Beaches of Koh Chang and where to stay

What are the beaches on Koh Chang and where is the best place to stay

If you are going to Koh Chang for the first time, choosing a place for a hotel and studying the map of the island, then at first glance it probably seems that there are a huge number of beaches and areas, and it is very difficult to decide on a place to settle. And if you also read some "authoritative" guidebooks prepared by copywriters who have never been to Koh Chang in reality, you may get the deceptive impression that there are beaches at every turn, and everything is completely heavenly and magnificent. In fact, in reality everything is a little different, and there are not so many good beaches and tourist areas suitable for living. Moreover, each beach has its own characteristics, which, for example, may appeal to young and active travelers with backpacks, but are not suitable for seed rest. So if you want your vacation on Chang to be a success, you need to carefully approach the issue of choosing a place for a hotel.

We have toured all the beaches on Koh Chang and lived in different areas, and we will tell you everything in detail and reliably about each of them, so that you can accurately choose the right place for yourself from our experience, and not from your own sad one. Read on and you will know everything.

So, the main thing to understand first of all is that there is a west and east coast:

• West Coast is what's on the left on the maps. Here are the best beaches, cool developed tourist area, and all the infrastructure. But even on this side the beach is not all along the coast, and the areas are quite different in terms of arrangement, atmosphere, accessibility by transport. So choose the beach and the hotel carefully too.
• East Coast – this is what's on the right on the maps, in case you suddenly forgot. It is better to avoid it and not to choose hotels here. There are no normal beaches and tourist areas on this side, the infrastructure is remote, there is not even transport. And no matter how much you like the hotel on this side, and no matter how temptingly cheap it is, we advise you to think ten times and study the reviews before choosing it.

The best beaches in Koh Chang

To begin with, here is a selection of popular beaches that we advise you to pay attention to first, and below we tell you in detail about each beach with photos and videos:

• Klong Son is the beach and village closest to the main pier of Koh Chang, where you can stay for rest, it's just a few minutes drive from the pier, and you can even walk. But this is not exactly a tourist area, but rather a "tourist reservation". The village and infrastructure are separate here, hotels with their own territory separately. Hotels are expensive, there are no budget hotels. The holiday is suitable for those who prefer tranquility and are ready to spend most of their time on site and on the beach.
• White Sand Beach and Sai Khao district is one of the most popular and convenient places to stay. Here at once in one place there is a good sandy beach, and a well-developed urban and tourist infrastructure by local standards, and many accommodation options of different categories. In other words, if you do not know where to stay during your first trip to Koh Chang, then feel free to choose White Beach, you will find everything here.
• Chaichet Beach is our favorite beach. There is everything you might need on vacation: travel agencies with excursions and transfers on the street, exchangers and ATMs, motorcycle and car rental, chain supermarkets and markets, local inexpensive cafes and restaurants for vacationers. And what we especially liked here is that it's not very noisy in the evenings! The beach is also beyond praise.
• Klong Prao Beach is the center of the island's tourist life, the largest area and the busiest place. It is noisy and active, there is always something going on on the main street, there is also entertainment. In general, this is another win-win option for accommodation if you are going to Koh Chang for the first time. Which is convenient, you can stay in a hotel away from the cent, and then you will relax in silence.
• Kai Bay Beach (Kai Bae) – this is now the most party district and the center of evening entertainment, because there is a street with bars and girls Kai Bay Walking Street, several night markets and large food courts. There is everything here, and this area can even be said to be more developed and saturated with tourist infrastructure than Klong Prao, however, everything is very tight and crowded here. But if you don't have a "thing" about such street claustrophobia, then it's quite possible to stop here, and then everything you need for a varied and active holiday on Koh Chang will be at your fingertips.
• Lonely Beach – used to be one of the most developed and youth areas, there is even its own "pedestrian street" with bars. But now the area is very dilapidated and deserted after the pandemic period. Many entertainment venues, shops, travel agencies and even guest houses have closed here, there is a sense of ruin and neglect. The beach here is still cool, and at night there are noisy bars all over the neighborhood that will not let you fall asleep, but there is no mass party and fun.
• Klong Kloi Beach is a place in Chang where you can stay in your bungalow on the beach. This is the farthest of the developed beaches on the eastern shore, from the main pier it is 25 kilometers or almost an hour away. It's a stretch to call this beach a full-fledged tourist area, it's more like a village that somehow reminded us of places that hippies used to love to populate, and now lovers of yoga and all kinds of spiritual and physical practices stop. In general, it's a pretty atmospheric place where you can make unusual acquaintances and chat with fancy tourists, and it's quite nice to relax even with your family.

