Koh Libong

Discovering Koh Libong

We arrived at Hat Yao Pier in Trang province on a Tuesday morning — a concrete jetty, a few longtail boats rocking in the shallows, and a hand-painted sign that said “Koh Libong” with an arrow pointing at the sea. The crossing took 45 minutes and no one on the boat was a tourist except us. The other passengers were local families returning from the mainland with bags of rice, cooking oil, and school supplies. When the island appeared — low, green, fringed with mangroves on the near side and a long white beach on the far side — one of the fishermen pointed at the water and said “dugong.” We looked but saw nothing. He smiled. “Tomorrow. Early.”

Koh Libong is Thailand’s largest island in Trang province and one of the least developed inhabited islands in the Andaman Sea. It has no nightlife, no 7-Eleven, no ATM, no paved road for most of its length, and no particular ambition to attract mass tourism. What it has is the largest population of dugongs in Thailand — gentle, slow-moving marine mammals related to manatees — grazing on seagrass meadows along the eastern coast. The dugongs are the island’s identity, the reason for its protected marine habitat status, and the quiet draw that brings a small number of wildlife travelers here each season.

The island is home to about 4,000 people, almost entirely Muslim fishing families whose daily rhythm is set by the tides and the call to prayer. The village on the eastern shore is a cluster of wooden houses, a mosque, a few small shops selling necessities, and a school where children in white uniforms play in the yard. There is no tourism infrastructure in the conventional sense — no travel agencies, no massage parlors, no bars with neon signs. The guesthouses that exist are simple and family-run, and dinner is whatever the kitchen decided to cook that day. Koh Libong is not trying to be anything other than what it is: a fishing island where dugongs happen to live.

What Makes Koh Libong Different?

Every Thai island markets itself as paradise, but Koh Libong does not market itself at all. There is no tourism board, no glossy brochure, no Instagram campaign. The island’s appeal is its refusal to perform for visitors. You come here to see dugongs, to paddle through mangroves in silence, and to walk beaches where your footprints are the only ones. The nearest party island, Koh Lanta, is a world away in atmosphere even though it is only 40 km north. Koh Libong is what Koh Lanta might have been twenty years ago, before the first resort broke ground.

The dugong population — estimated at 150 to 180 animals — is the largest remaining concentration in Thailand and one of the most significant in Southeast Asia. The seagrass beds between Koh Libong and the mainland are a protected habitat under the Libong Archipelago Wildlife Reserve, established in 1979. The protection is real: fishing methods that damage seagrass are prohibited, boat speeds are restricted in the feeding zones, and the local community acts as informal wardens because their own fishing grounds depend on the same healthy ecosystem. This is not greenwashing — it is a community whose livelihood and conservation interests genuinely align.

Beyond the dugongs, Koh Libong is a birding destination of genuine significance. The island sits on the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, and during migration season (November to March) the mangroves and mudflats host brown-winged kingfishers, white-bellied sea eagles, brahminy kites, and thousands of migratory shorebirds. The Trang Birding Club leads occasional trips here, but most of the time you are on your own with binoculars and the sound of wings.

What Can You Do on Koh Libong?

Dugong-Spotting Boat Trip — The island’s signature experience. Local fishermen run small longtail boats along the seagrass beds starting at dawn, typically 6-7 AM when the water is calmest and dugongs surface to breathe most frequently. Trips last 2-3 hours and cost 500-800 THB ($14-23) per person, usually with a minimum of two passengers. The boats maintain a respectful 30-meter distance from the animals. Sighting success is around 70% during peak months (February-March). Your boatman will also point out sea turtles, dolphins, and the bird colonies in the mangrove channels along the way.

Mangrove Kayaking — The eastern coast is fringed with dense mangrove forest, and half-day guided kayak trips (400-600 THB / $11-17) explore the tidal channels where crab-eating macaques forage in the roots, monitor lizards bask on branches, and kingfishers flash blue between the trees. The silence inside the mangroves — broken only by paddles and birdsong — is striking. Kayaks can be arranged through your guesthouse or the community tourism office in the village. Best at mid-tide when the channels are navigable but the wildlife is concentrated.

Western Beach Walk — Koh Libong’s western coast has a long, wide beach that stretches for several kilometers and is almost always deserted. The sand is not the powder-white of Koh Lipe or Koh Rok — it is coarser and darker, littered with shells and driftwood — but the emptiness is the point. We walked for an hour and saw no one except a fisherman mending nets under a casuarina tree. Swimming is good during calm season (November-April), though the water is shallow for a long way out.

Village Walk and Mosque Visit — The fishing village on the eastern shore is worth a respectful visit. Walk the single road past wooden houses, fish-drying racks, and boats pulled up on the mudflat. The central mosque is the community’s anchor — visitors are welcome to observe from outside during non-prayer times. Dress modestly: cover shoulders and knees. The small shops sell basic supplies, and a couple of food stalls serve roti, khao mok gai (chicken biryani), and fresh fish.

