Caves, Bats, and a Hidden Lagoon
Koh Panak is the adventure stop on Phang Nga Bay day trips. No beach here. No swimming. Instead, you get caves. Real caves, the kind where you need a helmet and flashlight, where you lie flat in a canoe to squeeze under low ceilings, and where bats hang overhead in total darkness.
We’ve done this a few times now, and it’s always a highlight. The boat anchors at the base of a massive limestone cliff. There’s a small landing spot, barely visible until you’re right next to it. You transfer into inflatable canoes, one guide paddling from behind while you sit up front. Then you head into the caves.
Inside the Caves
Koh Panak has five named caves. Bat Cave is the main attraction. You paddle through sections so dark you can’t see anything except what the guide’s flashlight hits. Bats sleep on the ceiling above you. Stalactites hang low, some close enough to touch if you were foolish enough to try. At one point, you smell the bat droppings. Not pleasant, but it’s part of the experience. Some people love it. Others just want to get through quickly.
Ice Cream Cave is different. You can walk inside this one rather than paddle. The rock formations genuinely look like scoops of ice cream, which is how it got the name. It only works at low tide and not when it’s raining. If conditions are wrong, guides skip it.
Diamond Cave has calcite formations that sparkle when light hits them. Mangrove Cave opens into a lagoon surrounded by mangrove roots and limestone walls. Each cave offers something different.
The Hidden Lagoon
The caves eventually lead to a hong, a hidden lagoon inside the island. Limestone walls rise straight up toward the open sky. Ferns and vines hang down. Mangrove roots spread across the sandy floor. The water is calm and green. It feels prehistoric, like somewhere that hasn’t changed in thousands of years.
Wildlife lives here. Monkeys in the trees, mudskippers on the rocks, kingfishers overhead. One visitor brought a banana and a monkey started jumping between canoes. Probably not recommended, but it makes a good story.
What You Need to Know
Tide timing is everything here. Too high, and the cave entrances are underwater. Too low and it’s all mud and sharp rocks. Tour operators schedule visits for mid-tide, that narrow window when the water level is just right. If conditions are wrong, they might skip Koh Panak entirely.
Safety helmets are provided, and you should wear them. One reviewer mentioned stalactites that “can cut your head open.” Some passages require lying completely flat in the canoe while the guide pushes through. If you’re claustrophobic, this might not be for you.
Tours typically give you 30 to 45 minutes here. Premium operators like John Gray’s Sea Canoe spend up to 90 minutes. The 300 Baht national park fee usually covers all Phang Nga Bay stops, including this one.
Worth It?
One visitor called Koh Panak “100 times better than James Bond Island.” That’s probably too much, but the point stands. James Bond Island is famous and crowded. Koh Panak feels like genuine exploration. Dark caves, quiet water, limestone walls closing in around you. It’s the stop people remember when they get home.
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Koh Panak Map
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