The tides on Koh Chang, and the impact on the beaches

Usually when they talk about the tides on the beaches in Thailand, everyone is worried about the strong ebb, during which it is impossible to swim because of the low water. But on Koh Chang, rather another problem is the tides. The fact is that during high tides on many beaches it becomes impossible to rest on the shore here, because the water rises so much that it comes up to buildings and trees, leaving almost no place to sit. But this is not the case everywhere, and there are beaches where you can successfully relax and swim both at high tide and at low tide. In our review of the beaches below, we tried to tell as objectively as possible everything about the impact of low and high water on each of the beaches, so read and choose the right place.

As for the time of tides on Koh Chang, they do not depend at all on the time of day or month of the year, everything is much more complicated. Their formation is influenced by the position of the moon, the sun and the terrain, so it is impossible to say unequivocally that, for example, on Koh Chang, tides occur during the day and ebbs in the evening. It is necessary to focus on the forecast tables of tides:

Beaches of Koh Chang on the map

Overview of all Ko Chang's plages

And now here is a great and detailed description of each of the beaches of Koh Chang with photos and videos. For each beach we have marked its position on the map and how to get there, pros and cons, features of the areas and the choice of hotels.

• White Sand beach

  

  White Sand Beach and Sai Khao district is, without a shadow of a doubt, the most developed, popular and convenient place to relax on Koh Chang. Here at once in one place there is a good sandy beach, and a well-developed urban and tourist infrastructure by local standards, and many accommodation options of different categories from the most budget bungalows or rooms for several hundred baht, to "star" hotels with chic rooms and their own territories. Another advantage of this area is its proximity to the main pier of Koh Chang: it's only 6 kilometers or 10 minutes to drive (White Sand beach on the map). And in general, the geographical location is very advantageous, and from here it will be equally convenient to ride along both the west and east coasts. In other words, if you do not know where to stay during your first trip to Koh Chang, then feel free to choose White Beach, you will find everything here.

  But back to the beach itself. The name "white sand beach" speaks for itself. The length of the coastline is about two kilometers, and all of it is occupied by hotels and guest houses on the first line. Unfortunately, because of this, there is also an objective disadvantage: the development has gone so far that at high tide only a narrow strip remains from the beach, so it's not even possible to find a place to stay everywhere. But at low tide, or if you are ready to take a little walk, you will always find a great place on the beach in the open sun or in the shade of a palm tree. By the way, there are plenty of palm trees and shade here, and this is one of the advantages of White Sand Beach, especially for those who know what the merciless Thai sun is.

  In general, a cool beach, a cool neighborhood, you can stay here and you will surely be satisfied. And don't forget to look at 📹 our video about White Sand Beach is here.

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Camping and Pearl Beach (Ko Chang Camp & Pearl Beach)

  

  Ko Chang Camp or Pearl Beach Pearl Beach is located further beyond White Sand Beach, if you move to the south of the island (Ko Chang Camp on the map). It is said that it got its name due to the gorgeous sunsets and sunrises, so it is considered a wonderful place for lovers and romantics. But it's not really a beach, and it's not a tourist area at all. In fact, this is just a small stretch of shore no more than 200 meters wide and a flat green area in front of it, where you can come with your tent (accommodation 100 baht) or stay in a bungalow (200 baht/person). There is electricity, a gazebo and a toilet, all this is included in the price. As such, there is no tourist area here, but along the main road, which runs just a couple of hundred meters from the shore, as usual, there are cafes and food stalls. There used to be a big Lotus's Go Fresh supermarket right at the turn, but now it's closed.

