As beach lovers know, Thailand is a year-round island hopping destination. What most visitors don’t know — and it’s one of Thailand’s best kept secrets — is that the islands off the Trang coast are the ideal exotic refuge to match what most people envision when dreaming of a tropical holiday. These stunning islands can be divided into two categories. The first group, which includes Koh Libong, Koh Phetra, Koh Sukorn, Koh Bulon and Koh Lao Liang, is almost unknown to foreign tourists. Even frequent travellers to Thailand have rarely heard these names.
The second group consists of islands known to a handful of beach lovers and visited by locals and expatriates at weekends, yet still overshadowed by the likes of Koh Lipe, Koh Lanta, and Koh Samui. This category includes Koh Kradan, Koh Ngai and Koh Muk, offering beachfront resorts and some of the most pristine beaches in the area.
You Can Take a Day Trip from Krabi
If you don’t have time for a full island-hopping week, don’t write the Trang Islands off your list. With a little planning, you can visit these stunning islands and still sleep in your Krabi hotel the same night. The drive from Ao Nang to Pak Meng harbour — located at the border of Krabi and Trang provinces — takes about 90 minutes through palm trees, coconut plantations and limestone mountains on a mostly straight, well-kept road. GPS is helpful, though road signs are reasonably clear.
We arrived at Pak Meng around 9 AM and boarded a private longtail boat for the day. The harbour has improved significantly in recent years and is now home to small shops and cafés without feeling overtly touristic. Tourists pay a national park entrance fee of 300 THB per person at the park station before boarding their boats. Several tour companies run daily tours with longtail boats, speedboats or yachts.
Koh Muk: The Emerald Cave and Beyond
After half an hour on the water, we arrived at Koh Muk — sometimes spelled Mook, meaning “pearl” in Thai. The island is best known for the Emerald Cave (Morakot Cave), stunning west coast sunsets, and a good variety of accommodation ranging from budget guesthouses to upscale resorts.
The Morakot Cave is reached by swimming through a narrow, pitch-dark sea tunnel that opens into a secret beach inside what looks like a volcanic crater. It can only be visited at low tide, so always check with your hotel or boat captain for the best timing. Weekends can get very crowded, with large groups queuing at the tunnel entrance — try to visit on a weekday if possible. Despite the traffic on our Sunday visit, the hidden beach on the other side left everyone speechless.
After the cave, we cruised along Koh Muk’s west side past Farang Beach to Sivalai Beach, home to the Koh Mook Sivalai Beach Resort — a peaceful, sandy peninsula with pristine beaches, shallow turquoise water, and wooden villas sheltered by tropical trees. If you plan to stay overnight and aren’t on a strict budget, the Sivalai is a wonderful base. It’s quiet and secluded yet close enough to the local fishing village for an evening walk or a taste of local cuisine.
Koh Kradan: Snorkelling and Sugary Beaches
Koh Kradan is arguably the most well-known of the Trang Islands, famous for its sugary white beaches and turquoise waters teeming with fish. Snorkelling is possible directly off the main beach, and at low tide you can walk or paddle out to the reef without renting a boat.
We had lunch at The Reef Resort on Kradan Beach — a slice of heaven with well-designed beachfront rooms where the distance from bed to white sand is no more than 50 steps. The resort is owned by an Italian and is hugely popular with European visitors, many of them returning year after year. The beach bar, decorated with painted and carved wooden plates left by devoted guests, has a wonderfully personal atmosphere. When you’re done swimming and sunbathing, the Reef Restaurant serves both Thai and Italian food against an unforgettable backdrop.
Koh Chuak and Koh Ngai: Coral, Jungle and Hornbills
After lunch and more snorkelling at Kradan, we made our way to Koh Ngai, pausing along the way at Koh Chuak — a small diamond-shaped limestone islet between Koh Muk and Koh Ngai. Koh Chuak has no beach or accommodation, but its blue waters are rich with fish and soft corals, making it a worthwhile snorkelling stop.
Koh Ngai, our final destination, has aquamarine waters, white sand beaches, and the most pristine jungle among all the Trang Islands. It is home to monitor lizards, snakes, and an extraordinary variety of birds including an estimated 2,000 hornbills.
We visited the Thanya Beach Resort, our top recommendation for guests seeking a romantic escape on Koh Ngai. Balinese-style teak villas face the beach, a spacious swimming pool sits amid a magnificent tropical garden, and frangipani bushes in every colour fill the air with fragrance. It’s no surprise the Thanya is popular as a honeymoon destination. From November to April, Tigerline ferries stop just off Koh Ngai on the route between Phuket and Koh Lipe, while longtail boats can be rented in Pak Meng for independent island hopping.
We ended our afternoon on the beach at Koh Ngai with a final swim. A massive school of fish surfaced around us — expanding and contracting like a living cloud. The horizon slowly shifted from blue to gold as sunset approached.
The Journey Back
Map of Trang islands
We began the return trip to Pak Meng dock just before dark and arrived in Krabi around 8 PM — joyful, relaxed, and enchanted once more by the breathtaking scenery of southern Thailand.
Practical Information
- Getting there: Drive from Ao Nang to Pak Meng harbour (~90 minutes). GPS recommended.
- Boats: Private longtail boats, speedboats and group tours available at Pak Meng pier.
- Park fee: 300 THB per person payable at the National Park station.
- Best time: November to April for calm seas and clear skies. Avoid weekends at the Emerald Cave.
- Where to stay: Koh Mook Sivalai Beach Resort (Koh Muk), The Reef Resort (Koh Kradan), Thanya Beach Resort (Koh Ngai).
- Ferries: Tigerline ferries connect Koh Ngai with Phuket and Koh Lipe from November to April.
