- After travelling around for a while, even the die-hard traveller needs a break. In Thailand, these breaks can be found in abundance on both the east and west coast. The only problem is actually picking one of the many islands. In our case, some islands were off because they were not readily accessible, so in the end we headed towards Ko Mook or Ko Muk near Trang. A longtail boat took us smoothly across the sea, and when the green silhouet of Ko Mook emerged from the horizon, it was clear that we made a right choice. A pleasant walk on a road that quickly turned into a dirt path took us to the other side of the island, where we found a nice little bay that was to be our home for a few days.
- We crashed on the white-sand beach, lazying, reading, playing backgammon, swimming, and just enjoying the fine sight of sea, remote islands ahead of us and the green hills behind us. As the sun went down, the time was ready to explore the bay, and wait for the terrific spectacle of sunset. The show lasted almost an hour, and became more spectacular the longer we watched, until the great, orange fireball finally sank into the horizon. The next day, we went to Emerald Cave and boated around Ko Mook island, and after that, went for a walk on the island.
- We were quickly accompanied by a large group of dogs that never stopped following us, while we walked past rubber plantations and the inner lake of the island. When we reached a fishing village, we realized how this small island manages to live off rubber, extensive fishing, and tourism. Although hit by the tsunami (we even met someone who called her cat Tsunami), Ko Mook by and large escaped serious damage, and is a jewel in the Andaman Sea, easily reached, and at least off season a peaceful place to calm down and recharge.