  As for the beach itself, it is rocky mixed with sand. It seems to be possible to swim, but it doesn't cause much excitement either because of the small sharp stones at the bottom. Somewhere nearby there is also a coral reef with good snorkeling, but we could not find it. In general, this is rather not a beach, but a campsite on the seashore.

  See 📹 our video about camping Koh Chang or Pearl Beach is here.

  

  

• Pearl Beach in Kai Muk (Pearl Beach)

  

  Another beach, which is called Pearl Beach or pearl, is located in Khai Muk, not far from the beach of the same name described above (Pearl Beach on the map). Apparently, by some mistake, two different beaches are designated by the same name on different maps. But in general, it doesn't really matter. The most important thing is that this Pearl Beach is the main beach of the Kai Muk district, so we will tell you right now about this area and about the beach.

  Kai Muk is not such a developed area when compared with its neighbors White Beach in the north and Klong Prao in the south. It's generally quiet and peaceful here, like in a village. As usual, there are several local street cafes along the main road, fruit and fast food are sold from stalls, nothing else. Even the usual 7-eleven supermarkets are not here. True, there is a large Big-C supermarket on the main road, but this is a store for buying food in large batches for the whole family, and not to stop by to buy a bottle of lemonade or beer on the way. At the same time, the location is quite convenient, since you will be close to the most developed areas, you can even walk there, and at the same time in a quiet place.

  However, the beach here has its own peculiarities. It is pebbly and rocky here. Yes, there are such on Koh Chang too. On the shore and under the water it is pebbles with rounded edges, not sharp stones. And almost no sand. The coast is very narrow and also rocky, there is nowhere to rest and sunbathe. There is no entertainment or infrastructure on the beach.

  To be honest, it's hard for us to imagine that someone specifically stays in this area and near this Pearl Beach for a beach holiday. Rather, you can come here in order to settle in an inexpensive cozy bungalow, and from here go to rest on the neighboring beaches.

  See 📹 our video about Pearl Beach is here.

  

  

  

• Stone beach in Kai Muk

  

  In Kai Muk (Khai Muk, we talked about this area above) there is a small and still unnamed beach (stone beach in Kai Muk on the map). It is almost unknown to most of the guests of Chang Island, which in general is not surprising, because it is practically not suitable for swimming because of the presence of rocks and rocks on the shore and under water. But if you like places where you can retire and sunbathe naked, then you will like this place. In addition, snorkeling is not bad by local standards. Moreover, it is good that you do not need to go here on bad roads through the jungle to remote corners of Koh Chang, because it is located almost at the epicenter of all the tourist life of the island in a couple of minutes drive from White Beach. True, a primer leads the last few hundred meters to it, but it does not present any difficulties. You can even walk here, only 900 meters from the main road. By the way, some kind of hotel is being built in a small bay nearby and a sandy beach is being equipped, so try to get here as soon as possible before other vacationers flood everything.

  

  

• Chaichet Beach

  

  Chai Chet Beach is the name of the northern (right) part of the large district or village of Klong Prao (Chaichet on the map). But this place is a bit isolated, so we decided to tell you about it separately. Looking ahead a little, let's just say that the beach here is cool and definitely worth it to settle in. But first, a little more about the area.

  So, as such, there is no Chaichet district, it is just the northern part of Ban Klong Prao village. There is everything you might need on vacation: travel agencies with excursions and transfers on the street, exchangers and ATMs, motorcycle and car rental, chain supermarkets and markets, local inexpensive cafes and restaurants for vacationers. And what we especially liked here is that it's not very noisy in the evenings! There is no loud music coming from the cafe until late at night and tourists driving back and forth on loud motorbikes. It is felt that the area is respectable and to some extent family. However, at the same time it is quite expensive, there are almost no budget hotels here. But you can stay here in medium-priced hotels, for example, Coconut Beach Resort Koh Chang, Chai Chet Resort or Koh Chang Paradise Resort & Spa, and then your vacation will definitely be successful.

