Koh Libong: meet one of the rarest animals in Thailand

Vol. 31 - May 2026

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Welcome to the 31st edition of The Thai List.

There are still places in Thailand that feel undiscovered.

Not because they’re hard to reach.
But because most people simply don’t know what they’re looking for.

Koh Libong is one of them.

An island where the coastline shifts with the tide, where fishing boats trace the horizon, and where—just beyond the surface—one of the rarest marine animals in Thailand still exists.

The dugong.

And almost no one comes here to see it.

Happy Travels!

Ploy, Jochem & Moana ❤️

A travel story

Getting to Koh Libong starts the same way most trips to Trang do, but somewhere along the way it begins to feel like you’re heading somewhere more specific, somewhere people don’t just end up by accident.

From Trang town, you drive out toward Hat Yao Pier. It’s a small, working pier, mostly used by locals. Fishing boats line the edges, and there’s no real sense of departure schedules or organized movement. You wait, get on when it’s time, and within minutes you’re crossing over to the island.

The ride is short, but enough to separate you from everything else.

Koh Libong comes into view slowly. It doesn’t try to impress you at first. No dramatic cliffs or bright blue bays. Just a wide, low island that feels almost understated from a distance.

But once you arrive, it starts to make more sense.

There’s no central area pulling you in, no clear direction to follow. You rent a motorbike and just start moving. The roads take you through small coastal villages, past homes where daily life is happening right in front of you—boats being repaired, nets drying, people sitting outside talking as the day moves on.

Then the landscape opens.

You reach the coastline, and it stretches further than you expect. And depending on the time of day, it looks completely different. When the tide is in, the sea feels wide and calm. When it pulls back, it reveals something else entirely, large, shallow areas filled with seagrass.

That’s when Koh Libong really reveals itself.

This isn’t just an island with beaches. It’s one of the last places in Thailand where dugongs still live in the wild.

They come here for the seagrass, feeding slowly in these shallow waters, moving through an ecosystem that has existed long before tourism ever reached this part of the country.

No one announces it when you arrive.

There are no signs, no big tours, no crowds gathering at a “viewpoint.” It’s something you become aware of gradually. A local might mention it. A sign near the coast might explain it briefly. And then suddenly, you realise that what looks like empty water is actually something much more significant.

You start paying attention differently.

Standing at the shoreline in the early morning or late afternoon, you catch yourself scanning the surface. Most of the time, it’s completely still. But every now and then, there’s a small movement in the distance. A shift, a ripple, something that feels just slightly out of place.

It’s never guaranteed. Most people don’t see them clearly.

But that’s not really the point.

The experience comes from knowing they’re there—that just a few hundred meters out, these rare animals are moving through the same water you’re looking at.

And it gives Koh Libong a completely different kind of presence.

By the time you leave, it’s not the beaches or the roads that stand out most.

It’s that feeling of having been close to something rare, without it ever being turned into a spectacle.

Andalay Beach Resort Koh Libong

A beachfront stay that feels fully connected to the island rather than separated from it.

Set directly along the coast, the resort combines natural materials with more refined design, creating a space that feels considered without losing the character of Koh Libong. Rooms open out toward gardens or the sea, and the layout gives a sense of space rather than density.

There’s a private beach, two swimming pools, and a restaurant overlooking the water, so you don’t need to leave unless you want to explore.

It works especially well if you want to experience the island comfortably, while still staying close to the coastline where Koh Libong’s defining landscape, and its dugong habitat, unfolds just offshore.

• 6:00 am : Sunrise by the coast // Walk out toward the shoreline while the light is still soft. The sea is calm, fishing boats are already out, and the whole coastline feels open and undisturbed. This is also when locals sometimes scan the water for dugongs.

• 7:30 am : Breakfast by the sea // Breakfast at your hotel or a nearby spot. Coffee, fruit, eggs, maybe rice soup. Sit outside if you can. The morning air is still fresh, and there’s no reason to rush into anything.

• 9:00 am : Explore the island by motorbike // Rent a motorbike and start moving across the island. There’s no fixed route, just follow the coastal roads, pass through villages, and stop whenever something catches your attention.

• 10:30 am : Coastal villages // Spend some time driving through the fishing villages. Boats pulled up along the shore, nets laid out, people going about their day. It gives you a better sense of how connected the island is to the sea.

• 12:00 pm : Beach stop // Find a local restaurant near the water. Grilled fish, prawns, simple Thai dishes. Nothing complicated, just fresh and filling.

• 1:00 am : Lunch // Stop at a local restaurant nearby. Grilled fish, simple stir-fries, cold drinks. Something to reset after the walk.

• 3:00 pm : Rest // Head back to your hotel for a break. The afternoon heat picks up, so this is a good time to slow down, sit in the shade, or spend some time by the pool.

• 5:30 pm : Dugong waters // Make your way back to the coast as the light softens. This is when the sea becomes more active again. You won’t always see anything, but this is the best time to look out toward the seagrass areas.

