Ko Chang Island
Thailand

"Welcome to Koh Chang in Eastern Thailand"

Ko Chang Island is Thailand`s second largest island and has become more and more popular over the years; filling the island with both backpackers and tourists.

The island is part of a marine park with the same name. It is said that the island has brokren off the mainland for centuries ago. That might explain the dense forest and the numerous mountain.

So it`s the place to go if you want to explore the wild, mystical jungle of Ko Chang, or the beautiful tiny islands close by:

Koh Wai and Koh Mak.

But during the high and peak season, the island is packed. So if you want a quieter place, the island shouldn`t be on the top of your list...

And by the way, this article is about Ko Chang Island in the Eastern part of Thailand. It must not be mistaken with Koh Chang Island on the Western part of the country.. (near Burma)

Where to sleep

Lonely Beach is the place to go if you want budget options and loud parties at the same time!

Lonely Beach is not like White Sand. White Sand is packed with people,
7-11s and shops. And touristy in my opinion. Lonely Beach is far more charming and relaxing.


Now, here are some of your options:

Accommodation on Lonely Beach
-- Ko Chang Island

Independent Yod

Price per night:150 B

Probably your cheapest option on Ko Chang island! The huts are very simple and small, have fan and shared bathroom.

You crash here if you just want a simple base or if you`re on a really tight budget.

Oasis

Price per night: 300-350 B

Bungalows with fan and attached bathroom. They serve delicious Thai and a few Western meals at their restaurant. And they will do your laundry as well. If you want to take a day trip around Koh Chang, you can rent bikes here.

If you want to contact Oasis, here`s their e-mail:
info(at)oasis-kohchang.com

Magic Garden

Price per night: 500-1100 B

Bungalows with fan and attached bathroom. They also have a restaurant and a large, comfortable outdoor area where you can lay on huge beds, and hang out with other backpackers. And Magic Garden is also known for its DJ parties.

If you want to contact Magic Garden, here`s their e-mail address:

info(at)magicgardenresort.com

Accommodation on Chai Chet Beach

If you`re looking for a quieter beach on Ko Chang island, go to Chai Chet!

I stayed here a couple of nights and enjoyed the calm atmosphere at the beach. I actually had space around me compared to White Sand Beach, and it was quiet and clean.

And if you`re tired of laying still, try the swings hanging from the palm trees! Or take a long walk while enjoying the excellent view of the ocean.

J.V. Hotel

Price per night: 500 B

Large rooms with TV, attached bathroom, hot shower, air-con and fridge. When I stayed there, there were a lot of Thai tourists and few foreigners. So that's why they don't charge higher price than this.

It takes 5 minutes to walk to the Chai Chet beach.

Koh Mak and Koh Wai

If you want to get away from Ko Chang Island, you can stay at the more quieter islands: Koh Mak and Koh Wai. There are no roads and few tourists, so you might like it here! But how long this will last, is unknown.

The reason why you will find more privacy on most of the islands of Koh Chang, is that they're privately owned. Koh Mak though has in the past few years become more developed. Koh Kod is also becoming that way too.

The prices for accommodation can be expensive at some places (up to 4500 B), but you can get huts as low as 250 B.

Accommodation on Koh Mak:

Suchanaree

Price per night: 500 B

If you want a peaceful place to stay on Koh Mak, Suchanaree is a good spot. They have simple bungalows with fan and attached bathroom right on the beach.

Phone nr: 08 1983 2629, 08 1810 7300, 08 6722 0967.

Baan Ing Kao

Price per night: 350-450 B

Bungalows with either fan or air-con. All have attached bathrooms. And if you want to snorkel, Bang Ing Kao arranges trips to the islands near by!

Phone nr: 08 7053 9553, 08 7143 0020.

Island Huts

Price per night: 250 B

Simple huts right on the shoreline. They have a restaurant where they serve local dishes at reasonable prices.