  But let's move from the streets to Chaichet Beach. In our opinion, it is great, and is one of the three favorite beaches of Koh Chang. There is fine white sand, beautiful palm trees along the entire coast, moderate influence of tides and tides, excellent gentle entrance to the water. Well, to be honest, during the maximum tides, the water comes very close to the shore, almost to a row of palm trees, but even at this time you can comfortably sit on the grass in the shade of trees. At the same time, even despite the convenient central location of this beach and the area, there are few vacationers on the shore. Of course, there are cafes and restaurants with quiet music, sun loungers, rental of surfboards and kayaks.

  Perhaps there is only one drawback here – these are dangerous reverse or rip currents. We have no information about their frequency and probability of occurrence, but at least warning signs about them are installed on the beach.

  In general, it's better to watch 📹 our video is about Chai Chet beach, and see for yourself how beautiful and cool it is.

  

  

  

  

  

• Klong Prao Beach

  

  If we told above about White Sand Beach and Sai Khao district that this is the most popular and convenient area for accommodation due to its location, then we will definitely say about Klong Prao that this is the very center of the island's tourist life, the largest area and the busiest place (Klong Prao beach on the map). It is noisy and active, there is always something going on on the main street: transport is constantly driving, tourists are bustling and running, restaurants, night markets are open in the evenings, young people hang out. There are also entertainments here, for example, a zoo and an elephant camp, quad biking, Thai cooking courses, Muay Thai lessons, a street with bars and girls Kai Bae Walking Street at the end of the district. In general, this is another win-win option for accommodation if you are going to Koh Chang for the first time. What is convenient here, you can stay in a hotel away from the main road, and you will rest in silence, but as soon as you want to "move", it will be enough to walk to the main road and plunge into the evening fun.

  At the same time, the area is heterogeneous and large, so if you choose a hotel in the wrong place, it may turn out that you will have to go far to the beach and through the territory of other hotels. Therefore, the most reliable option is to settle in one of the hotels on the first line.

  But now about the beach itself. It is, of course, sandy here, and in our personal opinion such a strong "average" among all the other beaches of Koh Chang. It stretches for about 2 kilometers, there is sand everywhere, palm trees, there are places of concentration of sun loungers and cafes, and you can walk and find an unsettled and sparsely populated place. In general, everything you need for a pleasant beach holiday is here.

  But it is impossible not to keep silent about the small disadvantages. The main problem is the ebb tide. During strong tides, the water goes far away, and in order to go into the water and swim, you will have to walk several hundred meters, and there rocks and reefs begin far from the shore, so you can't go far. There is also an inconvenience in accessing the beach, because if you stay in a hotel in the center of the district, and not on the first line, you will have to walk quite a long way to the beach through the territory of hotels on the first line. Well, to be completely honest, not everyone likes it, and we also don't like the fact that two rivers flow into the sea here, which can make the water muddy, especially after rains. But in fact, all these are little things, and if you choose a hotel with a good location here, then your vacation in Klong Prao will be great!

  See 📹 our video about the beach and the Klong Prao area.

  

  

  

  

• Kai Bay Beach (Kai Bae)

  

  The tourist area of Klong Prao almost imperceptibly turns into another smaller area and Kai Bay beach (Kai Bae on the map). The border between these areas is already conditional now, so you may not even notice how you got from one to the other. However, in essence and atmosphere they are quite different. Now Kai Bay is the most party district and the center of evening entertainment, because there is a street with bars and girls Kai Bay Walking Street, several night markets and large food courts. There is everything here, and this area can even be said to be more developed and saturated with tourist infrastructure than Klong Prao. But there is some inconvenience in the fact that everything is very tight and cramped here. It can even be said that the area is too compact, and this causes some discomfort compared to other places on Koh Chang. For example, if you decide to walk here along the center of the main street, you will have to walk literally along the edge of the road, closely sandwiched between rows of shops, shops and travel agencies. But if you don't have a "thing" about such street claustrophobia, then it's quite possible to stop here, and then everything you need for a varied and active holiday on Koh Chang will be at your fingertips.