• 6:30 pm : Sunset // Find a spot along the beach and stay there for sunset. The sky opens up, the light changes quickly, and the whole coastline takes on a different atmosphere.

• 7:30 pm : Dinner // Head back for dinner at your hotel or a nearby local spot. Seafood is the obvious choice, but most places will have a mix of Thai dishes depending on what’s available that day.

• 8:30 pm : Evening by the sea // End the day outside if you can. A short walk, the sound of the water, enjoy an evening under the stars with a cold drink and some good conversations.

If you liked this week’s edition, here’s what’s worth to Eat, See and Explore:

Food on Koh Libong is shaped entirely by what surrounds it.

The sea decides most of what ends up on your plate. Boats go out early, come back with the day’s catch, and that’s what you’ll be eating a few hours later. There’s no real concept of trend or presentation here—meals are built around freshness and familiarity.

You won’t find curated café culture or long menus. Instead, you’ll come across small, family-run restaurants, often attached to homes or set along the roadside, where recipes haven’t changed much over time.

It’s the kind of place where you don’t overthink where to eat.

You drive, you stop, you sit down.

And more often than not, it turns out to be exactly what you needed.

If you want a few places to start with:

Libong Beach Resort Restaurant
One of the easiest places to settle into on your first day. Set right by the sea, with open views and a relaxed setting. The menu leans toward Thai classics and fresh seafood, done well without overcomplicating anything. A good introduction to the island.

Andalay Beach Resort Restaurant
Slightly more refined, with a bit more attention to detail in both setting and food. Still grounded in local flavors, but with a broader menu. Works well for a longer dinner, especially around sunset.

Local roadside restaurants
These are where Koh Libong really shows itself. Small, often family-run, sometimes without names you’ll remember—but usually the most memorable meals. Grilled fish, stir-fried squid, spicy soups, rice dishes. You don’t need to search for them. Just follow where people are eating.

Dugong Seagrass Coastline
This is what defines Koh Libong.

Just offshore, in the shallow waters surrounding the island, lies one of Thailand’s last remaining dugong habitats. These seagrass fields stretch along the coastline, especially visible when the tide pulls back, revealing how much life exists just beneath the surface.

You won’t find a viewing platform or a fixed spot where everyone gathers. It’s more subtle than that. Early morning or late afternoon, you stand along the shore and look out across the water. Sometimes it’s completely still. Sometimes there’s a small movement in the distance.

Most of the time, you won’t see anything clearly.

But knowing what’s there changes how you experience the entire island.

Libong Viewpoint
A short walk up leads to one of the best views on the island. From the top, you can see the coastline stretching out, with fishing boats scattered across the water and the mainland faintly visible in the distance.

It’s not a dramatic, built-up viewpoint. Just a simple place that gives you perspective on how open and undeveloped the island really is.

Late afternoon tends to be the best time to go, when the light softens and the landscape feels more defined.

Coastal Fishing Villages
Some of the most interesting parts of Koh Libong aren’t landmarks at all.

Driving through the villages gives you a clearer sense of the island than any single viewpoint could. Boats lined up along the shore, nets spread out, homes built close together, and daily life unfolding without much attention to visitors passing through.

It’s not something you visit once and leave.

It’s something you pass through, and gradually understand.

Low Tide Seagrass Flats
One of the most unique moments on Koh Libong happens when the tide pulls back.

What looks like open sea during the morning slowly transforms into wide, textured flats stretching far out from the shore. Patches of seagrass become visible, and the entire coastline feels completely different within a few hours.

This is also the habitat that draws dugongs to the island.

Most people walk straight past it without realising what they’re looking at. But once you understand it, this becomes one of the most interesting parts of the island—not just visually, but ecologically.

Tung Yaka Village
On the eastern side of the island, this fishing village gives a more complete picture of life on Koh Libong.

Boats come in and out depending on the tide, seafood is sorted and prepared near the shore, and the whole place moves with a rhythm shaped by the sea. It’s not set up for visitors, which is exactly what makes it worth spending time here.

Come in the late afternoon, when the light softens and more activity happens along the water.

Laem Ju Hoi
A stretch of coastline that feels more open and removed from the rest of the island.

There’s no real signage or defined entrance, you just follow the road until it leads you there. What you find is a wide, uninterrupted view of the sea, often with very few people around.

It’s a good place to stop without a plan, especially toward the end of the day, when the light stretches across the water and everything feels a bit more expansive.

It’s a simple question, but on Koh Libong it actually means something.

You might ask a local fisherman, someone at your hotel, or even just in passing near the coast. Most of the time, you won’t get a precise answer, maybe just a direction, a gesture toward the sea, or a short explanation about the tide.

Songs for discovering Thailand: from scenic drives to hidden escapes. New vibes added every week .

Click on any of the tracks below to get in the travel mood.

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Wishing you save travels,

The Thai List - Your weekly postcard from Thailand 🇹🇭