The Real Koh Chang Guide

If you are looking for some real travel information, that means some places to go and things to do beyond a glossy pamphlet and 5 star guide you have come to the right place. Downright gritty sometimes and always fresh, delve in and see what the real Koh Chang is – the island beyond the gates of your hotel or resort. Don’t worry, we wont send you to any bad places!

When To Go:

Like the rest of Thailand the main tourist season starts around October to March with temperatures around 30 as a max and down to about 22 at night. The off season is called Green Season and the island is much less busy, and prices are much lower. The Green Season usually has quite a bit of rain, but usually this lasts just for a bit then the island clears up with beautiful sunshine again. The temperatures range from about 32+ to 25 at night. So if you want traffic come in the High Season and if you want real peace and quiet, want to see the jungle at its best – then the Green Season might just be for you!

Highlights:

Koh Chang is famous for its seafood, jungle trekking, waterfalls, good dive sites, snorkeling, elephant trekking, bird watching, waterfalls and relaxed beaches. Kayaking is becoming popular and as always the un-rushed feeling of being able to unwind here.

Some of the lesser known attractions are firefly viewing on the rivers, Tree Top Adventure Park, golf driving range in the Klong Son Valley, several yoga retreats a pony rehabilitation center, excellent Thai cooking classes, surprising good tattoo artists, tennis, gyms and of course lots of great Thai massage shops. Head down to the local Chinese Temple and see what your fortune is or learn about Buddhism from some of the monks at the Temple.

Getting Here:

Koh Chang is about a three to four hour drive from Bangkok. If possible take the Sky-train to the airport and leave from the bus station. You can save an hour in traffic and more if you do this.  There are numerous taxis, mini-vans and buses that will come here, just book anywhere. A lot of the Koh Chang Guides will have extensive and very laid out time-tables for each departure for the bus and taxis. Really that is just for cover and fills a lot of space. Nothing is on time in Thailand, show up when you are supposed to and then enjoy the fact you can wait for a bit. Getting mad or expecting Swiss accuracy on time here will only drive you crazy…

There is a direct flight now to Trat on Bangkok Air and from there easy access to the island.

• Pro-Tip: some of the transport companies are not so cool. Make sure, on your ticket they say they will drop you at the hotel on the island. Otherwise they will sometimes just drop you at the ferry. Then you get to spend money on a ferry ticket, then on a taxi on the island. Its a bad practice we are trying to stop here on the island.
• Scam Warning:There has been reports of a nice scam going on at the ferry terminal sometimes. If anyone says there is a taxi shortage and you have to pre-book – just walk away. There is no shortage of taxis and you will be charged triple the price than if you arrange it yourself!

What to Expect:

Koh Chang, although developing, is not overdeveloped and maintains a charm that is still very much like small village life, a close knit community and much more laid back than most of the other islands in Thailand that that are popular with tourists. Overall, we seem to have skipped the worst of the development pitfalls like too many hawkers, roads of bars and cheap restaurants that seem to infest a lot of other areas. Overall expect a much more authentic experience that includes a lot of beach time, nature walks, waterfalls and a lot less full-moon parties!

There are no go-go bars, hawkers although around; are rare and not intrusive, the beaches are not littered with jet skis (they are not allowed here) and the overall feel of the island is one of long nights, lazy days and a sense of peace. Yes, you can still find some good nightclubs and nightlife, but it is not the focus of the island. There are very small full-moon parties in Lonely Beach but for the most part the island is to relax, take in some of the natural world and just be cool…

Where to Stay:

It really depends on what kind of a traveler you are. Most people hear about White Sands and book accordingly, but there are some other areas that might appeal to you beyond the main town – or maybe not! Each village really has its own unique flavor so take a look below and see what you think, the choice is yours

We have listed what we think are the pros and cons of each place, depending on what you are looking for they could easily be reversed and be perfect for you!

The Towns of Koh Chang:

 White Sands:

White Sands is the biggest town on Koh Chang and was the first really developed with the tourist trade in mind. Here you will find many resorts, hotels, restaurants, cafes, internet and tailor shops and of course the usual brikabrack shops up and down the main road. If you are looking for a place that caters almost exclusively to tourism and has the most facilities this would be a good place to find a place to stay.

The beach is long at about 2.2 km and is very sandy in the North, going to rocky in the south. Really good areas of sand though all along the way.

• Most developed area of Koh Chang
• Lots of restaurants and amenities
• Wide choice of places to stay

• Most developed area of Koh Chang
• Can be very busy
• Generally you pay a bit more here than anywhere else

Klong Prao:

This is technically the center of the island for the locals and ex-pats who live here. Being so central it is a good place to find long term accommodations and services. Home to the main Temple, the Tourist Police, business supply shops, the biggest hardware shop etc…

But it still caters to the travelers from high end resorts to grass huts dotted along the shore. The river area here is really beautiful with firefly viewing and many elephant camps, there is also access to the Klong Plu waterfalls and jungle trekking is also here.

The beach is arguably the best on the island with the drop off way out (good if you have children) and is split into three  sections by the local rivers each side has about 1.5 km of sand and the sunset view is beautiful most nights.

• More relaxed than White Sands
• Bigger area overall
• Good services
• Excellent area for long stays and living

• More for locals than tourists
• Quite spread out, walking not the easiest way around
• Not as many places to stay than other areas

Kai Bae:

Kai Bae has changed quite a bit over the years from basically a back-water village into a much more vibrant area with many new shops, restaurants and attractions. Popular with families it is quickly becoming an alternative to White Sands and overall the feeling is one of being much more relaxed and much more natural with more greenery and less dense in buildings.