  There are two beaches in the Kai Bay area, separated by a river, through which you can cross the bridge or go around the main street. The total length of the sandy beach here is one and a half kilometers. Despite the fact that the area is populated and dense, there are few vacationers on the shore. At least, we have never seen even a hint of overcrowding. In general, in our possibly subjective opinion, this is one of the most convenient and bathing beaches on Chang. After all, strong tides do not cause any problems here for relaxing on the shore, and you can swim safely even during low tide.

  By the way, this is the only place on Koh Chang where we met coconuts on the shore. Perhaps you can find them on other beaches, for example, on wilder and more remote ones, but it was here that we collected some fresh coconuts, and right on the beach we opened them and drank with pleasure. If you don't know how to open a coconut on your own, we have video about opening a coconut, watch it and you can also do everything yourself.

  Well, another feature of the beach in Kai Bay that we noticed is that here you can see elephants swimming and even "swim" with them. Of course, all this is for money as part of an elephant tour.

  See 📹 our video about the beach and the Kai Bay area.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

• Lonely Beach

  

  Lonely Beach or Lonely Beach – they say that the first travelers who discovered Koh Chang Island in Thailand as a great place to relax called it that way, and that forty years ago it was really inaccessible and lonely, and it could only be reached by boat. Now there is an excellent asphalt road leading here, and a small cozy tourist area has formed near the beach (Lonely Beach beach and district on the map). True, there are some peculiarities here, we'll tell you everything now:

  First of all, this is one of the remote beaches and areas on the eastern shore, and less developed, unlike White Beach, Klong Prao and others described above. In fact, this is the last full-fledged tourist beach area, further south it's even worse.

  It is believed that it is here that fans of night parties gather, there is even its own "pedestrian street" with bars, or rather a small alley that will take you to the shore, proudly decorated with the Lonely Beach sign. But today's reality is that you will not swim under this proud signboard, since the coast here is rocky. And the area itself is very dilapidated and deserted after the pandemic period. Many entertainment venues, shops, travel agencies and even guest houses have closed here, there is a sense of ruin and neglect. And on the famous pedestrian street, uncomplicatedly named Go To Lonely Beach Road, there is a small shop, a beauty and massage salon, a seafood cafe, as well as several night bars where girls are bored at the counters waiting for rare tourists. In general, as it seemed to us, all the fun and celebration are gone from here, but perhaps we will come back.

  And now as for the beach itself. At the exit point from the "pedestrian street" there is nothing to do on the shore at all, there are only stones here. To the left of this exit and closer to the center of this area, the coast is also rocky and generally unsuitable for swimming. A good beach starts on the right side, where several resorts are located on the shore. And it's really very good here: sandy, long, clean and sparsely populated. And most importantly – wide! Only during strong tides it becomes narrow, but even at low tide you can swim and relax here. There are sun loungers and parasols, bars and cafes. True, all this applies to hotels and cafes, but if you order something there, you can use the sun loungers. There is a minimum of entertainment here, we only saw the rental of boards for sap-surf.

  To get to this pleasant and kupable part of Loneli Beach, you will either have to walk along the shore along the stones from the exit to the shore through the pedestrian street (this is not very convenient), or go to it from the main road through the hotels Siam Beach Resort or Nature Beach Resort. Hotels do not prevent access to the beach, and even allow free parking on the site in front of the entrance.

  In general, summing up, in our opinion, Loneli Beach as a beach is a great place, but as an area for choosing a hotel, the place is so–so. See also 📹 our video about Lonli Beach on Koh Chang is here...

  That's what's important to know about Loneli Beach! Despite the sand on the shore, there are stones under the water, be careful. They say that there is a rip current here, so be careful too. To get here from other areas, you will have to overcome a difficult serpentine road with very steep ascents and descents, be very careful on it at night and during the rain. Sometimes it can be very noisy here because of the bars working late into the night, so be careful about choosing a particular hotel or guest house, read reviews, otherwise you won't get enough sleep.

