tourist boats moored along the towering cliff face. As I got closer, I saw that this was the Emerald Cave. I with my small kayak did not want to go between those big boats so I went around it. I resolved to enter the Emerald Cave on the way back.

• Sabai Beach

It didn’t take me long to get to Sabai Beach. I was happy to get out of the kayak, have some ground under my feet and walk around a bit. What a nice little beach! There were some other people there, either with boat or kayak. I snorkelled there for a while and saw quite a lot of colourful fish again. So typical that I dare to do this, huh? Usually the fish don’t come very close and I can see where they are through those glasses… That gives me the confidence then anyway.

After about an hour, I moved on again. I still wanted to look around the corner at Sabai Beach. It was a very long stretch where I didn’t see anything else so I turned around. I wanted to enter the Emerald Cave ( Tham Morakot ), of course, and I didn’t want to be too late. When I reached the Emerald Cave, I saw that there was only one tourist boat left.

• Emerald Cave

They were all just in the water and wanted to get ready to enter the cave in a little train, with the guide in front. Quickly I asked them if I could join them…. It’s quite a dark cave and once we floated in, I realised I definitely wouldn’t have done this alone. I think it’s about 100 metres you have to go through in the dark before you get to the opening. So there is really quite a stretch where you can’t see the entrance or the exit and so it was pitch black.

I clung tightly to my predecessor, not thinking about the dark hole behind me. Listening to the giggling of the women in the Asian group I was now part of. I have to say that the men giggled just as much…. It’s just kind of an exciting experience, being in the dark like this, in the water slowly floating into the cave.

And then suddenly some light came in again. Slowly we floated to the end the Emerald Cave. The point where a secret lagoon awaits you…. You can walk up the beach and find yourself among the immensely high cliffs. How it was formed I don’t know but it looks like a huge hole was once punched just offshore…. If you enter the cave at high tide, half the beach is still under water, the photos I see online are really super. With me, the water was already gone. Apart from that, it is a really nice place to stand for a while.

Warning: You are not allowed to enter the cave by kayak. So you cannot kayak to the little beach in Emerald Cave. I read this on other blogs but then that has changed. There is clearly a sign at the entrance with the directions. There is also a rope that you can easily attach your kayak to for a while if you go swimming in it.

Safe and Healthy Travel in Thailand

GPS Sabai Beach / GPS Emerald Cave

Sunset at Charly Beach

As the last highlight of Koh Mook, I want to highlight this one. The sunset at Charlie Beach is super! There are all little tents along the edge of the beach with food and drinks and they all have chairs, beanbags etc. So you can sit there and wait for it to happen. I did not expect to see any colour as the sun was not really visible due to clouds.

Then, just before I wanted to give up, it started to colour. And it got brighter, more pink and orange and real!
It was a spectacle of colours and not just a minute…. It was amazingly coloured for at least 10 minutes!

Everyone got up and took photos, walked towards the water and posed beautifully in front of this amazingly coloured backdrop. This was really worth the wait!

The best sunset of the island

GPS Charlie Beach

Where to stay on Koh Mook?

• Sea Side Home

I stayed at the lovely Sea Side Home. I loved the place! From the bed I could look straight out over the sea, as the room had two large sliding glass doors to the terrace. This super nice terrace was high above the beach and at high tide the sea almost disappeared under it.

I had still hoped to see a dugong passing by in front of my terrace. I understood that this is the most perfect spot to spot them on the island. On the side where the pier is and where lots of grass grows in the shallow water. Unfortunately, I did not see a dugong.

You can have tea, coffee and water all day and the owner also makes sure there is some fruit or other snacks for you. When I was there, I got sticky rice wrapped in banana leaf for breakfast!

• Mayow Bungelow Kohmook Trang

If you want to stay close to Charlie Beach, Mayow Bungelow is ideal. I stayed here my last night because I wanted to kayak and it is right next to Charlie Beach. They also offer kayak rental included with your room. Also nice right? You’ll have to rent the snorkel if you want to use that too.

At Mayow you can also eat, there is also a restaurant. But at Charlie Beach, of course, you also have plenty of choice and is less than 5 minutes’ walk away.

Do know that you can only pay in cash on this side of the island. So make sure you have enough cash with you.

Withdrawing money can only be done on the island of Koh Mook in the village near the pier. There is an ATM machine next to the local supermarket.

Where to eat on Koh Mook?

• Near the village on Koh Mook

On the Koh Mook side where I first sat, I ate at Seaview on the fine terrace. I found the food really delicious and enjoyed it fully twice. Of course, here is also the village itself and there they also all have somewhat larger restaurants with large terraces on the street side. I do prefer to sit by the beach anyway and take in some smaller restaurants.

At Dulay Cafe, I ate the jungle viewpoint trek after hiking on Koh Mook. A delicious curry with rice on yet another nice terrace overlooking the Andaman sea.

After the hike to Ao Lo Dung beach, I ate a rather pricey late breakfast at Exhale Bar & Cafe. This one was then very extensive with lots of fresh fruit…. I’m certainly not complaining about it but the price was 3x higher than I expected 🙂

On the beach near several resorts, I ate Perfect Bar & restaurant. I ordered an egg dish there which I really liked. It was boiled eggs that were then deep-fried with a delicious spicy, sambal sauce on top. With that, I had nasi goreng.

• Staying on the other side of the island?

Of course, if you stay at Charlie Beach on Koh Mook, you have plenty of choices there also on the beach. In addition, I ate at my hotel, Mayow, also delicious

Kayakking and Hiking on Koh Mook

Coming & Going Koh Mook

The largest city in the area is Trang, here there is an airport. So it is convenient to fly from Bangkok or other places in Thailand to Trang and from there catch a bus or taxi to Khuang Tu Ku pier to catch the boat/ferry to Koh Mook. I left Koh Mook on the 8am ferry in the morning and was taken to Trang where I booked a bus straight to Surat Thani. While there, I also caught another bus straight away to Khao Sok National Park. Here in the same day I had checked into my hotel for dinner.

• From / to Koh Lipe

I booked the speedboat to go from Koh Lipe to Koh Mook in a few hours. On the way, it makes some short stops at other islands and I found it a great way to travel. I paid 1350 baht / €36.75 for this trip, and if you look around a bit, everything seems to be pretty much the same price. It was a trip of about 2 to 3 hours.

• From / to Khuang Tung Ku Pier / Trang

For the taxi from my hotel to the boat and boat to Khuang Tung Ku Pier and on by bus to Trang bus station, I paid 250 Baht. I bought this ticket on Koh Mook at the first desk as you exit the pier on the left. Converted, this is less than €5.00. I went straight on to Surat Thani by bus that day and paid 180 Baht for that and when I was there I booked a bus to Khao Sok NP for 250 Baht. The buses I booked were all small vans, so-called VIP buses or small 10-person vans.

Do pay attention at Surat Thani bus station. I was first accosted by a male who wanted to help me very smoothly and helpful but offered the same bus ride for 650 baht…. And then soon 450… So this is really too much! Go to a ticket office where you will be helped properly.

Do you have Koh Mook on your list too?
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I hope you enjoy this beautiful world as much as I do