Author: everthewanderer

Koh Mook, Could this be the best unexplored Island in Thailand? Blog Post Guide
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Koh Mook – Thailand

everthewanderer

Koh Mook – Could this be THE BEST unexplored island in Thailand?

Tropical Sivalai Beach, Koh Mook, Thailand
Sivalai Beach, Koh Mook

When we decided to go island hopping in Thailand we only had a few weeks to fill and with so much choice it can be hard to decide on just a few. There were a few criteria that we wanted our tropical islands to meet – beautiful empty white sandy beaches and no crazy party atmosphere. After visiting Koh Lipe we had a pretty big task to complete because of how much we enjoyed it there. If you haven’t seen our Blog Post on Koh Lipe – check it out here.

After scouring the map to find islands on our journey we came across Koh Mook, found perfect accommodation and after viewing the photos we couldn’t wait to visit.

WHERE IS KOH MOOK? Located in Southern Thailand on the Southern Andaman Coast. Koh Mook is also known as Koh Muk, with Muk in Thai meaning Pearl. So welcome to Pearl Island.

Sivalai Beach, Koh Mook, Thailand
Sivalai Beach, Koh Mook

HOW TO GET THERE? There are several ways that you can access Koh Mook with the most common being by speedboat or van+ferry combo. 

From the Islands– You can access Koh Mook from another island (we came straight from Koh Lipe) using the speedboat.

From the Mainland– If you travel from the mainland then you can go by ferry from Pakbara Pier with Hat Yai being the closest airport. Often the ferries are combined with vans to make a package – it is much better value and far easier.

Tropical Flowers, Sivalai Beach, Koh Mook, Thailand
Frangipani on Sivalai Beach, Koh Mook, Thailand

WHY VISIT? If you are looking for a quiet, undeveloped Thai island experience with a picture perfect beach then look no further.

Pro’s – Koh Mook is so quiet which means you get the relaxed island vibes. We also found food much cheaper here than in Koh Lipe with a great selection of low key restaurants. The local islanders were the friendliest we met which was the cherry on top of our visit.

Tropical Sivalai Beach, Koh Mook, Thailand
Sivalai Beach, Koh Mook

Con’s – There are few beaches on this island and if you are looking for the perfect white sandy photo there is really only one, where we spent all of our time. Sivalai Beach – if you google Koh Mook this is the poster child for the island.

Top Sights

Sivalai Beach

Technically known as Hao-Laem Beach but because the Sivalai Beach Resort sits on this beautiful peninsula this is the most common name. If you stay at this resort you have direct access to this beach and if you don’t, then its not far at all to get here. Luckily for us we were staying a mere 10 minute walk away. This beach is a big reason we came here, most days there were only a handful of people enjoying it, soft white sand, clear blue ocean, frangipanis and palm trees. It was a tropical island bliss.

Palm trees on Sivalai Beach, Koh Mook, Thailand
Sivalai Beach perfection, Koh Mook
Frangipani on Sivalai Beach, Koh Mook, Thailand
Koh Mook, Thailand

Beachside dining at The Perfect Bar & Restaurant

A very highly rated place (just take in the Trip Advisor reviews) because the food is delicious and reasonably priced, it’s located in a wonderful beachside setting BUT most importantly the staff are just insanely nice. Always wearing the biggest smiles which made you feel so welcome. We ate here a few times and loved each occasion.

Cycling around the Island to Charlie Beach

You can easily hire scooters in Koh Mook or grab a free bike like we did from our accommodation. My insta worthy yellow beach cruiser was the perfect companion to explore the island. We cycled through local villages, took a cruise to our moonlit dinner reservations and visited Charlie Beach (also known as Farang Beach) on the other side of the island.

Beach cruiser palm tree grove, Coco lodge, Koh Mook, Thailand
Beach Cruiser at Coco Lodge, Koh Mook, Thailand
Cycling on Koh Mook Island, Thailand
Cycling on Koh Mook, Thailand

Beachcombing

That favourite past time to while away the hours on the beach whilst you search for mermaid treasure (that’s what I like to call the shells I collect – or hoard as my husband would say!) You have come to Koh Mook to relax right? So take in the views, stroll along the beach and see what treasures you can find

Tropical Beach Shells, Koh Mook, Thailand
Cowrie Shells on Sivalai Beach, Koh Mook, Thailand

Emerald Cave

This is actually one activity that we didn’t do when we were there but we heard great things.

WHERE TO STAY? We stayed at Koh Mook Coco Lodge. Offering simple bamboo huts in a palm tree grove located right by the ocean. Only a 10 minute walk from Sivalai Beach and an even shorter walk to the local town where all the restaurants are located this was the perfect place for us.

