- Paradise beaches
- Koh Chang waterfalls
- Authentic villages on Koh Chang
Chang is one of the largest Thai islands (only Phuket and Koh Samui have large dimensions), a popular resort area with all the attributes of a luxury holiday: beautiful sandy and rocky beaches, large hotels, decent infrastructure. However, not everything on the island is subordinated to the needs of tourists. Here, in picturesque villages, in houses on stilts, a little more than 5 thousand local residents continue to live. And these villages will be the first on the list of things to visit on Koh Chang.
Chang Island is located in the eastern part of Thailand, near Cambodia and 300 km from Bangkok. Most of the island is part of the Mu Ko Chang National Park.
The island is 14 km wide and stretches for 30 km. One road runs along its perimeter (with the exception of the south of Chang). It is along it that there are hotels, shops, diving equipment rental points, restaurants, pharmacies, massage parlors, etc. The center of the island is occupied by mountains covered with jungle. There are no roads for cars, but there are hiking trails that lead to wonderful waterfalls.
Paradise beaches
There are not so many entertainments on Koh Chang, despite its impressive size. In the very first days of your stay on the island, rent a scooter or bike to be able to move along the coast without any problems. You can also use the services of taxi drivers.
The main thing that most tourists who come to rest on Koh Chang want to see are the local beaches. Landscaped beaches and numerous tourist attractions are concentrated in the western part of the island. Here you can find both wide crowded areas and narrower, intimate beaches, where palm trees hang over the water with swings. The most famous beaches are White Sand Beach, Klong Prao, Kai Bay, Bang Bao and Lonely Beach.
White Sand Beach is the most popular beach in Chang. Its northern part is covered with white sand and has a gentle slope to the water. This beach is lined with both expensive resort complexes and cheaper wooden bungalows for casual tourists. In the southern part of the beach, you can see a rocky area. The beach ends with a steep cliff on which the hotels are erected.
Klong Prao is a beach through which a river flows into the Gulf of Thailand. Near the beach there are boutique hotels and numerous bungalows that are not found in the world's hotel bases. Klong Prao Beach is quieter and more peaceful than neighboring White Sand Beach. There are especially few tourists in the northern sector of the beach. In the nearby village you can taste exotic dishes.
In the southwest of the island is Lonely Beach, which many tourists consider the most beautiful on Koh Chang. The jungle here left only a small strip of soft sand for vacationers. There are more people in the north of the beach, perhaps because there are stones in the southern part of Lonely Beach. Immediately behind this rocky site begins the Lonely Beach settlement, where you can rent a budget bungalow.
Koh Chang waterfalls
Looking for waterfalls on Koh Chang is a special pleasure. They all hide in the jungle, which is not recommended to walk alone. It is better to negotiate with a local guide, who will show you the way to the waterfall and tell you about the trees and flowers that you meet.
Before planning a visit to the waterfalls on Koh Chang, it should be remembered that some waterfalls practically disappear during the dry season.
If you choose where to go with your child on Koh Chang, we recommend going to the Kai Bay waterfall, which is called "secret", because its location is not marked on any map. The road to it starts from the beach of the same name. The minimarket and the elephant nursery located near it can serve as landmarks. A dirt road will lead to the end of the residential area, behind which is a banner with a pointer to the desired path. You will need to walk about a kilometer through the jungle to get to the waterfall.
Interesting places on the island include the Klong Plu waterfall. It is located at the level of Klong Prao Beach. Most of the road to it runs along the main road, but then you have to turn inland, go through the village and turn into the forest. The path will lead you to the cash desks. The waterfall is located 500 meters from them. It falls into a small lake where you can swim. There is even a lifeguard here who monitors tourists who climb into the water. You can sit and relax on the rocks around the lake.
Authentic villages on Koh Chang
Almost all tourists, once on Koh Chang, do not miss an opportunity to see how the locals live, especially since their way of life has not changed for decades, if not centuries. One of the most popular authentic island villages is Salak Phet, which is located in the southeast of the island, in the "wild" part that has not yet been explored by tourist operators. The village is surrounded by fruit and rubber plantations; local residents live in houses on stilts. Nearby you can see a mangrove forest, through which there are wooden walkways. And no one charges a fee for passing through them.
One of the main attractions of Salak Phet is the Buddhist temple Wat Salak Phet, built by order of the Thai monarch himself about a century ago. There are stalls around the temple where you can find exotic fruits, for example, durian, which is immediately cut up especially for dear guests. Prices for such fruits are set two times lower than in tourist places.
Where else to go on Koh Chang? Don't miss the southern village of Bang Bao, where fishermen also live in stilt huts. During low tide, the houses are on land, and after high tide they rise above the water. At the end of the pier in Bang Bao, a snow-white lighthouse has been built.
