11 January Ko Muk
25km (including a 2-kilometer side trip to Chaokun Cave)
On a very sunny day, with haze and thin clouds showing up late afternoon, we
paddled south past Magic Beach, then turned up the wide channel of Lat Chao Mai
to Had Yao Pier. Chris hopped out to engage a boatman to lead us to the little
unmarked channel for Chaokun Cave. We had a delightful trip up this channel and
paddled through the modest-sized cave, then continued a bit farther beyond until the
way ahead lay blocked by mangroves, so we returned the way we had come. A branch
of the cave lay above water, but thick sticky mud discouraged us from getting
out of the kayaks.
Day 4: Had
Yao Beach to Ko Muk via Lat Chao Channel
We approach Had Yao
Pier.
Ian
and Eew pause in the channel to Chaokun Cave.
Chow and Chris
bravely paddle into the cave.
Our view inside
The channel
narrows, then Areeya hops onto the bow for the return journey.
We reenter the
cave.
Then
emerge back into daylight.
Eew and Ian are
happy to be alive!
We did it!
The view skyward
Our vertical
world
We continued through 13-kilometer Lat Chao Mai, which
gradually narrowed to just 5 meters where we went under the highway bridge, then
the channel gradually widened as we passed a fishing village then met the sea
again. Pretty mangroves lined the way.
We paddle through
the narrowest part of the channel.
Mangroves enclose
us.
Now we
follow this wide channel back to the sea.
We pulled onto a beach where the
800-meter-wide channel met the sea, then had our packed lunch and went for a stroll on the
sands. Next we headed out to sea for the 6-kilometer crossing to near the southern
tip of Ko Muk, where we took a break ashore at Mermaid Beach. I met a mermaid
(statue) here and four macaque monkeys, one of which glared at me menacingly. A short 1.8-kilometer coastal jaunt over clear water brought us to our
day’s destination, Farang Beach (aka Charlie or Garnet), said to be the nicest
on Ko Muk.
Farang Beach
Sunset time
Our rustic Koyao Bungalows here overlooked the sea and distant Ko
Kradan. Hat Chao Mai National Park covers this end of the island and the west
coast, but officials allowed the resort to continue operations, but not expand,
because it’s owned by local people. The resort had canceled one of our room
reservations—nothing we could do about it—so Ian and I shared a room, as did
Chow with Chris and Areeya. A pretty sunset came in two bursts. Most of the
group had walked into a nearby village for shopping and dinner, so I had a solo
meal of red curry with veggies and coconut cream at the bungalows. A pleasantly
cool night ensued, free of mosquitoes. This had been a long and tiring day for
me, but well worthwhile for so many good experiences. I had two tiny blisters on
my right hand despite wearing gloves.