Koh chang Paradise Island

The island is part of the Mu Koh Chang Marine National Park. Ko Chang also Koh Chang is the focal point of Koh Chang National Marine Park. Koh Chang is the second largest island of Thailand.

Koh Chang is the largest of the 52 islands. It is a mountainous island. Most of the island is rainforest and it features a range of hills, the highest nearly 800 metres high. The island has an area of approximately 429 square kilometers, extends over almost 30 kilometres in length and approximately 17 kilometres in width. Koh Chang was previously an unsettled island but it is now important as a harbour for ships to escape from the monsoon, and dietary or fresh water resources, especially at Ao Salak Phet or Ao Salat which is well known to pirates, Hai Lam Chinese and Vietnamese.

This is quite remarkable given its close proximity to Bangkok – only 330 kilometres direct, Also the proximity by bus to Bangkok to Trat 5 - 6 hours attracts additional visitors to the island. At the weekends, public holidays and vacations many Thais come from Bangkok and the closer vicinity for a short stay to Koh Chang, so that almost two third of all yearly visitors are Thai people. However the number of foreign visitors is increasing quicker compared to the number of Thais which regressed for the first time compared to the preceding year. The number of foreign guests rose.

Koh chang island receives almost 685.000 visitors came annually - and the number is rising continuously. it features fine beaches, coral reefs, and plentiful marine life. It is also rich in natural resources, teeming with hills, forests, waterfalls and streams, the latter being an important source of freshwater. Dotting the island are many fruit orchards. Koh Chang is one of the few places with virgin forest, but the mad rush to cash in on tourism has had a heavy toll on its virgin forests. Land prices have skyrocketed, there are also beautiful if not high end resorts now popping up all over the island, Resort is covered with dense rain forest and with the relative savage nature, bisected by the steep wall of mountains. Most of the scenic beaches and bays are located on the western side, extending from the north to the south.
There is a road surrounding the island driving and go sightseeing in a perfect silent forest and a beautiful beach along with fresh atmosphere everywhere around Koh Chang. Koh Chang became an easy-found paradise for thousands of tourists from all over the world. Those who long for the pure, calm, peaceful, and magnificent island could feel like being in your own world here. The island and its vicinity are great places for and diving snorkelling. The best time to dive here is between November and April and the south of the island offers the best visibility. For water sports, snorkelling and scuba-diving reign supreme. Some of the most popular dive sites in the area are off the island's southern tip. Between here and Ko Kut, the underwater explorer will find much of interest, like seamounts abounding with coral, and a Thai warship sunk by the French during a territorial dispute over these waters back in 1941.Koh Chang and the surrounding islands provide some excellent opportunities for both novice and experienced divers. Visibility can reach up to 30m during the best months for diving of October to end of May. The reef at Hin Luk Bat in particular has a lot of good coral. However, even if you are snorkeling, you still want miss out. Around "Bird lsland" there are some stunning soft corals with vivid colours and so many small fish that it is like swimming in an aquarium. Largely untouched, Koh Chang is an unsophisticated island which remains unaffected by the modern world. The original inhabitants of Koh Chang (Khon Kard) still live traditionally, surviving mainly from an income of fishing, supplemented by growing fruit and rubber. There are still fishing communities on the island where rain or shine the fisherman take the boats out. At night you can see the lights on the horizon from the fishing boats catching squid. Mountainous Koh Chang has an undisturbed interior of dense tropical rain forest, home to many species including macaque monkeys, barking deer and wild pig. Trekkers can also expect to see more than 70 species of birds. Koh Chang and the islands in this chain were awarded Marine National Park status in 1982 to ensure that this pristine environment is preserved.
More than 70 percent of the mountainous island is still covered by rainforest, and there are many secluded beaches, complete with that vital tropical isle trinity of white sand, palm trees, and warm blue water, where you can really get away from it all and leave your troubles on the mainland.
Wealthy with greenery, wildlife, and marine creatures, its most scenic beaches are located along its western flank. Moving from north to south, the beaches are generally more secluded, less crowded and pricey, with the aforementioned Diamond Sand towards the northern tip, and Hat Khlong Phrao and Hat Kai Bae, in the middle. Further south is a lively backpacker's enclave at Lonely Beach, or Hat Tha Nam, where you can stay in a tree house.

