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Jum Island, also known as Pu (Crab) Island is located approximately 25 kilometers south of Krabi (Thailand) on the Andaman Sea. The mountainous northern part (known as Koh Pu) is rugged, rocky, filled with small rubber plantations and what looks to me like triple-canopy jungle on the upper slopes of Mt. Pu (395 m. high) while the southern part (Koh Jum) is relatively flat and covered by the natural vegetation of the Andaman Coast, casuarinas trees and screw palms. Come visit Koh Jum and see for yourself. It's a friendly, quiet, different kind of placeKoh Jum / Koh Phu is a small island situated between Koh Lanta and Krabi town. Whilst the southern end of the island is known as Koh Jum (‘Jum Island’), the northern part bears the entirely different name Koh Phu (‘Phu Island’).
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This means that when people journey from one ‘island’ to another, they do so on foot. Maybe the people who named the two ‘islands’ can be excused for implying that you can walk on water here as this place feels like a tranquil slice of heaven on earth, and one where it is not unimaginable that natural laws could be transcended.
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Mother Nature did not bestow on Koh Jum the same white sand and spectacular topography as she did on other Thai destinations such as Koh Phi Phi and the Railay peninsula, but the island’s beaches and jungle-clad mountain are still almost perfectly pristine. Only by the high standards of Thai beach destinations are they inferior – anywhere else in the world Koh Jum would be deemed an archetypically tropical idyll.
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The western coast is studded with six beaches whose yellowish sand may be judged by connoisseurs to be lackluster compared with the blindingly white powder sands of Railay’s Phra Nang beach but, in marked contrast to Phra Nang beach, Koh Jum’s beaches never get crowded. The often sublime sunsets on these beaches are an added bonus of staying here, with Koh Phi Phi’s steep limestone cliffs set against the orange sun. For such a lovely and unspoiled island, Koh Jum / Koh Phu is surprisingly easy to get to, via a short boat-ride from Krabi Town or Koh Lanta. |
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The low visitor density, plus the ease of access from Krabi airport, currently make Koh Jum southern Thailand’s most accessible hideaway island, and one which we highly recommend. This number one ranking does not look set to last, as with the island’s connection to the national power grid big developers are moving in, so visitors who like hideaway islands are advised to go there soon, before the hordes descend.
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Always a good sign for those seeking a pristine tropical idyll, Koh Jum / Phu has no jetty or dock - the ferry from Krabi Town stops offshore and is met by resort longtail boats, into which visitors hop for the ride ashore.
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It is a small island where the few deserted roads are unsealed and pot-holed, posing a challenge for the inexperienced rider. There is however less need to rent a bike in order to get around these days, as the local taxi service has recently been significantly upgraded: last year the island’s taxi driver added a side-car to his motorbike. |
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Beaches
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