A Trip Around Koh Chang

[Woody Woodpecker]

WHITE SANDS

 

 

White Sands is the most developed area of Koh Chang so I usually avoid, but my favorite resort there is the KC Grande Resort and Spa.

 

 

Expansive grounds

 

 

I booked this bungalow

 

 

I didn't pay for a sea view but lucked out with a small pool in front.

 

 

They had a swim-up bar, I had a few Long Island Iced Teas there.  Again, this was during covid so there weren't many guests.  I spent a lot of time on Koh Chang during covid, it was paradise. 😎

 

 

For dining at White Sands, I recommend the White Elephant Restaurant about a km down the road, same owners as the Queen Vic on Soi 6 in Pattaya.  On Monday evenings they offer 20% discount on Aussie steaks.

 

 

They also do a weekend roast.

 

 

Good selection of brews on tap.🍺

 

 

The main bar area at White Sands is called "Little Pattaya".  The white building in the background serves as a short time hotel, and the girls live there too.

 

 

This girl caught my eye, so I went back in the evening and bar fined her.  We used the short time hotel.  Little Pattaya used to be the largest bar area on the island but has been surpassed by Kai Bae Walking Street in recent years.

 

 

NEXT: NORTH SIDE

Edited November 12, 2024 by Woody Woodpecker

[Woody Woodpecker]

NORTH SIDE

North Side is where most visitors will be arriving and departing Koh Chang, by ferry.  Arrivals/departures by interisland speedboat will use Bang Bao.  There are two ferry companies servicing the North Side, Koh Chang Ferry and Centrepoint Ferry, operating different piers a few kilometers apart.  Ferries run roughly every hour until 6 PM.  Passenger fare is 80 baht one-way; I don't recall the additional charge for motorcycle or automobile.  The crossing takes about 45 minutes.

 

 

They keep a marine ambulance nearby for safety, but the waters are generally safe. 

 

 

After disembarking, unless you have your own transportation, you can board a songtaew for between 60 and 200 baht, depending on distance, to transport you to your resort.  There are three steep winding hills with S-turns between the ferry pier and KC Grand Resort and Spa, along with the hairpin turn near Lonely Beach, these are the most problematic sections of road on the island.  If you're a motorbike rider, BEWARE.

 

 

NEXT:  EAST SIDE

[Woody Woodpecker]

EAST SIDE

The east coast is completely different, you wouldn't know you're on the same island.  A hidden gem away from mass tourism, flat with a density of mangrove trees, friendly locals, it's more like what you expect of traditional Thailand.  

 

 

There are a few resorts, not too many, and they primarily market to Thai tourism.  The east coast lacks the big, sandy white beaches of the west coast.

 

 

Shrimp farms

 

 

A shooting range

 

 

The main police station at Ban Dan Mai.

 

 

There are a couple waterfalls, not on the same scale as on the west side, but the Than Mayom waterfall has four tiers.  The Thai tourists are drawn to it by the royal connection, a couple Thai kings carved their names in the rocks over a century ago.

 

 

There's a naval station in the south-east.

 

 

The south-east corner of the Island terminates at Journey's End.

 

 

The south central has Salakphet village, a traditional fishing village.

 

 

From the pier, you can see the pier at Bang Bao, where we began our journey.  It's not that far, is there a way to 'close the loop' and complete the circumference of the island?  I would think there must be a way, if even a footpath for the locals.  Google maps wasn't helpful as the area was uncharted.

 

 

I set about looking for a way but decided to abort when I encountered this closed road, even though no one was around.  Can you make a full circle around the island?  I don't know.  It's a mystery, perhaps by design to isolate the east coast from an influx of mass tourism, so locals can enjoy their traditional way of life.

 

 

A few things to keep in mind.  Tourism is very seasonal, resorts typically raise rates November 1st, sometimes significantly, and lower rates after Songkran.  With the exception of Ocean Blue at Bang Bao, all the properties I reviewed in this thread are 4-star and 5-star resorts, but there are accommodations available in all price ranges.

There's a lot of rain during the summer months.

I hope you enjoyed our virtual trip around the island of Koh Chang.  Cheers!

 

[drifting clouds]

Very nice pics and info. Enjoyed it a lot. Visited Koh Chang 3 times myself and recognize most places. First time was in 2003 and so much is changed already. I guess it's a matter of time before they connect the loop in the south. Maybe a few more years. Who knows.

[Woody Woodpecker]

4 hours ago, drifting clouds said:

Very nice pics and info. Enjoyed it a lot. Visited Koh Chang 3 times myself and recognize most places. First time was in 2003 and so much is changed already. I guess it's a matter of time before they connect the loop in the south. Maybe a few more years. Who knows.

I don't think they will, out of respect for the east coast residents. 

Edited November 14, 2024 by Woody Woodpecker

[MandarinOriental]

Thanks for the excellent pictures Woody! We love Koh Chang, and it's our go-to Island in Thailand. It just fits for us.

We love being able to get a driver from Bangkok and door to door with no hassle of internal flights. We normally stay on East Coast - and love the Salukphet Seafood Restaurant - quite popular with Bangkok Thais.

In 2015 we swam naked at memorial beach - had whole place to ourselves, the road had washed away and we had to navigate the scooter over a mud path adhoc bridge! Went back 3 years ago and there was 2 coach loads of Chinese tourists! The price of progress! Swimming trunks stayed on that time!

This year we are doing 3 nights East, then 7 nights in Kai Bae. 

Do any BMs have recommendations for cheeky afternoon massages in Kai Bae? 

[xerto234]

On 11/18/2024 at 2:22 AM, MandarinOriental said:

Thanks for the excellent pictures Woody! We love Koh Chang, and it's our go-to Island in Thailand. It just fits for us.

We love being able to get a driver from Bangkok and door to door with no hassle of internal flights. We normally stay on East Coast - and love the Salukphet Seafood Restaurant - quite popular with Bangkok Thais.

In 2015 we swam naked at memorial beach - had whole place to ourselves, the road had washed away and we had to navigate the scooter over a mud path adhoc bridge! Went back 3 years ago and there was 2 coach loads of Chinese tourists! The price of progress! Swimming trunks stayed on that time!

This year we are doing 3 nights East, then 7 nights in Kai Bae. 

Do any BMs have recommendations for cheeky afternoon massages in Kai Bae? 

Where do you get your driver from to go from bangkok?

[Woody Woodpecker]

Taxi from Bangkok is 3000, the Government Bus leaves Ekkami Bus Station daily at 7:45 AM for 292 baht.  Trip takes 5 hours to the Ferry Pier, so you'll arrive at your resort around check-in time.  If interested in saving a few hours, Bangkok Air operates a prop plane from Swampy to the single strip airport near Trat.  Flight time is about 25 minutes but, since they own the airport, you won't get competitive pricing.

 

 

Some nice views down the eastern coast, here's Koh Si Chang

 

 

Pattaya

 

 

Ko Samet

 

 

The airport is on the mainland, so you'll still need to take a songthaew to the ferry pier, although some resorts offer airport transfer.