Your Ultimate Guide to Koh Mook Island, Thailand

Koh Mook is a small picturesque island in the Andaman Sea. This idyllic island has a lot to offer: Beautiful white sandy beaches lined with tall coconut palm trees, and corals with rich underwater life. The treasure of the island is breathtaking Emerald Cave with the hidden lagoon. A large part of the island is covered with jungle. Koh Mook (sometimes called Ko Muk) is thanks to its size an ideal destination for all who want to avoid mass tourism.

Getting to Koh Mook Island

The easiest way to get to Koh Mook from the mainland is to buy a combined “joint ticket” from a transport company at Trang bus or train station. Just ask directly at the station, they will be happy to give you advice. The combined ticket includes a minivan transfer to Kuan Tung Ku Pier and a boat to Koh Mook Island.

  • Phuket to Koh Mook Island – You can get from Phuket to Koh Mook Island by ferry. The ferry departs from Phuket’s Rassada Pier. The journey from Phuket to Koh Muk takes about 4 hours.
  • Koh Lanta to Koh Mook Island – The fastest way to get from Koh Lanta to Koh Muk is by speedboat, which takes about 45 minutes. A cheaper option is to take the ferry, which takes approximately 1 hour 15 minutes.
  • Krabi to Koh Mook Island – The ferry from Krabi to Koh Mook Island departs from Krabi Klong Jilad Pier twice a day. If you travel from Krabi town, you can usually buy a joint ticket (minivan and boat ticket combined).

Things to do on Koh Mook Island

Emerald Cave – Koh Mook

The most famous attraction of Koh Mook is the Emerald Cave (also called Tham Morakot in Thai). It is truly one of the best things to experience on Koh Mook Island. You can reach a beautiful lagoon with an idyllic sandy beach through the cave system – it used to be a former pirate hideout (and I am not surprised – it is a perfectly hidden place). The cave itself is about 80 meters long and you will definitely need a flashlight (preferably a waterproof headlamp) if you want to explore it by yourself.

The cave can be reached by an organized trip from other islands, by private longtail boat or you can paddle there on a kayak.

Entering the lagoon from Emerald Cave at Koh Mook (Ko Muk) Island.
Entering the lagoon from Emerald Cave at Koh Mook (Ko Muk) Island.

Organized excursions don’t have such a charm and feel of an adventure (one boat after another comes here from Koh Lanta and other islands). That’s why we recommend kayaking there on your own. You will have a chance to be the only one in the lagoon (at least for a while) and for any time you want. The water in the cave has an amazing color! For photos, we recommend GoPro or at least waterproof phone or camera case (we drown one of our phones while taking pictures in the cave).

Visit Emerald cave at low tide

To make it easy, go at low tide when you can paddle through the cave without any problems to its amazing lagoon. Start paddling early in the morning (if the tide allows) to avoid the crowds of tourists coming with boat tours from other islands.

Snorkeling

You will find several nice snorkeling spots around the Ko Muk Island. You can get there either on a kayak or take a longtail boat around the island and explore these snorkeling spots.

Kayaking

Rent a kayak and go exploring! We can definitely recommend a day trip around the island. It is easy to paddle around the whole island in one day. You can stop at all the beaches, in Koh Mook Emerald Cave, and snorkel anywhere you want.

Kayaking video of the journey from Charlie Beach to Emerald Cave and lagoon:

Koh Mook Beaches

Savalai Beach (Ao Kham Beach)

Sivalai Beach is the most beautiful beach of the island, it was named after the Sivalai Beach Resort. The resort is situated on a sandy promontory, which is even larger at low tide. There is a beautiful beach with clear water on both sides and it can be reached by foot even if you are not staying in Sivalai Resort. You can’t miss this awesome beach!

Check out this drone footage of Savalai Beach:

Charlie Beach (Haad Farang Beach)

Haad Farang Beach got its nickname again thanks to the resort called Charlie Beach Resort. You can easily walk there from the village in about half an hour or you can jump on a moto-taxi. From Charlie Beach, you can enjoy the sunset and views of the nearby island of Koh Kradan. Snacks are available at the nearby bar or at one of the restaurants on the way to Charlie Beach.

Sabai Beach

To get to the Sabai beach you need to go quite a long way through the jungle, so it’s more comfortable to paddle there. Sabai Beach is located in a beautiful bay and thanks to its difficult accessibility, there aren’t many people. There are also no facilities, simply a beautiful piece of nature.

View from Sabai Beach
View from Sabai Beach

Ao Lo Dang Beach

The beach itself is nothing special, but there is a beautiful spot for snorkeling. Again, you can get there either by walking through the jungle or on the kayak. We did not even meet a single person on this beach.

