Koh Chang

Overview

If you’re looking for a little R&R when in Thailand, look no further than the island paradise of Koh Chang.  With the hundreds of Thai islands to choose from, it’s difficult to pick the one right for you.  And while Koh Chang is not the secluded, backpacker haven it once was, it is still a remarkable place to unwind and enjoy the natural beauty that a Thai island has to offer.

Getting There/Arriving

There is a process to getting to every Thai island, and it’s usually a combination of buses, trains, ferries, sawngthaews, and/or taxis.  Koh Chang is no different.  Bangkok provides easy access to Koh Chang, as does Siem Reap in Cambodia.

Bus- If coming from Bangkok, your best bet is to head to the Eastern Bus Terminal, easily reached by the Skytrain.  Buses run to the pier in Laem Ngop and are surprisingly comfortable, have A/C, and are pretty cheap.  The journey takes about 5 hours.  Once in Laem Ngop, you can catch a ferry to Koh Chang.

Ferry- Buses drop passengers off at the ferry terminal in Laem Ngop, where it’s easy and self-explanatory to purchase a ticket to head to Koh Chang.  Ferries depart every hour during high season until about 5-6pm, less frequently in the offseason.  The boat ride is about an hour.

Sawngthaew-  Once the ferry arrives at Koh Chang, you’ll have to take some a sawngthaew to whichever beach you are heading to.  The price is the same no matter what, and they don’t bargain (I tried both times I went to Koh Chang-no dice).  They will pack you into these little pick up trucks with benches in the back, bags and all.

Getting Around

Sawngthaew-  Once you arrive to the beach of your choice, chances are you won’t have to use any transport until leaving.  If you do want to visit some of the other beaches, though, a sawngthaew is your best choice.  Same rules apply as when taking it from the pier.

Motorbikes-  Motorbike rentals are available all over Koh Chang, but BE CAREFUL!  Tourists get hurt all the time on the windy, steep roads.  Driving in Thailand is NOT like driving at home, and if you’ve never driven a motorbike before, then you may want to wait to try it somewhere else.

Where to Stay

There are several beaches on the island of Koh Chang, most of them completely different from each other.

White Sand Beach-  The largest and most popular beach on the island, White Sands Beach is where you want to go if you are looking for resorts and a more Koh Samui type feel.  Still beautiful, but not secluded or authentically Thai at all.

Klong Prao Beach-  A nice, wide sandy beach with great views and a popular waterfall.  It is also a popular place for resorts, but the beach itself isn’t terrible crowded like other more popular Thai islands.  Plenty of amenities here.

Kai Bae Beach-  Kai Bae is the last major beach on the west coast of Koh Chang.  Like the ones before it, Kai Bae has succombed to the high end resort and western development, but it’s still a gorgeous place with remarkable views of the sunset.

Lonely Beach-  If you’re wanting some R&R on Koh Chang, Lonely Beach is probably your best bet.  While it was completely secluded with very little amenities as few as 5 years ago, Lonely Beach is starting to get bigger.  While there are a few resorts here, it’s still mainly a backpacker beach, and the crowds don’t get very big.  The beach is really nice with powdery white sand on the northern end.

Where we Stayed-  We wanted some peace and quiet, so Lonely Beach was our beach of choice both times we visited Koh Chang.  There are some nicer hotels and resorts if that’s your thing, but you can also stay in a nice place for cheap.  We stayed at 3 different places during our time there.

• Nature Beach Resort-  By far our favorite place, with a range of different bungalows on offer.  You can go the cheap route with fan and mosquito net, or you can buck up for the nicer air conditioned huts.  Both are quite nice, and at about $30US/night for the a/c huts, they really are a bargain.  It also has a prime, beachfront location with internet cafe and restaurant.
• Siam Huts-  Located on the southern, rockier end of the beach, Siam is the place to go if you want a bargain.  While they do offer a/c units right on the beach, they aren’t nearly as nice as Nature Beach’s, but the cost is reflective.  If you’re up for roughing it, you can get a fan/mozzie net hut a hundred yards or so away from the beach for under $5US/night for a double.
• Magic Garden-  If you’re looking for a more unique place, look no further than Magic Garden.  Funky little huts on stilts, located up the hill about a 5-10 minute walk from the beach, Magic Garden has a great common area, a monkey, and shows movies regularly.  It’s closer to more of the restaurants and bars than the accommodations on the beach.

Food and Drink

There are a few decent places at Lonely Beach, with most accommodations having their own (and pretty similar) restaurants.  If staying at one of the beach huts, you will have to walk up the hill towards the Magic Garden for more options, as most of the bars and restaurants are located there.

Nature Beach Resort-  The restaurant sits right on the beach, making for great views and a nice, relaxing, laid back meal.  The Thai side of the menu is about half to a third less expensive than the western side, and they do Thai food quite well.  The western food they offer is typical western food served at these types of places.  Not bad, but not great either.  I highly suggest the Steamed Chili Lime Snapper.  Delish!  Every few days they offer a seafood barbecue with super fresh shrimp, scallops, squid, and other various catches of the day for very affordable prices.

Siam Huts-  They also offer seafood barbecues a few times a week, and their breakfasts are pretty good (better than Nature’s, in my opinion).

Tree House Lodge-  A popular backpacker hangout that can get pretty wild during weekends and high season.  DJ’s and dance parties are the norm at nighttime, as the buckets flow and the hookahs get loaded up.  The massive deck over the water makes for a great place to chill and hang out.  The food here is surprisingly good as well, with a great selection of Thai favorites, some typical western fare, and some great Indian food.

There are plenty of other little restaurants and bars along and off the main road heading south from the beach.  They are ever-changing, and some of the places that we enjoyed while there two years ago are no longer the same places.

What to Do

Lounging around on the beach by day and drinking Thai whiskey buckets by night are the most popular activities on Koh Chang, particularly if you are staying at Lonely Beach.  But if you’re wanting a bit more, that’s fine, too, as there are plenty of other things to do while here.

Snorkeling/Diving-  There are several dive/snorkeling operators on the island that offer great packages for cheap.  We did some fantastic snorkeling while here, getting picked up at our accommodations at Nature.  We booked everything through them (they offer plenty of activities that you can book through them).  There are also many tour operators up and down the main road at Lonely Beach.  For more activities, head to one of the more popular beaches north of Lonely Beach.

Hiking-  Koh Chang is a very hilly, green island away from the beaches, which offers tons of hiking opportunities for those looking to get away from the beach and get a little exercise.

Kayaking-  You can rent a kayak at any of the beaches on Koh Chang to explore more of the sea.

Tree Top Adventure Park-  We did not do this, but we heard nothing but great things.  Two separate courses (easy and hard) offer a combination of zip lines, rope bridges, tarzan swings, flying skateboards, and tight rope walks.