Sights of Koh Chang and what to see

Sightseeing overview of Koh Chang and what to see

It would be unfair to tell in our guidebook that Koh Chang is filled with interesting tourist locations and attractions. Unfortunately, everything is not at all the way guides and low-grade guidebooks on the web tell about it. There are no historical places here at all, consider that there are no beautiful Thai temples either. Only natural beauty and viewing points remain, you should not count on more here. From entertainment, tourists are offered boat tours to neighboring islands and beaches of Koh Chang, diving and snorkeling, elephant riding, snake farm, quad biking, jungle walks to waterfalls in the national park. In general, in our opinion, experienced tourists Koh Chang will not be surprised by the variety of attractions, but if you are in Thailand or in Southeast Asia for the first time, then in principle it will be interesting and you will find what to see and what to do for a week of rest.

If you need excursions to Koh Chang, then you can find a lot of options at an affordable price in street travel agencies and hotels. Prices are about the same everywhere, the FPGA will differ by a hundred baht for similar tours, so you can take it wherever you feel more comfortable. According to the programs, tours are also not particularly different in principle, all travel agencies offer approximately the same set.

You can also visit some locations on your own by rented transport or minibus. You can rent a motorbike from 150 baht /day, there are a lot of rentals here. There are cars too, but there are few rentals. On regular minibuses you can move freely along the west coast, where all the main beaches are located, but to the east they will have to be hired as a taxi. We have told you everything in detail about Koh Chang's transport and rental here, read and you will know everything about moving around the island.

And now we present you a list of attractions and entertainment of Koh Chang, indicating how they can be visited on their own, where they are, opening hours and cost:

Snorkeling and diving in Koh Chang

There are many interesting places around the perimeter of the island and on the neighboring small islands where you can admire the colorful underwater life with a mask and snorkel, or make a full dive to the sunken objects with scuba diving. There are organized one-day snorkeling tours and diving tours, which include everything: transfer from the hotel, equipment, lunch, instructor. Tours on Koh Wai are especially popular.

You can get acquainted with the depths in the tour, even if you do not have a certificate, and if you wish, you can also study here and get it. If you have a certificate, then you can save a lot without a tour, for which it is best to go to the pier in Bang Bao, you will find everything there.

If you have your own mask and snorkel, then you can snorkel for fun with coastal waters. There are not a lot of places with clear water and beautiful underwater life here, but in principle, on every beach you can find a place from the edge of the rocks where fish swim. If you want to see something normal and without tours, then it's best to go to the south of Chang. There is a very cool place for snorkeling in the rocky bay under the Bang Bao Cliff, here it is on the map. You can also swim along the stone coast in the Kai Muk area (stone beach in Kai Muk on the map), but they started some big construction projects next to it, so it's not known what will happen to this stone beach.

Elephant riding and elephant farms

There are at least three places on Chang where you can get to know elephants. If you don't know yet, elephants in Thailand are especially revered and respected animals, and a rare white elephant here is generally considered sacred and a symbol of royalty. But all this is in theory, but in practice elephant farms on Koh Chang are designed to demonstrate animals to tourists and earn money from it. You can find a lot of conflicting reviews and opinions on this subject. Some say that elephants are kept here in poor conditions and in chains, and other tourists are delighted to communicate with them. We simply state that elephants can ride through the jungle here (this is, in principle, the most important activity in the camps, called Jungle trekking), feed them, take pictures and even buy a baby elephant. The money that tourists pay for this entertainment, among other things, goes to the maintenance of the animals themselves. If you are interested in closer acquaintance and care of elephants in more natural conditions, for this you need to go to the north of Thailand to Chiang Mai or Chiang Rai, and here it's just entertainment for tourists.

National Park and waterfalls

Koh Chang National Park Mu Ko Chang National Park occupies most of the island's territory and even part of the water area, so it is impossible to tell about it in the context of a specific location where you can go and see everything. In fact, the entire central part of the island, covered with forests, is a national park. On its territory there are several waterfalls, mangroves, there are hiking trails, mountains and observation decks on the peaks and on the way to them. Even some beaches and places for diving and snorkeling, including on neighboring islands, are included in its zone.

The National Park is available for visiting, but for a fee. Admission for foreigners is 200 baht, but some facilities are visited for free, as described below. The entrance fee is paid at one of the checkpoints, which are located mainly at the entrances to popular waterfalls and equipped tourist routes. In general, the main entrance for payment is located at the entrance to the waterfall Than Mayom Waterfall, and there may be no one at the other entrances. If you pass without payment, you will be a violator, and theoretically you need to come to the cashier, pay for a visit permit, and then you can visit whatever you want. Unfortunately, we do not know how control works in practice and whether violators are "caught" without payment. Which is convenient, this permit is valid all day throughout the territory, which means that if you start early in the morning, you can visit several waterfalls or trails at once from different entrances to the national park.

