Koh Chang – what you Need to Know
PLACES TO SEE IN KO CHANG
Koh Chang Beaches
There is no one perfect Koh Chang beach. Instead, the island boasts many impressive powder-soft sandy beaches with waters reflecting various shades of turquoise.
The White Sand beach is the most popular on the island and so attracts the highest amount of tourists. Found towards the north of the island, some of the island’s best resorts are situated close to the beach.
Klong Prao and the nearby Kai Bae beach are great options for families looking for a good value beach resort. If you’re feeling adventurous, spending time on the southern end of Klong Prao or Kai Bae beach gives you a fantastic view of the closest islands of Koh Suwan and Koh Rom, where you reach them in a kayak in under 30 minutes from the Klong Prao beach shore. They boast a mix of large 4-star hotels (go https://www.thaibounty.com/staywell-hospitality-group-enters-a-joint-enterprise-deal-with-africas-mantis-collection/), resorts and mid-range bungalows.
The soft white sand beach with clear water towards the south of the island is known as Lonely Beach. Most hostels, budget hotels and bungalows can be found here but they are not beachfront but instead nestled between reggae bars and cheap eateries. This area is also the centre of Koh Chang nightlife during the high season.
Two kilometres to the north of Lonely Beach is the popular family spot of Bailan Beach with several cosy mid-range bungalow resorts near the centre of the small village. Down towards the southern coast of the island you will find the very laidback and gorgeous Klong Kloi beach which boasts picturesque views of the islands to Koh Chang’s south.
Eastern Beaches
If you’re wanting to escape the main touristy haunts and discover a more peaceful life on Koh Chang, then it’s a good idea to explore the eastern side of the island. Salakkok Beach is an undeveloped mangrove-lined bay also in the same region of the island. There’s no resort available here and it remains a quiet local spot for fishermen. The eastern side of Ko Chang is less developed and more isolated than the West and the only way to explore it is via rented motorcycle as the public pick up trucks don’t generally venture that way. Salak Phet Bay is the huge u- shaped bay in the southeast of the island with one tranquil beach called Long beach, with only a couple of places to stay and eat.
Snorkelling
Snorkelling is the best way to explore the island’s marine life to discover Koh Chang’s incredible world of colourful coral reefs, aquatic creatures and shipwrecks. Bang Bao in the southwest is the diving hot spot. Numerous excellent dive centres can be found in the main resort areas. Most snorkelling spots are easily accessible and it is also the perfect place to get your diving certification.
A day out to the scenic Koh Chang Archipelago or a chartered yacht trip around the island is the ideal way of getting a different perspective of the island.
An island for Nature Lovers
Nature lovers will revel in hiking through the dense jungle along lush mangroves and dramatic waterfalls. Klong Plu situated on the west coast about 1 km inland from Klong Prao beach is the most visited waterfall by tourists as it is the easiest to reach in about 20 minutes on foot from the entrance to the national park. It’s popular because you can swim in the large plunge pool at the foot of the falls or in some other smaller pools further downstream.
Waterfalls
There are a number of other waterfalls scattered through the national park. To reach the falls involves crossing a few small river streams and there are no bridges so your feet will get wet, but once you get there you will be able to swim in the rock pools. On the east coast, you will find Than Mayom waterfall which is a popular destination for Thai royals and tour groups. They come to see the names of the two former kings Rama V and Rama VI who had previously carved their names on the rocks.
Klong Nonsi is a four-tiered waterfall also on the east coast where visitors can swim in the first two levels but it will require some effort and skill to reach the higher tiers by using only rope rails up the rock face.
Klong Neung is the tallest waterfall on the island but one of the least visited because of the challenging route to reach there which involves navigating slippery obstructed trails through dense jungle. It is not advised to go alone in case you slip and injure yourself because this place is infrequently visited by tourists. Make sure you have experience and skill in hiking routes with higher difficulty levels before attempting this trek.
By contrast, Khiri Phet waterfall is on the way to Koh Chang Marina and easy to reach with swimmable pools so it is a good option for families with children. The route to reach the higher tiers involves climbing some rocks but they’re slippery and it’s an easy climb.
Hiking Trails
There are a few official hiking trails where you can go on your own and a few lesser-known ones where you will need the assistance of a local to take you there. Salak Phet is the highest mountain on the island situated in a national park and its summit offers some spectacular panoramic views, but it’s not the easiest to reach so beginner hikers beware! It is a challenging 744-metre climb to the viewpoint that will leave you breathless from the gruelling effort to get there, but you are sure to be rewarded by the breathtaking vistas. There are a number of jungle trekking day tours that help you navigate the climb, generally taking 5 hours to ascend and 3 hours to descend.