Phone nr: (087) 139 5537.

Accommodation on Koh Wai:

Koh Wai Pakarang (Coral) Resort

Price per night: 600-2000 B

This resort is probably the nicest one on the island because it has comfortable, clean and solid bungalows overlooking the ocean. The bungalows with fan are the cheapest ones, and all of them have attached bathrooms.

Phone nr: +66 (0) 841138946 , +66 (0) 815515287.

Koh Wai Paradise

Price per night: 250 B

If you just want a cheap place to stay on the island, Koh Wai Paradise offers reasonably clean bungalows with fan and shared bathroom.

Phone nr: 081) 762 2548, (089) 672 8472.

Good Feeling

Price per night: 300 B

If you can stand squat toilets a couple of nights, these beach bungalows are alright. The bungalows have fan and attached bathroom. Good Feeling is also known for its excellent sea food and friendly staff.

Phone nr: (081) 850 3410.

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Where to eat and relax on Ko Chang Island

Delicious Thai curries on Ko Chang Island

The ones I know about are on White Sand, Kae Bae and Chai Chet beach.

Another cheap option is to buy food at the minimarkets on White Sand and Chai Chet.

And outside the super market in Chai Chet, you`ll see 2-3 food stalls.

You can also buy fresh fruit from food vendors standing by the
Main Rd. If you like fruits like Lychee, you have to try the Logan fruit (Lamjay).

I bought 2 kilo every day and didn`t get tired of its sweet taste.

They have of course loads of other cheap delicious fruit:

Pineapple, mango, durians, rambutan, pomelo, papayas, mangosteens, lychees, jujube, guavas, dragon fruits and you should definitely try the yellow jackfruits and the roseapples! I also tried the tamarinds, but that was the only fruit I didn`t liked the taste of.

There are otherwise lots of restaurants on Ko Chang Island. Finding one is not a problem. Most of them serve a combination of Thai and Western meals.

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Where to party on Ko Chang Island

There isn't much nightlife (clubs) on Ko Chang Island, but there are beer bars and karaoke bars stretching from White Sand Beach all the way to the south.

At Lonely Beach, they usually have parties in the bungalow areas. Like Magic Garden.

But I did hear about a good place called Porn Bar by Kai Bae Beach where loads of backpackers gather together for drinks and good music.

You can watch awesome fire shows while drinking buckets right by the beach. And this is the ideal bar if you want a relaxed atmosphere, where you can just hang out with fellow travellers and exchange exciting stories. And they get a plus for their smoking water pipes (Shisha in Arabic).

And don`t be intimated/attracted by the name -- there`s no porn here even though it`s called Porn Bar...

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Activities on Ko Chang Island

One of the best things to do is to rent a bike (200 B per day) and discover the waterfalls deep in the jungle of Koh Chang. Few people explore the jungle, and I can`t see why...

It`s unspoiled and calm.

Like, Khong Phlu Waterfall.

If you`re patient and can handle the long walk, you can find many refreshing pools where you can hide from the sun and just relax...

Otherwise there are many hiking trails which you can do by your own, and a few unofficial ones. If you're doing the off-beaten-track, I suggest you do it with a guide. As I tld you, this island is LARGE! You don't want to get lost...

To get there, you have to drive to Khlong Prao. You`ll find a road leading to the Marine Park office and you have to pay 200 B at the entrance.

Elephant Tour

Do you want to ride the majestic animals of Ko Chang island?

Go elephant Riding with Chang Chutiman Tour!

Price: 900 B for two hours (January 2008)

Ride an elephant through Koh Chang`s wild and beautiful jungle. I love elephants and was impressed by how large these animals are, especially when you`re sitting on them!

You can choose to sit on the elephant`s neck and get brushed by tree branches while he/she is taking slow, but sturdy steps. But the neck is not the most comfortable area to sit on because you can actually feel the neck bone of the elephant.