You can visit the national park on your own, at least for waterfalls and equipped routes, the presence of a guide is not necessary. In local travel agencies you can find ready-made excursions or guides who will take you through the waterfalls and guide you along the trails, along the way I tell you about the nature of the park. Their price starts from 2000 baht, because these are individual tours.

Here are the main equipped locations and routes of Ko Chang National Park:

• Kai Bae Viewpoint. We tell you about it below, it is visited for free.
• Khlong Plu Waterfall (waterfall on the map). Paid waterfall. One of the most popular, because it is located on the west coast near beaches and tourist areas. From the parking lot 600 meters along the trail.
• Khlong Chao Lueam Waterfall (waterfall on the map). It is visited for free, 40 baht is charged for parking (private owners, not the park administration). You can drive almost to the waterfall itself, it's only a few minutes on foot, but it's quite a long way to get here.
• Khlong Nonsi Waterfall (waterfall on the map). It is visited free of charge. A few minutes walk from the parking lot, parking is free.
• Waterfall Than Mayom Waterfall (waterfall on the map). Paid waterfall. This is a series of waterfalls, only the very first one is easily accessible, the rest are further along a slightly difficult path over rocks.
• Khlong Neung Waterfall (waterfall on the map). It is visited free of charge. It is located very far to the southeast. We'll have to drive almost through the entire island along the perimeter.
• Khiri Phet Waterfall (waterfall on the map). It is visited free of charge. This is another distant waterfall far to the southeast next to the previous waterfall, they can be combined.
• Mount Salak Phet or Khao Salak Phet (mountain on the map). It is visited free of charge. The height of the summit is 744 meters. This is a full-fledged hiking route for the whole day. It does not require preparation, but you need good physical shape and sports or even better hiking/trekking shoes. Several trails of varying complexity and length lead to the top from different sides along the perimeter of the island. The most convenient and famous are from Bang Bao village and via Khiri Phet Waterfall. Moreover, you can start it from one point and exit to another, but then you will have to somehow return to the starting point across the entire island along the perimeter, of course this can only be done on minibuses-taxis. Download offline maps Organic Maps or Maps.me there are these trails there.

In addition to the above, there are other zones in the national park in the water area and on the islands, but you can visit them only with excursions (bought in travel agencies on the street and in hotels). And everything described above is available independently. Please note that in the dry season there may be no waterfalls at all.

Observation deck at White Sand Beach

This is one of the simplest and most easily accessible viewing points. It is not equipped, it is just a wide shoulder along the road, where you can stop for a couple of minutes to see the White sand Beach and the endless sea of the Gulf of Thailand from a height. But in general, nothing special, and in our opinion it's not worth going here on purpose. However, almost all travelers who rent vehicles on Koh Chang pass through this point.

Kai Bae Viewpoint

This is perhaps the most famous and interesting observation deck on Chang. It is equipped with: there is a cafe, a commemorative sign, fences, a parking area (free of charge). And there is also a mailbox installed here, from where you can send a souvenir postcard to your home. But the main thing they come here for is, of course, the views.

Walking Street for Adults Kai Bae Walking Street

Kai Bei Walking Street is the main street for adult evening entertainment in Koh Chang. Of course, it's not nearly as fun and noisy as Walking Street in Pattaya or Bangla Road in Phuket, but you'll find a number of bars with loud music and girls to your liking here. Some bars have billiards, there is a GoGo, there is a Lighthouse nightclub. Pour draft or bottled, cocktails, strong alcohol. In some establishments, you can even order simple dishes, but you definitely shouldn't go here for this. The music is diverse: there is live, classical Western hits are playing somewhere, there is club music. In general, if you want to have fun in the evening, chat with other tourists and local girls, then definitely here.

Chao Por Koh Chang Temple

Wat Chao Por Koh Chang - one of the few temples on Koh Chang that will be interesting to visit. Strangely enough, there are no beautiful traditional Thai temples on the island at all, so it remains to be content with what little there is. Moreover, although this temple is Buddhist, it is made more in traditional Chinese architecture with a two-level roof decorated with colorful dragons. Interestingly, elephant statues are also installed here, which is more typical of Thai temples, so everything is intertwined here. It will not surprise you with anything special, and if you are not in Thailand for the first time and have already visited other temples on the mainland, then you can skip this one. But if you ride around the island on a rented transport, you can stop by here, because it is conveniently located on a hill next to the main road.

Mangroves

In several places on Koh Chang, you can see dense mangroves or just mangroves. These are amazing plants that grow in salty sea water. You may not see anything special in them, but for some peoples. Since ancient times, they have been used to produce business wood, fuel, dyes and in the leather industry. It is also a very interesting plant in terms of its natural properties, it is a whole ecosystem.

