What to See and Do in Koh-Chang island, Thailand ? – Page 2

Note : You are on Page 2 of Koh-Chang. Start with Page 1

Maps – Orientation

Map 2 – Main Beaches – Places to Stay

Map 3 – The main road – almost a circle

Map 4 – Google Interactive Map

What to See and Do in Koh-Chang ?

An Organized Boat Excursion

A “must do” on an island in Thailand. This is a perfect experience for 1 day.

It is an organized trip with a boat, to small islands situated south of Koh-Chang. There are pauses on beaches and pauses close the the beaches in order to do snorkeling. There is also a lunch break (included in the price).

The boat starts from Bang Bao pier, but the excursion include the pick-up and return to the hotel, so you don’t have to worry about getting to the pier.

Since the excursion include the pick-up from the hotel, this trip is good for those who can’t use a motorbike and want some activity.

An excursion costs around 700 Baht. This is a good deal.

You will probably stay on the left side of the island. If you can drive a motorbike, then rent one. With the motorbike you can drive to the other side of the island. See Maps above.

It will take you about 1 hour of drive each way (not including the stops…).
On the right side you will see a Mangrove area, view points, a fishing area, monkeys and a wonderful “wild” beach.

1. Mangrove area – Salak Khok ( right side of the island)

On the right side of the island there are several zones with Mangrove trees beside small rivers and fishing activity.

The Mangrove trees are a very nice and interesting environment.

The most prominent Mangrove zone is Salak Khok (see on Google Map or on the Interactive Map above).

You can make a boat excursion on the river or you can just admire the environment from the wooden deck. There is also a café. Very nice photos to make here.

2. Fishing area – Salak Phet ( right side of the island)

Salak Phet is a Fishing area in a sort of Bay. (see on Google Map or on the Interactive Map above). The tourists who arrive to this zone tend to eat sea food in this restaurant.

There is also a long Pier, with nice views See location on Google Map.

3. Long Beach (right side of the island)

It is a long drive but worth it (see on Google Map or on the the Maps above). Long Beach is a sort of savage beach. Mass Tourism has still not reached this point. There is no Internet in this zone (at the time of writing, at least).

Note : Long Beach is an exception for the right side of the island. This side of the island doesn’t have beaches.

Here is what you can do at Long Beach :

There is one restaurant with good food and coconuts.

And a lot of flags

On the way to Long Beach, there is a view point (see location on Google Map). Sometimes monkeys arrive here.

4. Koh Ngam island (right side of the island)

See location on Google Map or on the Interactive Map above. A short distance after Long Beach there is a point, where you can rent a Kayak and arrive to a tiny island named Koh Ngam. Be aware, that this tiny island is considered a natural reserve, so the moment you land on it, a guard will ask you for 200 Baht (so you need to pay the guy renting the kayaks and also the guard on the island).

5. Spa Resort – Health – Vegetarian Restaurant ( right side of the island)

A possible place to have lunch, while on the right side of the island is in the Spa Resort. (see on Google Map or on the Interactive Map above). The resort is located inside a sort of Bay and it is beautiful. The restaurant is Health oriented and big part of the menu is Vegetarian (it is not a totally vegetarian restaurant).

Explore the left side of the island

1. Beaches ( left side of the island)

The left side of the island is the side of the beaches (the right side has much less). Your hotel will be in one of the beaches, but you should visit also some of the other beaches because they are beautiful and different one from the other.

See the Maps above. The best is to explore the island with a Motorbike and see the beaches beside the resorts. The beaches described in Where to Stay, should be visited, especially Chai Chet beach (with the river part).

Also, the beaches south of Bang Bao pier are interesting (young backpackers are staying there).

You can buy yourself a floating unicorn or turtle and enjoy the sea. You can also rent a Kayak (If there is too much wind or waves, they stop renting kayaks).

Most of the time, the waters are calm in Koh-Chang. In case of water currents preventing you to return to the shore, you should know that you need to swim to the side and not “fight” the current.

2. Bang Bao pier ( left side of the island)

This is the pier from where are starting the organized excursions with boats. This is also the pier in order to arrive to the islands Koh-Mak and Koh-Kood (with a speed boat).

The pier is also a place to visit on its own merit, without taking any boat. It is a sort of village with cafés, restaurants and souvenir shops.

The waters around are beautiful.

There is a modern café, from where you can watch the tourists returning from the boat trips.

There is even a 7 Eleven store in this village.

Diving activity

If you interested in Diving with equipment, there are some schools on Bang Bao pier.

Café – View Point over Bang Bao pier

If you continue on the main road, a little bit after Bang Bao pier, towards the south, you will see a Reggae café.

The café is an excellent view point over the Bang Bao pier.

3. Kai Bae View Point ( left side of the island)

There are several view points on the island, but this one is the most famous and accessible. It is located on the main road between Kai Bae and Lonely Beach. See on Google Map.

There is even a Café with cakes. Especially nice at sunset.

Another View Point

There is another famous view point on this side of the island. It is located between the main pier (Ferry to the mainland) and White Sand beach. See location on Google Map.

4. Elephants ( left side of the island)

In case you still don’t know : the name “Koh-Chang” means island of the Elephant.

Originally, there were no elephants on the island. Elephants were brought here for the tourists. There are several elephant camps on the island. One of the camps is at Kai-Bae (see on Google Map). It is possible to ride on an elephant, till a waterfall. It is possible to give bananas to the baby elephants.

Sometimes, the baby elephants are brought for a bath at the sea.

5. Khlong Phlu Waterfall ( left side of the island)

There are several waterfalls on the island. “Khlong Phlu” is the most famous one. Located between Chai Chet and Kai Bae, inside the land. See location on Google Map.

It is possible to arrive to the waterfall zone, on an elephant

It is nice to visit a waterfall, but :

  1. You will probably be in Koh-Chang during the dry season and in the dry season the waterfalls are not at their best.
  2. The waterfalls in Koh Chang are OK but are not the most amazing waterfalls that you can find in Asia.
  3. It is a reserve and you pay an entrance fee.
  4. It is very hot, and you can go to the beach instead of walking inside a forest.

More Waterfalls

There are several waterfalls on the island on both sides. Some of them require a long walk. You can look for the waterfalls on the Interactive Map above. 

6. Monkeys

There are cute, small monkeys in Koh-Chang. They usually appear in the more quiet places of the island and not on the main beaches.

They tend to stay on the south part of the island, on both sides. When you will ride a motorbike, you will see them on the road. Sometimes, people give them food and water.

Here is a story : I know a tourist who saw monkeys in a certain location on the island and decided to buy bananas in order to give to the monkeys the next day. The next day, the monkeys didn’t arrive to the appointment (at least not in that location), and the tourist didn’t encounter any monkeys during the drive, so the tourist finally gave the bananas to a baby elephant, in a camp. Conclusion : Monkeys move from place to place without prediction.

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