Phuket Dive Guide : Southern Trang islands Koh Mook
About the location and site
The Southern Islands are located in the Trang National Marine Park, 1-2 hours south of Ko Lanta and include Ko Mook, Ko Kradan, Ko Ngai, Ko Cheuak, Ko Wean, and Ko Maa. This group of 6 islands provides some of the most stunning coastal scenery in the area, with the Emerald Cave - a secret lagoon hidden inside the island of Ko Mook - as the top highlight in the Trang area.
The island of Ko Kradan is far enough off the beaten track to remain ‘untouched’ and the coral and marine life here is in impeccable condition. San Chompuo ‘Pink Ridge’ is a very different dive to the other sites and has many kinds of coral, starfish, and seahorses not found at our other sites.
The unpopulated limestone islands Ko Ngai, Ko Cheuak, Ko Waen and Ko Maa have no beaches but the surrounding rocks and reef systems offer some of the good diving.
The Southern Islands offer sheltered diving that can be a good alternative if the sea conditions are too choppy to reach Ko Haa.
The Southern Islands are located in the Trang National Marine Park, 1-2 hours south of Ko Lanta and include Ko Mook, Ko Kradan, Ko Ngai, Ko Cheuak, Ko Wean, and Ko Maa. This group of 6 islands provides some of the most stunning coastal scenery in the area, with the Emerald Cave - a secret lagoon hidden inside the island of Ko Mook - as the top highlight in the Trang area.
The island of Ko Kradan is far enough off the beaten track to remain ‘untouched’ and the coral and marine life here is in impeccable condition. San Chompuo ‘Pink Ridge’ is a very different dive to the other sites and has many kinds of coral, starfish, and seahorses not found at our other sites.
The unpopulated limestone islands Ko Ngai, Ko Cheuak, Ko Waen and Ko Maa have no beaches but the surrounding rocks and reef systems offer some of the good diving.
The Southern Islands offer sheltered diving that can be a good alternative if the sea conditions are too choppy to reach Ko Haa.
Ko Mook’s highlight is the Emerald Cave or ‘Tham Morakot’ – a secret lagoon hidden inside the island. The only way in to this amazing location is to swim 85m through an underwater tunnel that opens out into a pool of clear water surrounded by a white sandy beach and tall cliffs of tropical jungle. At high tide the entrance to the Emerald Cave is somewhat hidden at the islands’ western side. It is located after a limestone hole that disappears beneath the surface during high tide. First, a turn of 90 degrees makes you descend into total darkness for a few seconds. A torch can be useful here. Once you complete the turn, you can start to make out the emerald-green light coming from the outside of the hidden sea cave. As you exit the tunnel and enter the lagoon, the water glows a deep emerald green and it is rather like being inside a big, green volcano. The cave is reputed to be a smugglers resting place and even used by pirates as a secret and secluded place to stash their treasure.
It is a truly amazing experience to emerge from a dark tunnel into a stunningly green tropical paradise, complete with large white-sandy beach. You cannot help but imagine what it felt like to discover this, almost film-set like place, for the first time. The cave reputedly forms part of Alex Garner’s inspiration for The Beach. It is well known that Maya Bay, Koh Phi Phi was used as the beach setting for the film. However, it is much less well known that Ko Mook’s Emerald Cave, with its secret entrance and totally cut-off lagoon, was the inspiration for The Beach’s alternative access point.
Ko Mook is mostly occupied by sea-facing towering cliffs to the west. Located on the eastern side of the island is a fishing village where the islanders still maintain their old ways of life.
Ko Mook is mostly occupied by sea-facing towering cliffs to the west. Located on the eastern side of the island is a fishing village where the islanders still maintain their old ways of life.
Phuket Dive Guide dive maps: Koh Mook