Therefore, if you have never seen mangrove forests with your own eyes, you can see them on Koh Chang, and for free. There are several equipped tourist routes along the mangroves, which are walking paths over the water, laid between the trees. You can get here and walk around them as much as you want. Unfortunately, there is no excursion support for such walks (at least we did not find it), so there will be no one to tell about the unusual properties of mangroves.

Observation deck and big white Buddha

This is a new location in Koh Chang, when we visited it, this place was still under construction, and apparently it will drag on for a year. It is assumed that Wat Pa Rongtharn temple will be built here, the main decoration of which will be a statue of a large sitting Buddha on a hill. So far, both the temple and the Buddha are still only in the project, but now you can climb to the observation deck where the Buddha will sit and admire the views of the southern part of Koh Chang.

Bang Bao Fishing Village and Lighthouse

Bang Bao is a fairly large village in the south of Chang, and there is also a ferry pier to other islands of the archipelago. Excursions to the islands depart from here, there are several dive centers and rental of diving equipment. But even if you are not going to conquer the depths of the sea or sail to the islands, it's still worth coming here. After all, in addition to the above, Bang Bao has a fairly large tourist market by local standards, there are many seafood restaurants, there is a beautiful lighthouse, to the top of the tower of which you can climb. In general, you can just come here and spend a few hours walking around the market, along the long pier between the houses on stilts, and finish the day with a dinner of freshly caught seafood.

Fishing Village in Salak Phet

The fishing village is not exactly a tourist attraction, but just a place of concentration of restaurants with fresh seafood. There is absolutely nothing to see in the village, the very process of coming here and eating here in one of the restaurants overlooking the bay is interesting. After all, this is one of the farthest points where you can get to Koh Chang Island. By the way, if you think that since this place is so far away and almost non-tourist, the prices here are lower than in tourist areas, then you are mistaken. Everything is just the opposite, and for the same dishes here you will have to pay one and a half to two times more.

Observation deck and shrine to Admiral Krom Luang Jumborn Het Udomsakdi

On a high hill near White Beach is a small temple dedicated to Admiral Krom Luang Jumborn Khet Udomsaki, son of King of Siam (Rama V) Chulalongkorn. The admiral became famous not only as one of the members of the royal family, but also as the founder of the Thai Royal Navy, and is considered a national hero of Thailand. He became the first Thai prince to serve in the Thai Royal Navy and the first officer who developed its organization and brought the Thai Navy to the same level with Western military fleets. Therefore, do not be surprised that ship guns and a mast with the flags of the Royal Navy are installed next to the shrine.

The temple site overlooks the sea and neighboring beaches. True, you can't call it exciting, the view is blocked by vegetation.

Tree Top Adventure Park

Tree Top Adventure Park on Koh Chang is a rope park with a zipline and bungee, its track runs right through the jungle. This is one of the few places on Chang where you can go to have fun with a company or family, but for children there is a restriction - height of at least 140 centimeters. There is also a limit for adults – no more than 100 kilograms. Sports shoes are needed to pass the route.

Kayak and sap board rental

Koh Chang does not abound in beach activities. There is no banana riding, jet ski rental, catamaran rentals, etc. And this is even good, otherwise it would no longer be a calm paradise island, but a completely different place. However, on the beaches you can find such relaxing water activities as kayak rental and sap surfing gear. They are not everywhere, but the most developed beaches of White Sand Beach, Chai Chet, Klong Prao, Kai Bay and Klong Kloi have it all. You can rent a board or kayak, and enjoy swimming along the coast, you can even go to nearby and hard-to-reach beaches. For example, from Klong Kloi Beach you can kayak to the remote wild beach of Wai Chek.

Ghost Hotel Galaxy with ships

The abandoned hotel-ship Galaxy is one of the most intriguing places on Koh Chang. This is the territory of the abandoned Grand Lagoona Hotel, and its main body in the form of a huge five-deck liner was called The Galaxy. A few years ago, the hotel worked successfully, there were a lot of vacationers here, especially from Russia, but now it is completely abandoned. There are various legends about it, such as the fact that it was built on a sunken ship and that spirits settled here, and people jumped from the roof of the building, and therefore it was closed. In reality, everything is much simpler: the hotel did not survive the crisis due to the outflow of tourists, and then it turned out that there were violations during construction, and it was finally closed. There is a landscape park with sculptures, a large hotel in the form of a ship and small houses also in the form of boats. The largest "ship" is not available for visiting. However, in some buildings you can go and see the numbers. More precisely, it is forbidden to enter inside, but you can enter. The furniture has been preserved inside: beds are standing, air conditioners and TVs are installed, refrigerators are standing. It seems as if people just disappeared from here at one moment, leaving everything as it is, only personal belongings are missing for the full picture. In general, the place is interesting and looks mysterious, and worth the time and money spent.

In addition to the abandoned hotel itself, there is quite a cupable beach with great depth. It does not differ in purity, but it is naturally beautiful, with palm trees. There are sun loungers and a bar with drinks on the shore.