The beach is excellent with about 1km of winding shore with excellent sand and a long drop off. During low tide it is possible to walk to the small off shore islands just off the coast.

• Family and couple friendly
• Great beach and more trees than other areas
• Wide range or amenities and services
• Area is very walkable and easy access
• Good restaurant and nightlife choices

• Family friendly
• Not as many amenities as White Sands
• Main road can be dangerous with high traffic, walk on the correct side

Lonely Beach:

Lonely Beach was the first area to actually put Koh Chang on the travelers map years ago. It was only reached by a long boat ride from the mainland and it was –Lonely. But that is not the case anymore and with the road being put in it has opened up to many more tourists in the last little while. It is extremely popular with the backpacker and gap-year crowd and yet it still maintains its charms as being very traditional off-the-beaten-path vibe.

Although you can still find the very simple fan rooms and small bamboo restaurants and bars it is developing and there are several upper end hotels now in the area. It is very youthful and as such is busy with a lot of all night clubs and a lot of parties.

The real beach starts in the north and although smaller (around .5 km) it is great. The beach in Lonely Beach is actually quite rocky. Good for snorkeling but not for sun-bathing.

• Backpacker friendly
• Many small cafes, bars and restaurants
• Known for cheaper accommodations than anywhere else

• Youth oriented in the south area, can be noisy
• Limited services
• Access either way is through hills that can be hazardous if you drive badly

Bailan:

Bailan is about 5km south of Lonely Beach and is much more quiet and relaxed than the Lonely Beach area. There are several good places to stay, and some surprisingly good restaurants. We would recommend here as probably the quietest place on the island. If you really want to get away from it all Bailan would be a good place to start.

• Very quiet
• Remote and relaxed, yet close to Lonely Beach
• Small selection of amenities
• good for those who want to get away from crowds

• No real beach
• Limited services
• Quiet and early nights

Bang Bao:

Bang Bao is the local dive and boat area, the gateway to Koh Mak, Koh Kood etc… For the most part the village is built on the pier with lots of dive shops, small cafes and probably the best selection of tourist goods on the island.

An excellent beach is located about 2km south of Bang Bao. Good sand, lots of shade and for the most part quite quiet.

• If you are diving, stay here
• Unique pier and area
• Freshest seafood on the island

• Quite the drive to any other location on the island
• Limited amenities
• Not a huge amount of choices for dining and accommodations compared to other areas.

East Island:

The eastern side of Koh Chang does not get a lot of press but it is worth going. Long Beach is the new Lonely Beach with very, very isolated places to stay and truly be away from it all. Salak Phet is also the traditional harbor and fisherman’s center for Koh Chang with the local population staying here almost exclusively. There are several good places to stay and worth a day there for sure.

• Very remote from other tourist areas
• Much more authentic Thai than west coast places
• If you want to really get away and just relax, this is perfect

• Really remote, quite the drive over the mountains to get to any tourist area
• Limited services for tourists
• Not a lot of tourists from the west

Island Transport:

There are no direct call taxis on the island but there are many trucks with benches in the back that drive up and down the road with various fees depending on where you want to be dropped off.  Cars are available for hire on the island and there are plenty of scooters for rent. We would suggest a scooter is the best way to see the island at this time. Our guide to scooter rentals is here.

Dining and Eating:

Koh Chang has pretty well any type of food you may want from Thai to western dishes, sushi, Korean BBQ, burgers and pizza. One thing we do not have on the island is any truly western fast food places, there is no McDonalds, Burger King etc.. and we are rather proud of that. The closest is Chesters Chicken. If you are here be sure to try the seafood and do not be afraid of the street food stalls, they can make excellent meals.

Lodging:

From rooms with private pools to grass shacks with fans Koh Chang covers the whole spectrum of accommodations and lodging. You can find any type you looking for from five star resorts to long term stays, to home stays to middle of the road accommodations.

Health and Safety:

Because of the size of Koh Chang the island is extremely safe. Major crime is rare and the most common crime is petty theft. So basically use the safe in your hotel and as always when traveling be sure to not flash a lot of money. The dangers that you should be aware of on the island though are rip-tides and driving safely.

There are numerous pharmacies on the island, several health clinics and two main hospitals. If there is a severe emergency there is boat evacuation and ambulance to the mainland to a major hospitals in Trat.

Amenities:

On Koh Chang there are numerous WI-fi and internet connections, long distance phone shops, pharmacies, tailors, small supermarkets, small shops etc.. There should be no problem picking up what you need here and stocking up on any essential items from the mainland is not necessary.

Nightlife:

Okay, you have relaxed enough and it is time to get the body and blood moving, a night out on Koh Chang is an easy and fun affair. From the large clubs of Sabay Bar to KC, the live music venues, small but really cool lounges, numerous beer bars, karaoke and beautiful couple oriented lounges with dancing… there is something on Koh Chang for everyone. Head won to Lonely Beach and take an all nighter at Ting Tongs or Himmel, in Kai Bai impress your date at Mojitos or Filou or discuss geo-politics or play a game of Jenga at one of the many beer bars… there is something for everyone. The Nightlife Guide has more information

We thought we would leave you with a great photo gallery of Koh Chang…