  

  

  

• Klong Son Beach

  

  Klong Son area and beach is the area closest to the main marina and the beach where you can stay for recreation (Klong Son beach on the map). It's only a few minutes drive here, and with light luggage you can even walk on foot. But to be honest, he reminded us of the "tourist reservation" in terms of its structure and atmosphere. This does not mean anything bad at all, it's just that such a holiday is not suitable for everyone. For example, it definitely won't work for us. In our opinion, young people, active travelers and even families with children will not have much fun here. But if you are purposefully looking for a place where you can just sit on the hotel balcony all day long and watch the sea, chat with other vacationers by the pool with a glass of wine or play golf, then this place is definitely yours. Hotels here are mostly expensive and from their own territories, there is no budget accommodation for travelers with backpacks at all. At the same time, although the village of Khlong Son or Ban Khlong Son is a fairly developed place by the standards of Koh Chang, but all the hotels are away from this real street life, as if in their own separate world. This is what we call a "tourist reservation".

  On the main street in the center of Klong Son village there are several cafes, 7-eleven and Big-C supermarkets, a large network gas station, motorcycle and car rental. But there is no "tourist hangout" here, since this center is located at a respectful distance from hotels and the beach, almost 2 kilometers. In other words, if you relax in this area, then you can walk here or take a rented transport from the hotel and eat at one of the local cafes, but in general this is not a place for evening walks, and you will have to spend most of your rest time at the hotel or on the beach.

  Klong Son Beach, or rather, several hotel beaches, are located in a bay well protected from waves and wind. There is sand on the shore, and under the water the feature that distinguishes this beach from most others on Chang is that there are a lot of small shells and coral fragments on the bottom. But in principle, this does not create much discomfort, you can swim safely.

  But what really upset us here is the large number of "sand flies". These are bloodsuckers like our midges or midges, from which there is no escape. They bite painfully, then the bite site itches and blisters appear. Of course, we perfectly understand and know that these "sand flies" can appear on any beach and are not permanent, but on all the beaches of Koh Chang we met them right here. And yet, the water here seemed a little cooler than in other places.

  Otherwise, the beach is cool, very deserted, ideal for romantic walks along the coast (if not for the flies). And yet, there are very beautiful sunsets.

  See 📹 our video about Klong Son is here...

  

  

  

  

  

• Bailan beach (Bailan beach)

  

  Bailan Beach is located after Loneli Beach (Bailan beach on the map), and this is another secluded beach and area, while very quiet compared to Loneli, where night bars can interfere with sleeping. The area is very compact, and most of it is occupied by the territory of two large expensive resorts. But there are also not very expensive hotels and bungalows on the shore. There are several cafes and shops in the area, motorcycle rental, a couple of travel agencies selling tours and transfers. In general, this place is quite suitable for a relaxing family and secluded holiday, when you don't need anything except a cozy hotel and the beach, and there's nowhere to even walk. Scheduled minibuses do not always get here, so in order to go from here to civilization during your vacation, you will have to constantly order minibuses as a taxi through the hotel reception or by phone, or rent a transport.

  And now about the beach itself. Strictly speaking, there are two beaches here, both belong to the Koh Chang Bailan Beach Resort (right) and the Mercure Koh Chang Hideaway (left) hotels, and you can easily pass through their territory to them, even if you have not settled in the hotel or even in the area. There is an unsuitable rocky area between these two beaches.

  The beach at Koh Chang Bailan Beach Resort, the one on the right, we didn't really like. And as it seems, few people will like it at all. There is sand under the water here, but at high tide there is no place left on the shore at all, the water comes right up to the concrete reinforcement of the shore. There are a lot of stones under the water at the entrance, sand is further away. Yes, everything is beautiful and clean here, it's nice to relax on the beach equipped by the hotel, but swimming is not very convenient and comfortable.

  The beach of the Mercure Koh Chang Hideaway Hotel, the one on the left, is already better. Here on the shore there is sand even at high tide, a lot of shade under palm trees, a good slope of the bottom. But there is no entertainment and fun on the shore, just a relaxing beach holiday.

