Thailand Travel - Koh Chang Accommodation, Attractions, Information

Plane - Bangkok Airways operates regular flights from Bangkok to Trat airport, located a 10 minute minibus drive from the ferry terminals near Laem Ngop. A round-trip ticket costs around 4,000 baht.
Car - It takes around three hours to drive the 300 km from Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Bus - Minibus and full sized bus services pick guests up from Khao San Road and travel direct to Laem Ngop pier from where a passenger ferry departs hourly to Koh Chang. Expect to pay around 250 - 300 Baht for a one way ticket. Regular buses also leave Bangkok's Morchit and Ekkami bus terminals - the journey usually includes frequent food & rest stops and therefore takes around 6 hours. One way tickets range from 150 baht - 190 baht and you'll be dropped off in Trat town, from where the passenger ferry is a 20 baht songtaew (converted pick-up) ride away.

Koh Chang has several stunning white sand beaches for visitors to enjoy. Largely deserted, particularly in the south, guests can choose to either relax and soak up the sun or take long strolls along the powdery sand. There are several interesting sights around Koh Chang such as ...

You might not have heard of this island 300 km southeast of Bangkok, but that could soon change. The area has been targeted by the Thai government for development into a major resort area.

The good news is that its laid-back beauty isn't likely to be completely destroyed by growth.

The country's second-largest island (also known as Ko Chang) is part of a national park, which means more than 70 per cent of its surface is untouched tropical forest.

Development will also be limited by the fact that an airport can't be built on island -- the nearest one is an hour's ferry ride away in Trat.

The seaside might not be as spectacular as it is in Phuket, which touches the Indian Ocean rather than the South China Sea, but for many people, Koh Chang's tranquility will be more than ample compensation.

Most of its beaches and resorts are on the west coast, with the biggest cluster at Hat Sai Khao, also known by its English translation, White Sand Beach.

It's a short strip of modest shops and restaurants interspersed with hotels starting at the bargain-basement rate of about 500 Thai baht ($15 Cdn). The long sandy beach is one of the few places on the island you'll see ambulatory vendors of jewelry and trinkets, but they're nowhere near as persistent as the ones you'll find in any Mexican tourist town.

More upscale accommodation can be found at the resorts with their own private beaches that dot the ring road around the island. The Aiyapura Resort and Spa at the northern tip of the island, a short drive from Hat Sai Khao, has 84 villas and suites set in a coconut grove, as well as three restaurants and a spa.

It may take you a while to get bored of getting massages and lounging on the beach, but when you do, you can hike into the lush rainforest to one of the island's many waterfalls, visit a traditional fishing village or take a short speedboat trip to a neighbouring island to snorkel in a coral reef.

And since Koh Chang translates as Elephant Island, it's a given that you'll be able to go on an elephant trek through the jungle, where you may run across a wild boar and a mongoose or two.