Trip to Koh Ngai & Koh Kradan Islands

If you feel like exploring the surrounding area, visit nearby islands of Koh Ngai or Koh Kradan. You can go there for a day trip, but why not to stay there a few more days. Koh Kradan and Koh Ngai also have beautiful beaches and you will see different but beautiful places. From there you can continue to Koh Lanta or Phuket, which are significantly busier and much more touristy islands compared to Koh Muk.

Check these best things to do in Koh Kradan.

Koh Kradan have long and beutiful beaches.
Koh Kradan has long and beautiful beaches

Accommodation at Koh Mook Island

There are various options where to stay at Koh Mook Island, from sleeping in your own tent to the beautiful bungalows on a stunning beach. It depends only on your expectations and budget.

Koh Mook Sivalai Beach Resort is the No. 1 destination. Sivalai Resort offers accommodation on a beautiful sandy promontory with tall coconut palm trees and probably the most beautiful beach of the island. The resort has excellent reviews for services and amenities. Breakfast is included.

Mookies Bungalow is another popular accommodation. It has a great location close to Charlie Beach with a nice restaurant and with great reviews.

Koh Mook Garden Beach Resort is a budget option. If you have your own tent, camping is an option there. They have a swimming pool there and you can rent a kayak as well.

Best time to visit Koh Mook

The main season in the Andaman Sea starts in December and lasts until the beginning of April. You can expect sunny weather and nearly no rainy days during this period. Average temperatures are around 27 – 29 ° C. Rainy season comes in May. In general, try to avoid a period with the highest rainfall from August to mid-November.

Current Weather

TRANG Province WEATHER

Average Temperatures and Rainfall

Temperatures

Koh Mook Tips

  • Bring enough cash with you. The only ATM that you can find on the island is right in PK Minimart near the main pier. This ATM charge 5% of the transaction for withdrawals. Debit and Credit cards are accepted only in major resorts.
  • Prices are similar to other places in Thailand. Ko Muk is slightly cheaper compared to the neighboring islands of Koh Ngai and Koh Kradan.
  • Sockets – In Thailand, you will find a combination of different types of sockets (A, B, C) that vary from hotel to hotel, so the adapter might be handy. The voltage is 220 V, frequency 50 Hz.
  • Vaccination – no vaccination is compulsory in Thailand, but generally recommended are vaccinations against Hepatitis A, B, and Typhoid Fever.
  • Tap water is not drinkable.
  • Other places to visit: Check this Krabi itinerary for more inspiration.

Koh Mook map with all points of interest

We have prepared a detailed map of all the best things to do in Koh Mook to help you plan your trip out. Points of interest are divided by categories. Each category has a different color for easy orientation. The map can be exported and uploaded to the mobile map app like Maps.me or Locus maps.

Koh Mook map

Thai Islands – Where to go next?

Thailand is full of beautiful islands! Where to go next? We have prepared detailed guides for some other islands:

Watch this Thai Paradise video – from 2.22, you will see kayaking to the Emerald Cave:

More tips for your travels:

We have prepared for you this comprehensive list of links, discounts, and resources for travel planning in one place. Bookmark this page and whenever you plan a vacation in the future, just open it and save yourself a lot of time.

1) Where to book accommodation?

2) How to find cheap flights?

3) How to rent a car?

  • We recommend a comparison portal RentalCars.com to compare the best offers of all available rental companies.

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Koh Mook Island, Ultimate Guide (1)

Koh Mook FAQ – frequently asked questions:

What is the best accommodation on Koh Mook?

Here are various options where to stay at Koh Mook Island, from sleeping in your own tent to the beautiful bungalows on a stunning beach. It depends only on your expectations and budget.

Koh Mook Sivalai Beach Resort is the No. 1 destination. Sivalai Resort offers accommodation on a beautiful sandy promontory with tall coconut palm trees and probably the most beautiful beach of the island. The resort has excellent reviews for services and amenities. Breakfast is included.

Mookies Bungalow is another popular accommodation. It has a great location close to Charlie Beach with a nice restaurant and with great reviews.

Koh Mook Garden Beach Resort is a budget option. If you have your own tent, camping is an option there. They have a swimming pool there and you can rent a kayak as well.

What is the best time to visit Koh Mook island?

The main season in the Andaman Sea starts in December and lasts until the beginning of April. You can expect sunny weather and nearly no rainy days during this period. Average temperatures are around 27 – 29 ° C. Rainy season comes in May. In general, try to avoid a period with the highest rainfall from August to mid-November.

What to do on Koh Mook island?

The best things to do include snorkeling, kayaking, and trip to the Emerald Cave. Here you can find more about things to do on Koh Mook.

What are the best beaches on Koh Mook island?

The best beaches are Savalai Beach, Charlie Beach, Sabai Beach, and Ao Lo Dang Beach. Here you can find more about beaches on Koh Mook.

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