Koh Chang as a serious tourist destination has been quite phenomenal. But it remains a lot more peaceful and less developed than islands like Samui and Phuket. It's some 5 hours from Bangkok by bus and there's no airport on the island yet so it should remain more tranquil than Samui or Phuket. Koh Chang too is one of Thailand most beautiful islands with some white sandy beaches, some half deserted. Some of the beaches are rocky in parts though so it doesn't have ideal swimming beaches like Phuket. The island is also home to a wide range of wildlife, including a good selection of birds, snakes, deer and a number of elephants. The island and its vicinity are great places for snorkeling, diving and jungle hiking.

Another object of interest on the island is the Koh Chang Remembrance that informs about the Ko Chang Sea Battle Wrecks, which were sunk directly by the beach off the south-easternmost point of Koh Chang.
During the Indochina-war, on 17th of January 1941, 7 French ships entered into Thai waters. They were successfully forced back by 3 hai warships, the Thonburi, the Songkhla and the Chonburi, however the Thonburi and the Chonburi sank with the loss of 36 Thai sailors.
The wrecks are marked with buoys, so they can be easily found by divers.On the beach, memorial tablets and a shrine inform you about the history of this brush with the enemy - unfortunately only in Thai.So you either have to go there by chartered boat from Salak Phet Bay or, if coming by motorbike or car, turn left at the intersection of the main street, around 14 kilometres south of Dan-Kao-Pier always follow the signs to the "Koh Chang Remembrance". Keep on this road until the next bigger junction, there turn left, direction "Koh Chang Remembrance" and "Long Beach". After a few hundred metres the road gets step and winding and you will pass a few places at the road from where you have an incredible view into Salak Phet Bay and to the islands south of Ko Chang.

The east of the island should also be visited, it has dramatic rocky beaches rather than the white sands of its western counterparts. Here, there is little development and life continues on the island much as it has for decades, with people living from fishing and small scale farming. Fruit bushes laiden with rambattans, for which the province is famous, bloom at the roadside in season. In the far south, a fishing village, Salak Phet, is nestled in the mangrove with boats lined up waiting to go out to sea and others awaiting repair. Everywhere there is the rhythmic sound of hammering, as essential work is carried out on the boats. Aboard small crafts, women deftly repair the nets, whilst the men store the fish traps on the jettys for use the next day.
A short distance away as the crow flies is Bang Bao, a photogenic fishing village built on stilts and extending out over the water. This can be reached from the western side of the island with a roller coaster of a drive with dramatic views down the shear drop at the side of the road to the beach below.
An island tour could also include a stop at one of the island's waterfalls, with a chance to have a swim and cool down.
Koh Chang, like the rest of Thailand, has 2 seasons. The rainy season here lasts from May until October, the dry season from November until April. Dry season can be divided into 2 periods: the cold time between November and February and the hot time from March until May. Most visitors are on the island between December and March, this is also the best time for a stay, since the temperatures rarely exceed over 30° Celsius. In November and December it can become occasionally quite cool because of the wind in the evening and at night.
Koh Chang has always been a favourite get-away for Thai people. Lush and mountainous, this quiet island, full of natural treasures is a jewel just waiting to be discovered.
Many of the bungalow operations around have kayaks, boogie boards and mountain bikes for rent. Booking a day trip, or an overnighter, to nearby islands is another attractive option.
Whilst exploring the jungle is a possibility, the less energetic who simply want to relax on the beach won't be disappointed! The whole of the western side of the island has beautiful white sand beaches.

Because Koh Chang the near islands are so close to Bangkok a lot more Thais come to the islands as in other tourism centres of Thailand. The season on Koh Chang and the surrounding islands lasts longer than on the other islands in Thailand. During the high peak season, particularly Thai public-holidays, long weekends or during the European and Thai vacation times, shortages in accommodations may occur. It may pay to book in advance to avoid inconveniences or prepare yourself for a night at the beach, in the restaurant or in the hammock.
In almost all of our resorts were already full in October for the time around Christmas and New Year!
Especially if you want to come to Koh Chang, Koh Mak, Koh Kood, Koh Rayang or the closer islands Christmas and New Yearbetween December the 20th to January the 10th, at Chinese New Year (Trusjan) and April the 13th to 15th (Songkran or Thai New Year), you should do your reservations months in advance - these times of the year the resorts on the islands are mostly full!