The Koh Chang Sun - The Real Koh Chang Guide

I hate the French… They are supposed to be masters of the slow food and fancy cuisine and look down their noses at us mere Canadians who actually partake in burgers and fries… They are not supposed to be good at the simpler foods… But in this case, the French are really good at the simpler style also! I guess whatever food they want to get good at it really is not a problem for them… Seems that two very nice French gentlemen, who have among other things the ability to get together charity runs, bake some of the best bread on the island and offer up some of the nicest live music on the island have teamed up to offer simple burgers and fries – and they do a really good job at it. So Burger Station has been opened and we headed down to see if they are any good… I mean, how could the French be good at such a simple food? We thought they needed sauces slow cooked over virgin coals to do anything with cooking food. Well, damn it, their burgers are damn good! And we were pleasantly surprised… Located either at the very north of Kai Bae (or the very south end of Klong Prao) the Burger Station is a simple place with a wide open area, a couple of couches and high chairs to eat “Diner Style” at the bar end. They have several styles of burgers and between the good beef (hand made) and the baked bread (handmade) the sauces (most likely handmade) and the extras (hand made)… it is one really nice burger to be had. The French Fries are not the usual but are more like thick potato chips (or crisps) – a really nice touch. Several different styles of burgers and the ability to have your own extras added give the menu a wide berth of tastes and choices. Sorry – it’s just burgers, but there is some Thai food a few yards away… The burgers themselves are served with a great sauce, heated buns and they are slightly sloppy and so you will need some napkins – the way it should be! Let’s be honest your getting a burger, but this is a really good burger… almost like some slow cooked French Gourmand worked on a good recipe and made it here in Koh Chang! Damn French, damn good!   *(PS: my Grandmother was French and so I can have some fun with being French, it was all for fun above and as a disclaimer – The French are cool in my book!)

Robert

The Koh Chang Sun - The Real Koh Chang Guide

This video was taken a  while ago at White Sands in the area called Mini-Pats (or Mini Pattaya). An area of about 15+ beer bars on the island. Golden Bar has been around for years and just about every night serve up cold beer, hot nights, jenga and of course a lot of company you can talk to and buy drinks for  

Robert

The Koh Chang Sun - The Real Koh Chang Guide

Koh Chang Events and Things to Do! Sometimes its hard to know whats on, where to go and what there is to do on the island, so we thought you might like a quick guide to some special offers, great shows, specials and entertainment on the island. Daily Specials:     Tuesday: Thursday: Friday: Saturday: December Events:

Robert

The Koh Chang Sun - The Real Koh Chang Guide

KC Grand used to be a very small laid back bamboo resort, then somewhere along the way someone invested… oh, 130 million US into the place. KC is now one of the premier hotels on Koh Chang and the location really cannot be better. At the far north of White Sands it is isolated from the other hotels but still within easy walking distance of the entire town. The beach is spectacular, they offer just about every service and amenity available with a lot of excellent features.      

Robert

The Koh Chang Sun - The Real Koh Chang Guide

ATV Adventure is in Chai Chet, just south of the main gas station. They offer up several different off road courses with the ability to go from hard trails to easy drives. With a large area of land, good vehicles and the ability to take your time and enjoy the day – a good idea for a day out! They head out after picking you at your hotel and take you back to the Chai Chet area for an introductory course on how to drive the ATVs, then you are off! The trails wind around a large area and give excellent views of the sea along the coast and of course some challenging tracks. You also have your choice of ATV from the smaller 250cc up to the two person 650cc that resembles an off road golf cart designed by the military… its fun. Be sure to dress for the outdoors and bring some sunglasses! It gets a bit dirty at times so this is no place for a good watch or expensive shirts, dress like you are going camping They have an instructor follow you and provide safety equipment   View Chia Chet in a larger map

