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.