The elephants will at some point stop by a pond where you can watch them shower themselves using their trunks...

Look at him!

Tree Top Adventure

Try Flying Fox -- Tree Top Adventure Park on Ao Bailan (Ko Chang island)!

Price: 900 B for 2,5 hours (Jan 2008)

Flying Fox are for those who want speed adventure and exercise!

If you`re not afraid of heights, you should try it...

And if you are afraid of heights, you should definitely do it…

Why you say?

It`s one of the coolest ways of facing your fear and you`ll feel like Tarzan.

... You have to balance on single ropes, rope bridges, flying skateboards and climb on rope nets!

The skateboard, rope bridges and Tarzan vines were the coolest. The rope nets were not fun in my opinion, especially if you`re a smoker. I was a smoker back then and had to use all my breath to balance on the nets which kept wiggling.

Before you start, you`ll get the right and safe equipment provided by the company. You`ll be divided into groups and each group has a supervisor who flies with you from tree post to tree post. And this person will also explain how to use the equipment and how you use your balance. The ropes are made of steel and are completely locked around the trees.

So, don`t worry…

And there are two tracks, blue and red. The blue is the easiest one and it`s 4 meters high, while the red track is harder and stands 12-14 meters above the ground.

You will have a great time, and there will be times when you feel relaxed and free. I just screamed (of happiness) when I was cruising in the air, like if I was sitting in a roller coaster!

Let me tell you about how I experienced it...

Some of the posts were really cool and I felt like I was a secret agent.

If you`ve seen action movies where soldiers or assassins sneak up on their enemies, by using ropes to surprise them from the air, you`ll know what I mean!! It`s just awesome to glide and feel the fresh jungle air of
Ko Chang island.

But I have to admit that some of the posts were scary, especially where you have to balance on a single rope with a long wooden stick in your hands. The wooden stick is the only thing you can hold on to, so you have to do that right.

And I was always the last person because I`m a coward and I used a lot of time to finish the posts. I chickened out on the red track, but at least I completed the blue track.

Click here to read more about Koh Chang`s Flying Fox Adventure.

Snorkelling!

Beautiful Koh Wai near Ko Chang island

Take a boat to the beautiful islands --

Koh Wai, Ko Rang and Ko Mak

First stop is Koh Wai where you can snorkel for 45 minutes. You`ll get to snorkel on top of large coral areas, and you`ll see reef fish, anemones and if you`re lucky you`ll get to see an eel.

But watch out...

... unfortunately, I scratched my feet on some black spiky sea urchins, so be careful. It stings like h*** if you scratch or step on them!

Then we moved on to Ko Rang!

Ko Rang was alright, but the visibility wasn`t as good as Koh Wai. I didn`t see one fish! So I didn`t enjoy the snorkelling here. Well, I buried my disappointment in excellent buffet lunch at the boat; Thai sea food and barbeque.

Water of Koh Wai near Koh Chang Island

Then we stopped by the tour`s highlight: Ko Mak island -- a tiny version of Phi Phi Islands with its crystal clear water and white powder sand. We only had 45 minutes on this beautiful island so I strolled along the beach, smelled the air, swam and took pictures!

On the way back to Ko Chang Island, the boat stopped by an island filled with hungry and screaming monkeys. One of the staff threw bananas to them and they were all fighting for the food. The fight got pretty ugly, but the boat just moved on.

So, here`s my verdict:

All in all, the tour was OK, but it was not the best. I preferred snorkelling on Phi Phi. And I usually don`t like scheduled tours because of the time squeeze, the tourists and... you know the deal.

So, if you`re in a hurry maybe you should try the tour. And if not, rent a long-tail boat on Ko Chang island!

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You're done with Ko Chang Island, where do you want to go next?

Are you going (back) to Bangkok?

Heading towards Cambodia to see the Angkor Temples?

Return from Ko Chang Island to Backpacking Tips Asia Homepage.