The Emerald Cave - Koh Muk, Thailand
Harmonie
Don and Anne Myers
Sat 12 Feb 2011 10:51
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07:22.567N 99:17.101E
Koh Muk (Muk Island) is the scene of our first magical
experience of the season. Stuff like this is the reason we keep at
this boating/traveling thing despite the heat, go-kart rental cars, scavenger
hunts, and general lack of Triscuits. Where else can you wake up
in the morning and paddle through an 80 yard natural rock tunnel onto a
private beach surrounded on all sides by limestone cliffs taller than the Empire
State Building?
On January 24, we left Koh Tarutao with Baraka and mostly
sailed - yes I said sailed, but more about that later - the 50ish
miles northwest to tiny Koh Muk. We arrived too late in the
day and at the wrong tide level to attempt entry into the Emerald Cave or 'Hong'
(Thai for room) we had read about, so we made plans to make the dinghy trip
early the next morning just before low tide. Below are
pictures.
 Harmonie, Baraka and a third boat anchored next to Koh
Muk.
 This is the entrance to the Emerald Cave, which was about 200
yards from where our boats were parked. You can see why it's important to
transit the tunnel at low tide.
 After paddling the dinghy through the dark, curving natural
tunnel while listening to the incoming surf crash and echo eerily off the walls,
this was our first view of the sand beach and limestone walled hong. Well,
minus the people anyway. Don and I were the first to arrive and had the
place to ourselves for at least 15 minutes. After that, Jan and Dave
paddled in with their tandem kayak, followed by a few tourists who
swam in with their Thai guides after being transported from somewhere on
the Thai mainland in 'longtail' boats. In the foreground is Dave, Don and
myself next to our dinghy.
Photo credit: Jan from Baraka.
 From the opposite side of the sandy hong, Don took this
photo of me standing next to our dinghy in front of the tunnel exit
just after our arrival. That first fifteen minutes before anyone else
arrived was quiet, a completely calm, early morning quiet with only us there to
disturb the air and cause small echoes to bounce off the sheer
mass of limestone around us.
 Don and I leaving the hong through the tunnel with paddles
mostly in hand and head lamps mostly in place.
Photo credit: Jan from Baraka
Yup, not a bad way to start the day.
Anne
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