Le Khao Kob Cave
A Boat Trip Under the Mountain

🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026

Trang is known for its sea and islands, but it'd be a shame to come all this way and only do the islands, because on land there's Le Khao Kob Cave, which gives you a completely different experience from the walk-in caves you usually find. This is a water cave, with an underground stream flowing right through the mountain, so you have to ride a boat in along the water. Along the way you'll see stalactites and stalagmites that have been forming for thousands of years, plus a stretch where the ceiling drops so low you have to lie flat to get under it. It's a spot the people of Trang are proud of, and they love bringing visitors to give it a try.

What makes this cave different from the rest

Most caves in Thailand you can walk into and look around, but you can't walk into Le Khao Kob at all during the main stretch, because water floods the cave floor the whole way. The only way in is to sit in a flat-bottomed boat and let the boatman push you through along the water. In some sections the cave opens up wide, with stalactites and stalagmites hanging down in odd shapes, and the boatman shines a light to point out which rock looks like what. In other sections the cave narrows and the ceiling drops so low you have to lie flat. That's the appeal that gets people to drive out of town all the way to Huai Yot.

Another thing that sets it apart from Trang's beach trips is that it doesn't really depend on the boating season. Trang's islands close during the monsoon, but you can still take a boat into Le Khao Kob almost year-round, which makes it a solid backup plan for days when the waves are too rough or the rain keeps boats from heading out to sea.

The highlight: the Dragon's Belly, where you have to lie flat

The part everyone waits for is the Dragon's Belly. It's a cave passage where the ceiling drops very low for a continuous stretch of about 350 meters, so low you can't even sit up. Everyone in the boat has to lie flat against the floor of the boat, hands folded on your chest or pressed to your sides, and let the boatman slowly push the boat through the gap. You can't lift your head during it because the rock is just a few inches from your nose. The boatman keeps calling out the timing, telling you to stay still and keep your head and feet inside the boat.

It's called the Dragon's Belly because people long ago compared squeezing through this gap to passing under a dragon's belly, the dragon being an auspicious creature in Chinese belief. Making it through is considered good luck. Plenty of people who are afraid of tight spaces say their heart was racing at first, but once they made it through it turned into the most memorable part of the trip.

Stalactites, stalagmites, and what to watch for along the way

During the ride, the boatman stops at several spots to look at the stalactites and stalagmites, with colored lights set up to make the shapes stand out and the photos come out nicely. Some of the rocks are named for what they resemble — like a curtain, a pagoda, or an animal. The boatman usually tells the stories and points them out one by one. The whole tour takes about 45 minutes, in and back out along the one waterway.

• The stalactite-and-stalagmite chamber — an open cave hall with rock formations hanging from the ceiling and rising from the floor, lit with colored lights for photos
• The Dragon's Belly stretch — a low passage about 350 meters long that you have to lie flat to get through, the highlight everyone waits for
• The underground stream — clear, cool water flowing the whole way, in places reflecting the rock like a mirror
• The cave mouth and riverside garden — the launch point has a pavilion and a drinks stall to sit and rest before or after the ride

Boat fees, opening hours, and info before you go

The fee is per boat, around 300 THB a boat, seating roughly 4–6 people, with 2 boatmen at the front and back to look after you. If you come as a group it works out very cheap per person, but if you come alone or as a pair you still pay per boat. The smart move is to go with a group or wait to pair up with another set of travelers. It's open daily from around 08:00 to 17:00, but you'll want to arrive before late afternoon to leave time for the boat queue and a relaxed ride.

How to get there

Le Khao Kob Cave is in Khao Kob subdistrict, Huai Yot district, about 35 km from Trang town. Take Highway 4, the Trang–Huai Yot road, then continue past Huai Yot town toward Wang Wiset for another 7 km or so. There are clear signs marking the turnoff. Driving from Trang town takes about 45 minutes to an hour, and there's parking at the cave mouth. The easiest way is to rent a car or motorbike and drive yourself, since Trang has no public transport that reaches this spot, or hire a car with a driver for the day to get around easily. Honest truth: if you don't have a vehicle, getting here is more of a hassle than the in-town attractions.

Plan the area around it to make the day worthwhile

The actual boat ride at Le Khao Kob is only about 45 minutes, so it's worth pairing it with other stops on the same day to make the drive count. Huai Yot and the route back into town have waterfalls and an old town to drop by. Here's a sample half-day to full-day plan that actually works.