Thailand Island Edition pt. 2

In search of something a little more quiet and relaxing? Try going to Koh Muk. The main beach, commonly referred to as Charlie beach, is a decent sized strip of powdery soft white sand and clear turquoise water nestled into a peaceful bay.

Beautiful sandy beach

There aren’t a lot of options for accommodation on Ko Muk. Charlie’s Resort takes up the beachfront and a ways back, and you need to walk through the resort to get to the few other places on the island, which are located just outside Charlie’s overpriced walls. If you head to the end of the island there is a very nice resort located on a pure white sand spit, but be prepared to empty out your wallet on that one.

The small entrance into Emerald Cave

There also isn’t a whole lot to do on Koh Muk. The most common thing is to take a long tail boat on the Four Islands tour. It starts with a visit to the Emerald Cave which involves a swim through a pitch black cave that empties out into a beautiful sinkhole. The rest of the trip includes a couple snorkeling stops (visibility was pretty poor) and lunch on the beach of Koh Kradan with a few hours to lay out on the white sand.

When you get back to Koh Muk, be prepared to turn in early. Everything closes around 11 (and even then you will be the last patrons in the establishment). It is more of a place for families with young kids, not much of a backpacking place. It is, however, a nice stop in the Trang Islands, and if you are staying at Rubber Tree Bungalows (an actual rubber plantation), you’ll be treated to top notch staff that bend over backwards for you. Mr. Odd (I think that was his name) takes typical Thai hospitality and blows it out of the water. It’s almost amusing how enthusiastically he greets you every morning, noon, and night.  And the cutest kitten ever lives there, which was maybe my favorite part of Koh Muk (crazy cat lady alert!)

My kitten friend at Rubber Tree