Koh-Chang.info

Koh Chang is actually the name of the biggest island of the Koh Chang Marine Park archipelago and the third largest island in Thailand after Phuket and Koh Samui.

If you’ve been in Phuket or Koh Samui, you’ll feel that Koh Chang is a deserted island, despite its 5000 habitants.  The fisherman’s island is barely unnoticed before its southeast part became a World War II sea battle scene between theThai Royal Navy and the French’s Vichy Squadron.  After the battle, won by the French, the island didn’t experience any major development; the habitants went back to their daily activities, working the coconut groves and the fruit plantations in the mainland (Trat Province).

First backpackers, hitching the fisherman’s boat, discovered the Eden of the Orient in mid 1970s. However, the local tourists pour into the island not long after the government declared a chain of 50  big and small islands located in the Gulf of Thailand, close to the Cambodian border, as national Marine Park called Mu Ko Chang National Park.

Koh Chang’s tourism boom began some ten years ago, and since then the tourism facilities were built in the speed of light to cater inbound international and local tourists.

The island name means the Elephant Isle, but elephants are not indigenous animal, the name was given because of the shape of the island.

Many came for Ko Chang’s white sandy beaches, however the mountains also hold the native charms of the 650 Km² park. Ko Chang has a marvelous land and sea sites. Three fourth of  the island is rainforest, steep hills, cliffs, waterfalls, and wildlife, nearly deserted beaches, reefs and corals, and last but not least an extraordinary variety of marine life

The true charm of the island lies on the eastern side of the island, a highland with nice waterfalls and fewer tourists.

Ko Chang, located in the Gulf of Thailand (sometimes known as the Gulf of Siam) is a part of Trat Province in the east of Thailand. The gulf is bordered by Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia.

Shopping experience in Koh Chang is limited since most items found in Koh Chang are produced elsewhere in Thailand or its neighbor countries, so if you’re planning to thin your wallet, opt for mainland Trat or Bangkok instead.

Haggling is advisable, start by practicing your basic Thai and give a big smile to shop attendants or keepsake sellers at the beach.

If you’re interested to know the daily life of Koh Changites, visiting the traditional markets will be an exhilarating cultural experience. Trat, the province where Koh Chang is included in, is well known for fruit and a local kitchen’s must have — the fantastic, yet pungent shrimp and fish pastes.

Original Crocs, Gucci, Adidas and Louis Vuitton made in Hong Kong (or other cities in China) are common in Koh Chang’s sporadic shops. For unique home furnishing and jewels in silver, gold, encrusted with semi precious stones or not, head to Portobello located in White Sand Beach. Handicrafts can be found at the Prince Craft Centre, also in White Sand Beach.

Koh Chang is not quite Pattaya or Phuket. When it comes to nightlife, Koh Chang offers a low key and friendly one, very much a world apart compared to the bustling Bangkok or posh Samui.

If you feel like mingling and meet fellow backpackers from all over the world, the Elephant Isle have few great spots not to be.

Nocturnal backpackers often head to White Sand Beach where heaps of pubs and bars like Buffalo Bill, Sabay Bar, and Oodies Place offer chilled beers and live music. Feel like singing after a few pints of Kilkenny at Paddy’s Palms or plenty of servings of Mojitos at 15 Palms? Head to Milky Bar and flaunt your singing talent. The bar also has a pool table, in case all of those liquors fail to conquer your stage fright.

So you’ve made new friends in Koh Chang and would like to know them better, then live band bars at White Sand Beach might not be the perfect place to have a friendly chat and be at ease. Head to Klong Prao Beach where you can watch European premier leagues on big screen TV while having some pints with the boys, or show of your darting and billiard skills to your new global peeps. Some recommended bars in Klao Prao are River Island Café, Magic Pub, Bar at VJ Hotel, Nid’s Kitchen (a Thai Rastafari restaurant and bar) and the snazzy jazzy Zigamar.

Kai Bea Beach bare witness to the first backpacker’s arrival in Koh Chang, nowadays, the beach is also known as a place where the free spirited night owls gather. Beer Gardens such as Rock Sugar and White Beach’s Oodies Place brother pub called Oodies Brothers. Other recommended watering holes are in KB Beach are the Brit owned Lek Bar & Diner, Casamarina, A Lee Bar, Taxi Stop, and European style beach bar called The Joker. Most bars in Kai Bae are gay-friendly ones, and happy-go-lucky Issam bar girls can be found flocking in central Kai Bae in bars such as Cats Bar, Butterfly Bar, Canucks! Bar or Sweet Witch Bar.

Lonely Beach has the reputation of being THE backpacker’s spot in the island, however the trend is quickly going downwards.  The carefree spirit is still though, it’s just if you think that you’ll be lonely in Lonely Beach, then you’ll be disappointed. The open minded crowds flock here, day and night, the same crowd baptized this beach to be the island’s hedonism capital  or Haad Rin of the East (Haad Rin is where the famous Full Moon Party usually takes place). Vitamin Bar at Lonely Beach keeps the party in full throttle, while Tree House and Lemon Bar has in-house DJs that will make your dancing shoes worn out and Full Moon parties. Other recommended bars are BB Divers Pool & Lounge, Ting Tong Bar, Stone Free and Nature Bar.

Many of us associate Thailand not only with sunny beaches with clear blue water, but also with one of its specialties: Thai Massage, or Nuat boran for the Thais.  Thai massage is a form of deep tissue massage combined with stretching.  The massage has Indian and Chinese roots. Thai masseuse or masseur will put their clients in Yoga like poses during the treatment, this is why Thai massage is often called Yoga for the lazy.

Massages is an intangible local culture, it’s virtually everywhere.

Koh Chang has become a favorite resort destination for locals (Thai or westerners who live many years in the land of smiles) as well as for the international tourists.

At the Spa Resort Ko Chang at Salak Kok Village, visitors can enjoy the Spa’s specialty: 32 Thai herbs steam bath. They also have an integrated Detox center as well as  excellent Yoga and Reiki classes. We recommend their fasting detoxification, followed by raw food on their Radiance Restaurant, one of world 50 best restaurant according to the U.K. Health magazine.

The Baan Zen at Klong Prao Beach is a center for Yoga and meditation, Reiki, and Chakra Balancing. What exactly is Chakra Balancing, you might ask; Indian traditional writings say that there are more than 80,000 chakras (means disk in Sanskrit) in our spiritual body which defines our physical, mental, and spiritual functions. Chakra balancing aims to influence our chakras and make them positive. Having balance chakras mean having a more positive you.

Revitalize at Aar’ Spa (means River in Malayalam, a Southern Indian language) belonging to the Aana Resort in Klong Prao Beach. The spa offers massages and beauty treatment surrounded by breathtaking views.

Although Koh Chang is becoming more and more a resort island instead of a sleepy fisherman’s land, pampering yourself doesn’t mean you need to break the bank.

If all that you want is an authentic massage and don’t mind about posh venues, then you’ll be happy to know that you can have massages and reflexology without having to move yourself away from the beach. Beach massages cost a fracture of the prices they offer on luxurious spas. Great natural setting and you don’t have to hitch hike all the way back to Newark or Oslo–blissful!