One of the little day trips we did on Koh Mook was to go to the Emerald Cave. During low tide, the cave leads into an open cavern. There were not a lot of tourists, to we needed to arrange our own boat. This cost 800 baht (about $26) which was a little expensive, but the skipper was really nice and fun. We had to time our visit for the tide, so we went in the late afternoon which worked out well.
The entrance to the cave is not exactly obvious. In fact, I only noticed it when we slowed down. There were a couple other boats bobbing nearby. During high season I am told large numbers of tourists visit, but we encountered on a few. Getting to the cave involved swimming! Which, of course, they neglected to mention. No problem, though. They give you a life vest and through your gear in a water tight box that is floated along. Being inside the cave is a little creepy at first, especially since it was pitch black except for the small flashlight our guide had. Add to that, my boyfriend can’t really swim. I was dragging him most of the way. =)
When you finally make it through the cave tunnel, you come out into an opening when the top of the hill has caved in. There is a small white sand beach and a tiny plot of jungle. We were getting close to sunset and the weather was turning a little, so the lighting was not that great, but it was still beautiful. If you visit Koh Mook, this is definitely worth it. One the way back our boat skipper stopped and they pulled up some really colorful starfish. I have dived in the Pacific Northwest where there are purple and red starfish, and I have dived in the tropics, but I have never seen starfish like these. They were really cool (no worries, we put them back in the water).
