September 12th, 2007
One of my favorite holiday destinations in Thailand is the beautiful quiet paradise of Koh Chang. The word, koh, means island in Thai and Koh Chang is definitely one of the most inviting of the many islands in Thailand that are accessible by foreign tourists. Since Bangkok is located at the top of the Gulf of Thailand you can travel south from Bangkok and head down one side of the Gulf towards Malaysia or you can travel south along the other side of the Gulf of Thailand in the direction of Cambodia. Heading towards Cambodia from Bangkok traveling along the coast you will reach the coastal town of Trat in about 5 hours by road. From Trat a 20 minute minibus ride will take you to the pier to catch the ferry to Koh Chang.
Most foreign visitors to Thailand interested in spending time in Thai beach resorts will normally travel to Pattaya, Phuket or Koh Samui which are fantastic holiday destinations although these hot spots do become quite crowded at various times throughout the year. Koh Chang on the other hand is never crowded and only has tourist style accommodation scattered through certain areas on the sparsely populated island. I had been living in Thailand for well over a year and had traveled quite a bit around Thailand before I even heard about Koh Chang.
I was at work one day at the sports club in Bangkok when one of my regular personal training clients told me her and her husband had just spent a week’s holiday on Koh Chang. Where? I asked and she laughed explaining to me that Koh Chang is not popular among tourists simply because there are not a lot of organized activities for tourists and very little high end accommodation, mainly just bungalows but the island is now starting to expand, although if you want to escape to an island paradise and relax without the crowds, Koh Chang is perfect. I knew I was going to like Koh Chang immediately since crowds are not my thing and I love basic beach front bungalow accommodation.
The ferry from the pier on the Thai mainland takes about 45 minutes to reach Koh Chang and it is the type of ferry that takes cars, motorbikes, minibuses and small trucks so if you were driving yourself from Bangkok, you could use your vehicle while on the island. Once I arrived on Koh Chang I hired a motorbike for about 150 baht per day, no license required, and zoomed off to the other side of the island where most of the accommodation is located. There is not much accommodation if any near the pier so you are best to take a right from the pier, you won’t get lost since there is only one main road that goes either right or left, heading right I traveled about 20 minutes to White Sand Beach and found a beach front bungalow when I arrived. It is up to you if you book a room or bungalow before you arrive but I usually like to choose my accommodation when I get there.
Koh Chang is a very easy island to navigate although it is only inhabited in certain areas along the coastal parts of the island. Through the middle of the island is a small mountain range covered in trees. It would be difficult to get lost since there is one main road that circumnavigates the island with many side roads coming off the main road although the main road does not quite go all the way around the island. I picked up a map of Koh Chang when I arrived on the island and it gave me everything I needed to know. One thing that is worth mentioning is, if you are not experienced in riding motorbikes you might have a little bit of trouble climbing the incredibly steep roads that run over the top of the island. There is one section of road in particular that you cannot avoid to get from the pier side of the island to where most of the accommodation is on the other side of the island that is a very steep incline in one direction and than quite a scary decline once you mount the top of the island. From the top looking down the long winding decline it looks quite intimidating but if you take it super slow and careful you will be ok, it is all part of the adventure anyway. Once you get over the top of the mountain, the rest of the road is considerably easier.
I stayed at White Sand Beach since it has a few small shops and plenty of cheap but good Thai restaurants and a range of accommodation to choose from although no 5 star resorts. White Sand Beach has a long strip of sandy beach which is a great place to swim and from there you can easily access the rest of the island. There are a few local travel agents that can organize snorkeling or diving trips to nearby islands or diving hot spots. They can also arrange travel once you leave the island and take you to Cambodia, Pattaya, Bangkok or to neighboring smaller islands to continue your holiday.
There is not a great deal to do on Koh Chang compared to Phuket or Koh Samui but if you have been to those other islands before and want a quiet place to chill out, swim in crystal clear waters and perhaps go for walks along secluded pieces of beach and through the jungle like I did, Koh Chang might be just what you are looking for. Koh Chang is a quiet tropical island paradise in every way but with all the new development that is planned for the island, who knows how long it will remain that way. If you are in Thailand or planning to come to Thailand and want to get off the beaten track and away from the crowds I highly recommend the tranquility of Koh Chang.
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