A genuine gem in the Andaman Sea

The Krabi coastline is definitely one of the most stunning in the entire Andaman and tours of Krabi are highly recommended. However, another great destination in the Andaman Sea and unfortunately often overlooked by travellers is the awesome Mook Island which is located in Trang province at an off the beaten track position.

Travellers taking the time trekking to this gorgeous destination won’t regret their effort. Surrounded by the ocean’s turquoise waters, Koh Mook boasts charming accommodation, jaw-dropping scenery, fine sandy sun-soaked beaches and mouth-watering seafood cuisine. One of the tropical destination’s highlights is the nearby positioned Emerald Cave.

On Koh Mook visitors have no problems with the limited modern tourist facilities. On the contrary! It is this rare, unique and rustic ambience what attracts most of the travellers in the first place. Probably this gorgeous island isn’t spacious enough to construct large-scale tourist projects on it, but in Thailand you never know and if you have the opportunity, it might be wise to visit now. After your visit you will be able saying: “I’ve experienced the island’s tranquil atmosphere when…” in case several bulldozers appear here any time in the near future.

Koh Mook, a paradisiacal island destination

In Trang it isn’t difficult to hop from one isle to another. Travellers who choose Koh Mook as their base generally navigate to nearby pretty islands of Koh Waen, Koh Cheuk and Koh Kradan. There’s also the option to nip over to Koh Sukorn, Koh Lao Liang and Koh Libing just a few nautical miles to the south. Rent a little long-tail boat including the navigator for a day and just let the experienced captain know where you wish to sail to.

The first activity on your itinerary list should be a boat (day) trip around Mook Island and next head for Koh Rok National Marine Park. The island of Koh Rok features a few tranquil and soothing stretches of sand along with several lodging facilities, with the highest rated rooms comparable in rate to mid-range resort or hotels in Krabi or Phuket. Travellers will experience the wonderful feeling of staying on a peaceful natural world without the pressures of daily modern life. That is if they can do without shops, internet café’s and a wide choice of restaurants. Trang Online

Here you can absorb the laid-back island atmosphere and observe the scene of the local’s daily social and labouring life in the quaint fishing village on the island’s eastern part. Besides catching fish the Islamic villagers work on the rubber and coconut plantations, Trang’s third biggest island is filled with.

Koh Mook in Thai language means “Pearl Island”, but this doesn’t mean that many locals still dive to find the valuable pearls. There probably aren’t more than ten pearl hunters left on the island. Along the way riding by motorcycle to the small fishing village, I was waved down by an elderly islander, who proudly showed me something after he had dug it up out of his pocket. Resting in the palm of his wrinkled hand was this little cream-coloured pearl. I don’t know anything about pearls but I was pleased to conclude that diving for them was still practiced on “Pearl Island”. However, one of the finest pearls in the Andaman is the island itself. Guide to Krabi Andaman coastline

Two daily express services depart from Hua Lamphong Railway Station in Bangkok to Trang. It takes the train about 15 hours (540 miles) to reach the rail station in Trang. Trains leave at 17:05 and 18:20.

A flight service operated by Nok Air, connect Trang once daily with Bangkok.

From the Southern Bus Terminal in Bangkok daily buses follow a route to Trang with a travel time of about 12 hours. Once passengers arrive in Trang Town they should travel a little further to Kuan Tung Gu Pier. At the pier boats can be rented for transportation to Koh Mook (5.6 miles)