Koh Muk is a beautiful island in southern Thailand which is still undiscovered by most tourists. This is a shame for the lovely people on the island, but all the more fun if you want to experience authentic Thailand. There is plenty to do, Making it easy to stay there for 3 days. The island is also known as Koh Muk. Be careful not to confuse this with Koh Mak, Koh Mak is also a Thai island but is near Cambodia. Below we describe what you can do on Koh Muk, how to get here, what is the best travel time and where to eat, drink and stay.
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There are no cars on Koh Muk, only motorbikes. Motorbike cabs cost 50 baht (€1.30) per person per ride. So no matter where you go on Koh Muk, you always pay 50 Baht per person. If you don’t want to pay for this every time, you can also rent your own motorbike starting at 250 baht (€7) per day. If you go back and forth to the beach frequently from the village, this is recommended. We loved the freedom with the motorbike. The roads are often unpaved but it is not that difficult to drive yourself.
Emerald Cave
From all over southern Thailand, boatloads full of tourists come to the Emerald Cave. This is a special creation of nature. Between the high rocks you will find a beautiful beach with extremely clear water and green nature. It is most fun to be all alone at the Emerald Cave, and you can! Instead of joining an organized tour, you will kayak yourself, from Koh Muk, to the Cave.
Be at Charlie Beach (Garnet Beach) between 07:00 and 07:30. The kayak rental is already open. You get a life jacket, headlamp and possibly a drybag here. Kayak rental is 100 baht (€2.70) per hour.
From Charlie Beach, turn right, around a rock. After 20 – 30 minutes of kayaking, you need to pay close attention. The entrance is not very clearly marked, but probably 1 or 2 boats are already there. At low tide, you can take your kayak through the cave. Be sure to put on your headlamp because it is really dark here. After 2 minutes of kayaking, you will arrive at the Emerald Cave. If the tide is high, you can tie the kayak to the rope hanging at the entrance and go swimming through the Cave. The people who take the tour also all go swimming to the Cave so there is nothing crazy about this.
Hike in the jungle of Koh Muk
Although Koh Muk does not have the special jungle like, say Borneo, it is still worth walking around here. In each part of the island you will see different nature. There are large forests of deciduous trees but also whole fields of palm trees.
The diversity on Koh Muk is great. It is advisable to search for the trails via maps.me and try a few of them out.
Day trip to Koh Kradan
Koh Kradan is an island even more unknown than Koh Muk. It is a half-hour boat ride away and is known for its paradise like beaches. The water is clear and blue and the sand white. As a result, Koh Kradan is sometimes compared to the Maldives or the Philippines.
From Koh Muk, you can choose to take a day trip to Koh Kradan for snorkeling. In fact, the beautiful clear waters are home to hundreds of different species of fish and colorful coral. This is one of the most beautiful places we have snorkeled in Thailand.
The snorkeling trip takes about 6 hours and costs 600 baht (€16) per person. We were offered a private boat for 1300 Baht. If you share this with several travelers, this is a cheaper option. For this money, you get lunch, water and fruit.
It is also possible to stay one (or more) nights on Koh Kradan. There are 6 resorts on the island. Kayaks are easily available here so you can kayak to the coral, which is 30 meters away. Check booking.com for resorts on Koh Kradan.
Relaxing on the beach
On Koh Muk you can find several beaches but the nicest and most beautiful beach is Charlie Beach, also known as Garnet Beach. On this wonderful beach you will find many bars and sunbeds. You can watch the beautiful sunset here every evening.
This also makes Charlie Beach the most popular beach on Koh Muk. Yet it is not nearly as crowded here as Koh Phi Phi or Ao Nang. That’s what makes Koh Muk so nice, the feeling of a hidden gem keeps coming up here. You can easily get to Charlie Beach by motorbike or motorbike taxi.
Climb to the viewpoint of Koh Muk
To get a good view of Koh Muk, you can hike to the viewpoint. Navigate to Forest House Koh Mukand drive as far as you can. From here you can walk up in about 20 – 40 minutes. Because you are walking through the dense jungle, it is advisable to bring mosquito spray. A large bottle of water is also nice to have with you; it can get quite hot. Be sure not to do this hike between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. because of the heat.
Best travel time Koh Muk
November to May is generally the best time to visit Koh Muk. The temperature then ranges between 25 and 32 degrees. November and December may still see occasional heavy rain but after that it is mostly dry. From June to October is the low season. The temperature will not drop below 20 degrees during the rainy season, but there will be much more rain pouring.
How do you get to Koh Muk?
Koh Muk lies between Koh Lipe and Koh Lanta. From these islands, you can easily buy a boat ticket to Koh Muk. From Koh Lipe it is a 2-hour boat ride and from Koh Lanta it is 1 hour. If you come from the mainland you will take the ferry to Koh Muk in the village of Trang.
For all itineraries, check out 12GO. You can also easily book your tickets here. Want to discover more gems like Koh Muk in Thailand? Then check out our authentic travel itinerary through Thailand.
Best accommodations on Koh Muk
For the backpacker, the Phusam Big Resort is the best place to stay on Koh Muk. The rooms are large, the price per night is very low, the food you can order here is delicious and cheap and it is run by a super sweet family that helps you with everything.
You can rent motorbikes through them, they help you book the ferry, and they make sure there are bottles of water waiting for you every day. Phusam Big is within a 15-minute walk of Charlie Beach. The perfect place.
If you want to spend a little more, Mookies Bungalow is a good option. This is a 5-minute walk from the beach and offers many activities.
If you want to go for a few days for real luxury there is a paradise option you can go for: Sivalai Beach Resort. This super luxury resort is located on the most beautiful stretch of beach on Koh Muk, by the clear water and white sand. The bungalows are beautiful, the staff friendly and the facilities perfect.
Tips for eating on Koh Muk
- Goyaw viewpoint. This restaurant is located on Charlie Beach. From here, especially at sunset, you have a phenomenal view of the bay and the water.
- Mong bar. This bar is also located on Charlie Beach. You may relax on the sunbeds during the day if you order a drink. The drinks are very cheap and there is a nice reggae vibe.
- Hilltop restaurant. This restaurant looks romantic and cozy at night because of the many lights in the garden. They serve large portions and tasty curries.
- Miss island. Here you’ll find the tastiest fresh breads in Koh Muk (and perhaps all of Thailand). The menu is so extensive that choosing is difficult. Will you go for a fresh spelt sandwich, a chocolate croissant, pancakes, waffles or still a healthy smoothie bowl?