Is Koh Chang nice? One of the nicest islands of Thailand is definitely Koh Chang! The reason why tourism has become a growing industry in its economy! Koh Chang is a wonderful place to visit!
Koh Chang Thailand is more than nice. Here are some of them that are mentioned and rated well by travellers and tourists to Koh Chang island, high season or not. There are so very many things to do, places to visit and explore, activities and events to experience in Koh Chang island.
The beaches. The whole island of Koh Chang is surrounded by beaches, white sand beaches! Klong Prao Beach is the largest beach in Koh Chang, with its prime resort of the same name Klong Prao Beach Resort. A recent favourite is Kai Bae, for a quiet and romantic stay. But, one can watch the incredible sunset at this white sand beach – which all tourists to Thailand long to see. The most famous best beaches are the following – the white sand Lonely Beach on the west coast, Klong Koi Beach (a white sand beach “still to be discovered” on the west coast of Koh Chang), near Bang Bao, Bailan which is near Lonely Beach, popular among backpackers because of its many budget huts in the area, White Sand Beach, Kai Bae Beach (with its own Kai Bae Resort and the KB Resort), Klong Prao Beach. Lonely Beach is not that lonely, it is full of tourists and travellers especially during the high season and its nightlife is active and exciting. Kai Bae has been reviewed as “paradise without esception.”
Luxuriate in the beauty and magnificence of nature’s flora and fauna. There is Klong Plu, the most visited, then Than Mayom, for which an entrance fee is charged. Koh Chang, or accurately, Elephant Island, is part of the Mu Ko Chang National Park. The waterfalls, 7 of them, and after an energetic jungle trekking, appear all awe-inspiring, considering the small size of Koh Chang island. Other waterfalls are Klong Neung, Kiripetch, Klong Nonsi, Klong Jao Leuam, and Kai Bae, the waterfall most challenging to get to. Waterfall-hopping is a great end to a jungle trekking adventure. Therefore, you can expect the best of nature’s gifts to Thailand to be there for you to see and explore and go jungle trekking and experience. The island has become home to so many monkeys. They are naughty, yes, stealing things, but they can and are still kind of cute.
Marvel at the breathtaking sunsets on the island. Lonely Beach, Kai Bae Beach and Klong Koi Beach are among the best spots for this activity. Marvelling at the sunset in Koh Chang beaches is going to be one of if not the most memorable of your experiences on the island. The sun slowly sinks to the ocean or retreats beyond the hills, like a slow-mo moment in a film that leaves you gaping in wonder and awe.
Frolic in the clear blue waters. Scuba diving for beginners – we can arrange this for you, too. The shallow waters around Koh Chang and accessibility to nearby islands make it one of the best locations in Thailand for beginner divers. There are schools and shops for gear in your snorkelling or diving jaunts in Koh Chang. You can also get this arranged by us before you get to Koh Chang. Snorkelling to reefs and wreck sites – a full-day trip around Koh Chang and Koh Rang National Park. Kayaking – the calm waters around Koh Chang make kayaking one of the popular things to do. There are several shops from which to rent one. Best to make this a guided tour, which you can have our travel specialist arrange for you.
Spa Treatments. Like any other destination in Thailand, Koh Chang has myriad choices of types and classes of spa treatments. Spa treatments in Thailand are way cheaper than you’d expect for a rejuvenating, invigorating or relaxing experience! Some hotels in Koh Chang have this service among their amenities.
Food Tripping. Koh Chang is an island in Thailand – equivalent not just to a white sand beach but also to mouth-watering spicy, tasty, delectable exotic food! Lonely Beach area and other big villages have international restaurants but hey, you won’t need your regular pizza when delicious Thai cuisine is there at hand. Your food trip has two aspects of enjoying Thai cuisine – eating Thai food and learning to make Thai food yourself. Bang Bao is a former fishing village, so you can certainly find seafood restaurants here, fresh and equally delicious. There are several cooking classes available in Koh Chang, offered as a come-on among the perks of a few hotels and beach resorts, or in some restaurants, too. Beachfront restaurants are aplenty near the beach resorts of Koh Chang. There will be seafood and other barbecued dishes, as well as music and other entertainment.
