Koh Mook Travel Guide – Visit Koh Mook – Budget Travel In Thailand

Visit Koh Mook, Thailand to enjoy sandy beaches, stunning water caves and numerous snorkeling locations. Whilst it might not be most travellers’ first choice when planning a trip around the Thai islands of the Andaman Sea, it ended up being an unlikely contender as my favourite island of them all.

All we knew when we arrived by plane into Phuket was that we had to be in Koh Lipe 29 days later to catch a ferry to take us into Malaysia before our visa expired. All decisions on which islands to visit were made as we travelled.

WHERE TO STAY IN KOH MOOK | FOOD AND DRINK IN KOH MOOK | THINGS TO DO IN KOH MOOK

Why We Skipped Phi Phi Island

Having ended up on Koh Lanta, we decided not to turn back on ourselves to visit Phi Phi, arguably the most famous island of them all. We had heard mixed reports and the accommodation looked pretty poor for the money. Instead, we decided to keep on moving south. This meant we had enough time to break up the journey to Koh Lipe by visiting another island. This was the only reason we visited Koh Mook. We had no idea what to expect there. Google Maps showed there was at least a reggae bar and a number of other bars and restaurants so the decision was made. With literally no expectations, we took the ferry to Koh Mook, Thailand.

How To Get To Koh Mook From Koh Lanta

Taking the ferry from Koh Lanta to Koh Mook was very easy. We booked with a local travel agent and a taxi arrived right on time in the morning. The taxi transferred us to a bus which then took us to the old town where we had a short wait for our boat. It is only a short journey and we arrived in Koh Mook (sometimes spelled Koh Muk or Ko Muk) shortly after departure.

Where To Stay In Koh Mook

These are some of the best budget hostels in Koh Mook, according to user reviews. These are affiliate links to the Agoda web site. I found Agoda to be much better than booking.com in Southeast Asia. I receive a small amount for any bookings made through these links at no extra cost to you.

• Koh Mook Hostel
• Cashew Nut Bungalow, Ko Mook
• Mookies Bungalow
• Koh Mook Garden Beach Resort
• Smile Resort Koh Mook
• Village Garden Bungalows
• Nature Hill
• Mook Montra Resort Sea Front

Koh Mook Garden Resort & DaDa Restaurant

As we arrived early on the island, we decided to have a quick walk around the ‘town’ and have a bite to eat. We then headed to our accommodation, ‘Koh Mook Garden Resort & DADA Restaurant’ (map).

We checked in and were given a lot of information by the staff member who even annotated a map to show us the places of interest on the island. We knew the resort offered free bikes but was pleasantly surprised to find we had free kayaks too!

The resort grounds were stunning. The bungalows themselves are surrounded by lush greenery and the restaurant area overlooks the sea. Hammocks and swings can be found scattered throughout the resort and there is even a small swimming pool. WiFi was not available in the bungalow but was strong in the restaurant area.

It felt like luxury having a bungalow where we were not afraid of falling through the floor like the one we had just stayed at in Koh Lanta! The bathroom was also an improvement and we even had a sink!

As is to be expected, we had a few guests in our apartment during our stay, including one big lizard hiding behind the bathroom mirror! No snakes this time, though. Some of the night time noises were a bit scary but we soon got used to them. The bird sounds were incredible. We even had birds land right next to us and impress us with their range of calls.

We had a great stay here. The bungalows are basic but the location is stunning. The free use of bikes and kayaks was a real bonus. There was a free breakfast each morning with tea and coffee. We even bought some of their coffee beans that they were roasting on the beach and they were delicious.

The staff were always extremely helpful. Many thanks to the woman that found and returned my missing flip-flop after a dog had stolen it from our porch!

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We paid £50 for 3 nights.

Click here to stay at ‘Garden Resort’.

Food And Drink In Koh Mook

For such a small island, there are many highly-rated restaurants in Koh Mook. There are also a few bars, including the obligatory reggae bar! Many of the town restaurants specialise in fish dishes, served with salad, vegetables and sometimes with a beer thrown in too!

Dada Restaurant

This is the restaurant that is located in our resort. We ate here a couple of times and the food is decent. We ate more out of convenience though; I wouldn’t necessarily recommend travelling to eat here. Map.

Miss Island Bakery

Our first meal on the island made sure we started on a positive. I had a chicken red curry which was nice and spicy. They also make artisan bread, which is a real treat.  It is a Muslim-owned restaurant so they do not serve pork or alcohol. Map.

Sa-Bay Restaurant

Sa-Bay serve decent Thai food though the menu is a little predicatable. Most of the restaurants on the islands offered a fairly unadventurous menu, compared to the bigger cities. Map.

