The Emerald Cave or Tham Morakat is a secret lagoon of deep emerald water inside Koh Mook Island, the third largest island in the Trang Sea. These are two of the most impressive sites of the Unseen in Thailand, a country which has many visible and unseen attractions to offer. In the Thai tourist hub of Krabi, beach resort options are plenty as they cater to many budgets and if you are looking for a family friendly luxury resort a good option would be Anantara Si Kao Resort.
The Emerald or Tham Morakot nestles in a cliff on the western side of Koh Mook Island which lies between Krabi and Trang, north west of Had Chao Mai National Park in Trang Province. Some local people hunting for birds’ nests accidentally stumbled upon the Emerald Cave and what was discovered accidentally has become a global attraction. The Cave was formed when the roof of a cave partly underwater collapsed and allowed light to filter through and jungle to grow. It is large pool of emerald green water with the sky for the roof. It is fringed by a large, pristine, white beach and the surrounding limestone cliffs soar towards the sky. Tropical vegetation including caladium and spurge add to the beauty of the Emerald Cave. When inside the cave it is like standing in a funnel. The green colour of the water is caused by sunlight filtering through the water. Tham Morakot has been a smugglers’ hideout in past times. The cave is only accessible by swimming at low tide. You will have to navigate a dark and narrow underwater tunnel of approximately 80 meters in length to reach the Emerald Cave. Koh Mook can be reached by boat from the Pak Meng Pier in Amphoe Si Kao.
Apart from the Emerald cave Koh Mook is an ideal spot for swimming and snorkeling to view the coral reefs surrounding the island while a visit to the fishing village on the east side will be interesting.
Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe.