They offer free bicycles to use, the huts are really clean ( they are also made up everyday for you) and come with free bottles of drinking water. They do have their own restaurant which we had breakfast in but wouldn’t recommend it. There are also a lot of wild dogs here which some may find a bit aggressive but we didn’t mind them. The owners are very friendly but speak little English. All in all it was great value for money.

Thai Bamboo beach huts on Koh Mook, Thailand
Coco Lodge Bamboo Huts, Koh Mook
Koh Mook tropical sunsets Thailand
Beautiful Koh Mook sunset

How Long to Stay? We stayed for 3 nights but you could easily spend longer in Koh Mook. If you are looking for a quiet little paradise then a week wouldn’t be a stretch.

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Koh Lipe – Thailand

everthewanderer

Koh Lipe – Your Guide to this Thai Island Paradise

Thai Long Tail Boats on Koh Lipe Island Thailand
Traditional Thai Long Tail Boats, Koh Lipe, Thailand

WHERE IS KOH LIPE? Located near the Malaysian border in the Andaman sea in Thailand, Koh Lipe is one of the furthest islands to visit on the traditional Thai Island hopping route. 

HOW TO GET THERE? There are several ways that you can access Koh Lipe with the most common being by ferry, speedboat or van+ferry combo. 

From the Islands– You can access Koh Lipe from another island (we came straight from Koh Lanta) using the ferry or speedboats.

From the Mainland– If you travel from the mainland then you can go by ferry from Pakbara Pier with Hat Yai being the closest airport.

Swimming on Koh Lipe Island in front of Castaway Resort, Thailand
Swimming on Koh Lipe Island, Thailand

WHY VISIT? If you like white sandy beaches, crystal clear turquoise ocean, access to dive sites and a bustling town with cool restaurants and bars then Koh Lipe is the perfect fit for you.

Pros – We loved staying on Sunrise Beach as it was one of the best beaches we visited on our trip in Thailand due to the white sand and clear ocean.

Koh Lipe Castaway Resort Beach on Koh Lipe Island Thailand
Castaway Resort Beach, Koh Lipe Island, Thailand

Cons – It is more expensive to stay in Koh Lipe than surrounding islands. Accommodation costs more along with essentials like soft drinks and beer in the local supermarkets being almost twice the price. 

Top Sights

Sunset Beach

Take a walk across the island to visit Sunset Beach. You can snorkel once here and watch the sunset with a cold brew or two.

Diving with Castaway Resort

Located at Castaway Resort they run daily dive activities along with snorkelling tours. You can learn to dive with them and even hire out water sports equipment.

Walking Street

The bustling Walking Street is where all of the restaurants and bars are located. It runs directly between Sunrise Beach and Pattaya Beach. Offering a selection of food for all budgets, our favourite was Banana Roti’s from the street food stalls. You will notice how much they love condensed milk here so a drizzle of that on your Roti is the perfect finishing touch.

Sunrise Beach Walk at Sunrise

Watching the sunrise on the beach is always a favourite pastime of ours and it was made all the easier because we stayed on the beachfront. This time of the morning is always quiet here and perfect for relaxing before a busy day ahead. You could even follow your sunrise walk with Yoga or Sunrise meditation at Castaway Resort.

Palm Trees at Andaman Resort

Palm Trees on the beach at the Andaman Resort on Koh Lipe, Thailand
Andaman Resort Palm Trees Koh Lipe, Thailand.

Walk to the North of Sunrise Beach and you reach the Andaman Resort which is home to a selection of stunning palm trees. The perfect backdrop to your island vacation photos. 

Palm trees on the beach at the Andaman Resort on Koh Lipe Island Thailand
Perfect spot for your holiday photos, Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe.
beach views on Koh Lipe in Thailand
Views from the beach on Koh Lipe, Thailand.

WHERE TO STAY? Sunrise beach is the most beautiful beach on the island and we were lucky enough to stay at Castaway Resort. We stayed in a Beachfront Breezy Bungalow and it was just pure magic.

Castaway Resort Thai beachfront villa on Koh Lipe Island
Our Beachfront Villa at the Castaway Resort on Koh Lipe.

These two floored bungalows overlook the ocean which you can admire from either your hammock on the front deck or from your bedroom balcony (or even your bed if you feel like it). The ground floor is your spacious bathroom with steps leading up to the second floor bedroom. The bed situated in the centre of the room is the main focus and the perfect place to relax and listen to the ocean breeze.

Beachfront hammock and private villa deck
Our very own beachfront deck and hammock, Castaway Resort, Koh Lipe.

With woven beach bags, floor cushions and lockable chests to keep your valuables safe, it’s the little touches that make a big difference. This eco friendly resort does not offer hot showers or air con but we felt neither of these were needed. With the heat of the sun, a cold shower was the perfect way to cool down and the ocean breeze provided sweet relief in the evenings. They also use an initiative called Trash Hero to help keep the island clean from plastic pollution by encouraging you to refill your water bottles (or purchasing one of their refillable bottles) from their filtered water station.