Unnamed Restaurant

Opposite Sa-Bay Restaurant (map) are a number of street food stalls that open only at night. They serve a number of Thai dishes and cold beer. They provide tables and chairs for you to sit and enjoy your meal. Decent food at very affordable prices.

Xoy Xoy Reggae Bar

No Thai island is without its very own reggae bar. Or three. Xoy Xoy ticks all the usual boxes: posters of Bob Marley everywhere, comfy seating, cool decor, happy staff, reggae music and weed sold from behind the bar. We enjoyed a couple of beers and a chilled-out atmosphere here. Map.

Things To Do In Koh Mook

Most of our time on the Thai islands had been spent relaxing and cycling. To our surprise, we ended up doing more on Koh Mook than any of the other islands. The snorkelling trip was a real highlight of our travels.

Garnet Beach Koh Mook

Garnet Beach used to be home to Charlie Beach Resort until it was closed by the government for not having proper permission. The resort still stands but is empty, giving the entrance to this beach a ghostly atmosphere. Thankfully, the beach itself is still open to the public. It is a very beautiful beach, with nearby mountains casting a welcome shade. The bars offer free sunbeds and umbrellas when you purchase a drink. It’s a perfect place to watch the Koh Mook sunset. Map.

Morakot Cave (Emerald Cave)

We visited this as part of our snorkeling trip. The cave is located on the west side of the island.

From the entrance, we had to swim approximately 100 metres in near-darkness. The only light is from any torches. It is mandatory to wear a life jacket.

It got a bit scary in here as we couldn’t see where we were going and there were people swimming from the other direction. I was happy to see the natural light at the exit of the cave.

Once we came out of the cave, we discovered a hidden beach. This beach can only be accessed through the cave. It was a great discovery. Apparently, pirates used to store their treasures here. These days, you can expect to see nothing but lots of tourists.

It was relatively quiet when we arrived but, as we were leaving, about 100 very loud tourists arrived! We also saw a very big water monitor lizard in here so look out for those.

Sivalai Beach

This is the beach where you can look both north and south from the same viewpoint. It is a resort but anyone can use the facilities. Jellyfish warning signs mean to take care if you go into the sea. Map.

Snorkeling In Koh Mook

I had never gone snorkeling before. Being an uncomfortable swimmer, I presumed it would not be an option. However, our accommodation offered free kayaks and snorkeling equipment and gave us a map of good snorkeling spots; one which would take us only 30 minutes to reach.

It was a great experience kayaking over the sea to our destination. Once there, it took me a while to get used to using the snorkeling gear but once I did, I was blown away. Seeing different species of tropical fish swimming inches from my face was something I never thought I’d ever see. It was already another highlight of the trip so far.

It was good to get this little experience in as the next day we went on a trip which we didn’t know when booking was a snorkeling trip.

This time, we went by boat to well known spots and in much deeper water.  Our first stop was to the side of a huge karst. Whilst the water wasn’t as clear as our location the previous day, there were much more fish. It was amazing seeing so much diversity up close. Whilst here, we were visited by National Park rangers who came to take 200 baht per person as an admission fee to the National Park. We were unaware about this charge and felt we should have been told about it when booking the tour. Be aware of this if you plan to go snorkeling. Keep your tickets as they are valid for 5 days and you can be asked to show them at any time on the islands within the park range.

Our second stop was at the tiny island of Koh Waen. We were not sure if this was a food stop or a snorkeling stop. After a while, we went to where our guides had told us to look. This was incredible. The water, whilst shallow, was very clear so we had a much better look at the incredible fish that were swimming around us. The island itself was also very beautiful.

Whilst I cannot show you the amazing sights I experienced underwater, I can share with you this good looking chap that I discovered on the beach.

Onto our next stop, which was my favourite. The water was so clear and there was a staggering amount of tropical fish. And quite possibly the best shop location ever.

There was even more variety of species and MUCH MORE fish. At one point, I turned in the water to discover what must have been millions of fish swimming around me. I could part the fish with a wave of my hand. It was one of the most amazing experiences I’d ever had. It was breathtaking.

We then visited Koh Mook Emerald Cave before heading back to our accommodation. Our boat took us north so we could see the ‘Big Cave’ and then made one last stop, close to the coastline. We had one last snorkel as this was a place known for its ‘Nemo’ fish and starfish.

This was one of the highlights of our travels. Being an uncomfortable swimmer, I never thought I would be swimming in deep waters, watching so many species of tropical fish swimming inches from my face. It was a truly amazing experience.

Is Koh Mook Worth Visiting?

Whilst we did not have any expectations of Koh Mook, we certainly were not expecting to enjoy it as much as we did. Possibly due to the fact that we had our first ever snorkeling experience here, but also to do with the sheer beauty of the island. It could well be our favourite Thai island. It is small enough to enjoy by bicycle and the local people are very friendly. I would definitely recommend you add it to your island-hopping itinerary.