Day Trip to Koh Muk and the Emerald Cave — Longtail boats from Koh Libong can reach Koh Muk in about 30 minutes. The Emerald Cave (Tham Morakot) — a swim-through sea cave that opens into a hidden lagoon ringed by cliffs — is the region’s most dramatic natural attraction. Day trips run 800-1,200 THB ($23-34) per person including the cave visit and snorkeling stops. Arrange through your guesthouse. For more on the region’s underwater sites, see our snorkeling guide.

Where to Eat on Koh Libong

Dining on Koh Libong is simple. There are no restaurants with menus in English or tables with tablecloths. What exists is better: home cooking by local families, Muslim southern Thai flavors, and seafood that was in the water that morning.

• Guesthouse Kitchens — Most visitors eat where they sleep. The guesthouses cook set meals — typically rice with two or three dishes, always including fresh fish — for 80-150 THB ($2.25-4.25) per meal. The food is southern Thai and Muslim-influenced: turmeric curries, fish soup, stir-fried vegetables, and roti with curry sauce. No menus; you eat what is prepared. The quality is consistently good because the ingredients are local and the cooks have been making these dishes their entire lives.

• Village Food Stalls — Near the mosque, a few stalls sell roti canai (30 THB / $0.85), khao mok gai (40-50 THB / $1.15-1.40), and grilled fish on skewers (20-40 THB / $0.55-1.15). These stalls operate on their own schedule — some mornings they are open, some they are not. Ask at your guesthouse. The roti here is among the best we have had in southern Thailand: thin, crispy, served with a bowl of massaman-style curry for dipping.

• Libong Nature Beach Resort Restaurant — The closest thing to a conventional restaurant on the island. The menu includes pad Thai, green curry, fried rice, and grilled seafood at slightly higher prices than the village (100-200 THB / $2.85-5.70). Open to non-guests. The beachfront setting and cold drinks make this the default sunset dinner spot for the small number of tourists on the island.

• Fresh Seafood from Fishermen — If you are staying in a guesthouse with a kitchen, you can buy fish directly from the boats that return to the eastern shore each morning. A whole sea bass or red snapper costs 80-150 THB ($2.25-4.25) depending on size. Your guesthouse host will usually cook it for you if you ask — grilled with salt and lime is the standard preparation, and it needs nothing more.

Where to Stay on Koh Libong

Accommodation on Koh Libong is limited to a handful of small guesthouses and one eco-resort. Booking ahead during peak season (December-February) is advisable — there are fewer than 50 rooms on the entire island.

• Libong Nature Beach Resort — Wooden bungalows on the western beach with fan or air-conditioning, the island’s only proper restaurant, and staff who arrange all activities. The bungalows are simple but comfortable — clean sheets, mosquito nets, private bathrooms. 800-1,500 THB ($23-43) per night. This is where most international visitors stay and the most reliable operation on the island.

• Libong Homestay — A community-run homestay program in the fishing village where you sleep in a local family’s house, eat home-cooked meals, and get a window into daily island life that no resort can offer. Rooms are basic — a mattress on the floor, shared bathroom, fan only. 300-500 THB ($8.50-14) per night including meals. The families are welcoming and the experience is authentic. Book through the Koh Libong Community Tourism group — your guesthouse on the mainland or at Hat Yao Pier can connect you.

• Libong Sunset Resort — A small collection of bungalows on the western beach, simpler than Nature Beach but slightly cheaper and with a quieter stretch of sand. Fan rooms 500-900 THB ($14-26) per night. The owner is a former fisherman who knows every dugong feeding spot and will take you out himself for a small fee. No air-conditioning in the budget rooms. Bring mosquito repellent.

• Libong Beach Resort — Concrete bungalows set back from the western beach. Clean, functional rooms with air-conditioning at the higher end. 600-1,200 THB ($17-34) per night. Less character than the other options but reliable hot water and consistent maintenance. A solid mid-range choice if the homestay feels too rustic and Nature Beach is full.

Coming Home Changed

Koh Libong is not a destination that impresses through spectacle. There are no towering limestone karsts, no underwater cathedrals of coral, no fire shows on the beach. What the island offers is rarer: the chance to see a wild dugong surface in the morning light, to eat fish that was caught two hours ago, to walk a beach with no one else on it, and to sit in a village where the rhythms of the sea still dictate the shape of each day. We left after three nights and kept talking about it for weeks — not the dramatic moments, but the quiet ones. The call to prayer echoing over the water at dusk. The fisherman pointing at nothing and smiling. The dugong that appeared, breathed, and vanished. Koh Libong does not try to hold your attention. It earns it.

For more on Trang province and the islands off its coast, or to plan a route connecting Koh Libong with Koh Lanta and the Andaman coast, start from Trang Town and work south.