Private Beachfront villa accommodation on Koh Lipe Thailand
Can we just live here forever? Koh Lipe, Thailand

The resort has it’s own dive shop where you can take dive/snorkel trips and even learn to dive. You can take part in yoga classes, treat yourself to a spa treatment and even experience sunrise meditation. With a beautiful alfresco restaurant and bar offering fantastic food and a daily happy hour this resort has everything you need for a trip to Koh Lipe. To find out more about Castaway Resort click here.

tropical happy hour cocktails on Koh like
Cocktails and Happy Hour?! Yes Please!

HOW LONG TO STAY? We found 3 nights is the perfect amount of time to visit Koh Lipe

Thank You to the Castaway Resort for hosting us, our stay was gifted and all opinions are our own. We truly only recommend places that we absolutely love.

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Kamenjak – Croatia

everthewanderer

Croatias Best Kept Secret – Kamenjak National Park!

Kamenjak National Park, Croatia. I am pretty sure you have never heard of it. If you have, then I hope you have visited because I’m gonna tell you why it’s a must in this post. When you think of Croatia you probably think of Island hopping off the coast of Split, checking out Kings Landing in Dubrovnik or maybe even checking out Rovinj as it becomes ever more popular thanks to Instagram.

Luckily for us one of our Instragram followers suggested travelling to this amazing location when we got to Croatia. We are so glad they reached out to us because they helped create some of our favourite memories. Kamenjak National Park is on the Southern most tip of the Istrian Peninsula.


Source: Google Maps

You cannot camp in the National Park but you can camp right next to the entrance to the park, so you are within super easy walking distance. There are also plenty of hotels and guest houses you can stay with in Premantura. Booking.com has so many choices (all with really incredible reviews) and if you book through my link you get 10% back on your stay.

It is an absolute nature lovers heaven!! I cannot stress this enough! The water is an incredible crystal clear blue, it is clean as clean can be. There are masses upon masses of wild flowers of all different vibrant colours and varieties coating the coast. The rocky coastline is dotted with idyllic, secluded islands and there are literally hardly any cars around. You can cycle your way around the park (this is what we opted to do on our mountain bikes) or walk and find your own private piece of nature to bask in.

This little piece of Paradise is 100% well worth the visit and detour away from the usual Croatian hot spots.  If you plan on visiting the stunning towns of Rovinj or Pula it’s just a short distance down the coast. You will also be pleasantly surprised with the drive back up on the East Coast. Reminiscent of the coastal roads on the Amalfi Coast past cliff hugging fishing ports. We took a few days out of our schedule to just relax here, riding our bikes along the coast and admiring the views….oh the views! 

We stayed at Arena Stupice Campsite in Premantura, the location of this campsite could not be any better for the views. It’s located next to the sea and you can walk and cycle in to the park from the campsite (if you drive in you have to pay a daily fee). The camping pitches are not the flattest, many are on a slant and it’s very hard to figure out what actually classes as your pitch. But there are plenty to choose from so just take your time scouting out a spot.

HOT TIP: If you camp at Arena Stupice Campsite make sure you pre book your spot online before you arrive. You will get a much better rate and a better site to camp on. We ended up booking online when we were stood in reception as they could not offer the same online rate in person.

Plenty of visitors come here to sail, kayak, fish, hike, cycle and just spend time exploring the coastline. 

We are big cyclists so started our cycling tour on the Dinosaur Trail. Fun Fact – Dinosaurs used to frequent this area in the Cretaceous period. How awesome is that?! Along the path you can explore all of the geological curiosities of Kamenjak.

The path continues around the edge of the peninsula and mainly along the coast. We stumbled upon the quirkiest little beach cafe- in the middle of no where. Imagine turning up to what looks like vegetation on the edge of the cliff with a few wooden structures outside.

You hear the murmuring of voices and make your way into the bushes to find what looks like the Lost Boys camp from Never Never Land. Safari bar is surprisingly busy for somewhere thats completely hidden. Take a visit here just to witness the quirkiness including the giant swing, sea shell dens, roller slide and tiki huts. 

As you walk through the bar to the cliffs edge you reach the most stunning view and cliff jumping hot spot where the water is incredibly clear.

We hopped on our bikes to continue the ride and came across vast empty countryside, empty beaches and incredible views. We stopped to take a dip in one cove we had all to ourselves. It’s that quiet we would turn up to a beach and if there were people there we would just move to the next beach which would inevitably be empty.

A short while later we arrive back at our van in the campsite and settle in to our camping chairs to take in the view. We crack open an Ozujsko Limun, our favourite Croatian tipple and chat about how awesome our day was. All thanks to a fellow traveller recommending Kamenjak National Park. If you plan on visiting Croatia and like nature then make sure you visit here! It’s just incredible.

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