Robert

The Koh Chang Sun - The Real Koh Chang Guide

Facebook Spam, it seems to never stop but here is a quick guide to how to actually use Facebook for those who spam, and what one can do about spammer.  How to spam everyone you know and lose customers and friends: Get a Facebook account and decide that everyone wants and needs to either drink at your bar, eat at your restaurant or shop at your store…, so they should know that everyday your bar/restaurant/shop is the best place to shop/drink/eat. That’s what Facebook is all about – right? Start sending out daily reminders to everyone that you have specials everyday, every – single- day. Don’t confuse your customers with the real specials and offers you might have, just include them in your daily spam of everyone and everything. Be sure to tag everyone on a photo that is nothing more than a spam advertisement, I mean they need to know you have specials everyday. Send the photo with tags at least once a week. But don’t forget your spam…Every. Single. Bloody. Day. Notice that there is a lot of spam on Facebook, damn, now you need to spam at least two… maybe three times a day now! Need to get that message across and make sure your spam sticks out more than anybody else’s spam. Be sure to sign up for stupid games and apps and then send invites to everyone at least three times a week.  Notice that nobody is really paying attention to your daily deals and so you think spamming more is going to do better… Realize that nobody pays attention and leave Facebook and other social media as its a waste of time.   How To Actually Use Social Media, in case you don’t know… Social media is for interacting with people, once you realize that it is not just a billboard for your store/restaurant/bar etc… then you are on the road to not being a spammer. Its fine to advertise real specials and great offers. But really, every week or every day? Offer something of real value to people. A great picture, a witty comment, advice, stop thinking of your business and begin to actually interact with people. Interacting with people will make them interested in you and from that what you offer. From that comes interest and hopefully better sales for your business, more friends on your timeline etc…   What you can do about it. Just drag your mouse over to the top right hand corner of any post and hit the dropdown menu… it reveals several options. If they are using the old “So and So” tagged you in a photo trick – report them for spam. Don’t hesitate, just do it. If they send out way too many notices, game apps, thrice daily updates you don’t want. Either unsubscribe or change the subscription to “Only Important” De-friend them if they are cluttering up your in box and feeds.

Robert

The Koh Chang Sun - The Real Koh Chang Guide

Top Resort is located at the southern end of White Sands and although not on the beach it does offer stunning views from the cliff-side of the sea and sunsets. They have a small private beach that is rocky, with little swimming, but it an interesting area and quite breezy for those hot days. If you want the  beach it is within walking distance and so no worries. It is a solid three star hotel that offers good amenities and is a good value for what you pay for. With their German management it caters a lot ,of course, to Germans. One of the better Restaurants in Koh Chang called Pauls restaurant is located top side, and for some that is reason enough to stay. Well looked after, clean and good rooms makes this a good choice for those who want a good value place to stay.      

Robert

The Koh Chang Sun - The Real Koh Chang Guide

Rat snakes are one of the most common snakes on the island and as per their name (as you may have guessed) prefer to hunt rats, but also prey on birds and other small animals. They can get to be around 3 meters in length and although they can be aggressive to humans their bite is not toxic. So here is the thing when you live on the island. You want a cat around as the cat keeps away the rats, the absence of rats means no rat-snakes and when their are no rat snakes then there will be no King Cobras to really wreck your day. Short form a cat keeps cobras away…

Robert

The Koh Chang Sun - The Real Koh Chang Guide

Macaque monkeys are very common Koh Chang and if you want to see them they tend to be out a lot in the area just before and south of Lonely Beach Beside humans, these monkeys have the greatest range of any primate. Found from Japan, through Asia, North Africa and even living in Afghanistan they are a social animal that feeds mainly on fruit. They have a complex social system and are fun to watch on the island. Please be aware though that they are wild animals and be cautious around them.

Robert

The Koh Chang Sun - The Real Koh Chang Guide

Between White Sands and the Klong Son is a small spirit temple called Salak Moo. You will hear many Thai drivers go by and honk their horn three times for good luck. It was built here years ago to worship and pay homage to the spirits in the area and it is believed that going there and making an offering can bring wishes to be true, good luck and good fortune. The shrine itself was rebuilt a while ago and it really is in a beautiful place, a sense of peace pervades the place and who knows? Maybe the spirits might be help you out. Suggested offerings are flowers, incense and other assorted offerings.

Robert