Koh Mak, Thailand: One of a Thousand Islands

A Memorable Trip

I wish I could say that the gentle lull of the surf woke me up the next morning, but Koh Mak has some pretty extreme tides, and the surf was almost out of sight during the breakfast hour. A game of chutes and ladders accompanied breakfast while waiting for the tide to come in so we could take the kayak out for the day. There are three smaller islands within a reasonable distance and we had a plan to make it to all three.

The kayak and snorkeling gear was all loaned out based on the honor system and we helped ourselves. There were bat caves along the cliff faces on the northern end of the island, a fun pit stop on the way to snorkeling at the smaller, uninhabited islands. The water was clear and the fish as diverse in color and shape as the culinary offerings at the highway oasis on our drive to Trat. Lunch was trail mix and granola bars packed into a dry bag on a beach without a single other visitor to speak of.

Ryan Farley / Own Work

Like many trips involving physical activity, the return voyage was much longer and harder than earlier in the day. Whether it was from fatigue or an unfavorable current, it was rewarded with a tropical monsoon, observed over beers from the comfort of a beachfront straw canopy. Like something out of a Friday night Lifetime movie, the power went out and P’Bom brought out candles for each of the guests.

After traveling to the more popular southern islands and some of their smaller, more local counterparts, I can tell you the cliché is true—always follow the locals. If you want to pay more money, to hang out with fellow travelers from your end of the globe in towering, cookie-cutter resorts, it’s not that hard to decide which of the thousand islands to visit. If you want to play disc golf on the beach with one of the country’s top four athletes in the sport, a disc’s throw from your small wooden cottage, the extra effort to find a spot somewhere further down the list is well worth it.

Ryan Farley / Own Work