Koh Chang, the Elephant Island
Despite being the third largest island in Thailand, Koh Chang is not one of the best known islands in the country. But while staying in Koh Chang it only takes a boat daytrip to explore Mu Koh Chang National Maritime Park, which includes fifty islands, some of them virgin and beautiful as the little paradise of Koh Rang. The island has a large and wild inland area covered by steep mountains and jungle, and this is probably the main reason why tourist development of Koh Chang started much later than in other popular Thai islands. Some of the beaches on Koh Chang are really beautiful, although many agree that overall they are not among the most spectacular in Thailand. All in all, Koh Chang is a great beach destination while traveling in Thailand. But in the last two decades the island’s infrastructures have quickly developed along its west coast, where most of the beaches are concentrated. Its name means ‘elephant island’, not because it has such animals but for the island’s abrupt relief, which supposedly resembles the shape of an elephant. Fortunately, Koh Chang has so far managed to retain some of its wild atmosphere, that other touristy Thai islands have long lost.
