Thai Island of Dreams

Looking out from Koh Mak.

Was that experience even real? It feels like we were in a dream for two days. And as with the best dreams, there’s nothing worse than when you know you are waking up from one and there is nothing you can do to stop it. I hesitate to even write this blog because we want to keep this place a secret.

My goal when choosing a Thai island to visit was to find a place we would enjoy, but I didn’t know we would fall in love. Checklist: No hordes of backpackers, no “full moon parties”, no mega resorts. We just wanted simple surroundings, quiet beaches, good food, and beautiful sunrises and sunsets. Well, we got that and much much more.

Arriving at Koh Mak.

We knew it was something special as soon as we got on the speedboat and began the journey to the island. Three or four stops later (we lost count enjoying the view) we had arrived. After a long day including being squeezed in a packed minibus for 6 hours, hanging off the back of an overcrowded truck, and strapping ourselves into lifejackets next to a Buddhist monk on the boat, we had finally arrived at Koh Mak .

​A member of the hotel staff was standing right at the edge of the dock, located on the west side of the island, ready to help us settle into the Little Moon Villa. Okay, so we weren’t relaxing and sipping cocktails yet. In our frantic desire to be “away from it all” we had booked the hotel farthest from the rest of civilization on the island.

​Of course on an island that is 6 square miles (16 square kilometers) far away is relative. So we jumped on the back of another truck for a 2 mile (3.5 kilometer) ride and we had finally arrived.

No shoes. No problem.

The view from our bedroom.

The dining doggie.

The Little Moon Villa was perfect for what we wanted. A nice open-air lobby and dining room, a few bungalows on the private beach, and a perfect view to catch sunrises. Only a couple of the other bungalows were occupied so quiet didn’t begin to describe it. We had one completely private dinner and one where our only other diners were a woman and her very privileged dog also sitting at the table on the chair opposite her. After the amazing dinner, we made our way back to our bungalow and thought about how lucky we were to be experiencing something that people spend their whole life desiring.

The next morning we were up early because the massive Thai meal, of course, had put us to sleep very quickly, but also because we didn’t want to miss the beautiful island sunrise from the beach right in front of our door. Out on the resort’s dock, the colors were stunning as they shifted from pink to orange to red. If that sunrise had lasted 8 years we would have sat in the exact spot and watched it the entire time, unblinking. One lone fisherman bobbed along in the water as the sun quickly rose over the mountains of the mainland in the distance.  

We only had one full day on the island and we were going to make the best of it. We rented a motorbike from the resort and after a bit of negotiating to decide who was going to drive we were off exploring. There were only so many roads on the tiny island so it seemed like a good plan to just ride them all. We must have been quite a sight for the locals who greeted us with smiles, laughs, and looks of amusement. Both because two giant men on a tiny motorbike are naturally ridiculous, but also because we demanded helmets which locals regard as entirely optional, especially on an island with no traffic whatsoever. Oh well.

We rode through rubber tree plantations, forests, on dirt roads, among coconut trees, along the pier and as far as we could go on our little motorbike, It was freeing and wonderful. Our lunch at Koh Mak Seafood  was simply delicious. Barefoot and looking over magnificent scenery we enjoyed every bite of the Thai cuisine on offer.

Awaiting lunch at Koh Mak Seafood.

After a short visit to the Koh Mak Museum attached to the restaurant, we were back on our motorbike exploring the rest of the island. Although we passed by quite a few restaurants on the tiny island we decided to head back to our resort to try some of the other dishes on the menu, which turned out to be a great choice since this dinner was even better than the first. After such an outstanding meal we were sad to think about departing the next morning.

Getting ready to leave by boat.

We telepathically knew what each other was thinking as we packed in the morning, we would be back as soon as we could! Koh Mak is truly an island of dreams and everything we could hope for from Thailand. We can only hope our experience wasn’t a fluke and that the next time we return it will be just as amazing.

Time to say goodbye.... until next time.

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