  In general, it's better 📹 watch our video about Bailan Beach on Koh Chang and you will see everything as it is.

  

  

  

  

  

• Bang Bao Beach and Village

  

  Bang Bao is a large fishing village in the south of Koh Chang, one might say, an island of civilization in this part of the island (Bang Bao on the map). It is, first of all, known among tourists as a place with a concentration of restaurants of the freshest seafood, as well as the fact that there is a pier of excursion boats on nearby islets and regular ferries to the islands of Koh Mak and Koh Kood. There is a supermarket chain in the center of the village, there is a large tourist market. However, with all this, to call Bang Bao a tourist area somehow does not turn the tongue, after all, it is more just a local village. However, there are several hotels, bungalows for rent, there is a campsite and even a beach.

  There are even two beaches in Bang Tao: one is stone, and suitable for snorkeling, and the other is sandy. Both beaches are located on a narrow cape on its opposite shores and only 50 meters from each other. We have been here and have not found a single reason that would make us stay in a hotel. However, it is worth admitting that the place is very beautiful, especially the stone beach, and very close to nature.

  

  

  

  

• Tranquillity Beach (Tranquility Bay Beach)

  

  Tranquillity is the beach of the Tranquility Bay Residence Hotel. It is located in the south of Koh Chang near the village of Bang Bao (Tranquility beach on the map), and this is a rather remote and isolated place, the tourist infrastructure here is poorly developed, not counting the village center.

  This is the only beach that we didn't manage to get to on Koh Chang, we only managed to look at it from the side. The main entrance to it through the hotel is prohibited, there is a sign "private property, passage is prohibited", including duplicated and specially in Russian. It didn't work through other paths and trails along the edges either, everything is blocked by fences and yards. But if you managed to get through it, share it in the comments or in the chat. In appearance from the side, the beach is very good, although it can be seen that it is shallow, so it may not be suitable for swimming at low tide.

• Klong Kloi Beach

  

  Klong Kloi is another place on Chang where you can stay in your bungalow on the shore. This is the farthest developed beach on the eastern shore, it is 25 kilometers or almost an hour's drive from the main pier (Klong Kloi Beach on the map). You can get here only by rented transport or if you hire a route as a taxi, but it will cost from 1000 baht. There is a normal asphalt leading to the district itself, but it will not be possible to drive into the village by car, since a narrow bridge leads there only for pedestrians or motorbikes. There is also a dirt road to detour through the forest, but it's still easier to park the car on the side of the road near the bridge, and then walk to the beach on foot.

  In general, it is possible to call this beach a full-fledged tourist area only with a big stretch. This is rather a traditional village, which somehow reminded us of the places that hippies used to love to populate, and now lovers of yoga and all kinds of spiritual and physical practices stop. In general, it's a pretty atmospheric place where you can make unusual acquaintances and chat with fancy tourists, and it's quite nice to relax even with your family.

  There are no shops, travel agencies, markets, currency exchanges and the like, there is not even a normal road, just a narrow dirt road through the whole village. But there are several very affordable hotels and many private bungalows that can be rented. There are even "star" bungalow hotels.

  Surprisingly, there is a full range of services on the beach. There are sun beds and umbrellas, kayaks and sap boards are rented, there are many cafes and restaurants. In general, quite a beautiful and romantic place, if only you are satisfied with its location and remoteness from the main tourist areas and "civilization".

  

  

• Sai Noi Beach (Haad Sai Noi)

  

  If you want to live in a bungalow by the sea on a small cozy beach with almost no neighbors, then the place is better than Sai Noi beach to look for. It is located further behind Bang Bao village and in front of the more crowded Klong Kloi beach (Sai Noi Beach on the map), it is 25 kilometers or almost an hour's drive from the main pier. You can get here only by rented transport or if you hire a route as a taxi, but it will cost 1000 baht.

  There is no tourist area as such, but there is a more developed Klong Kloi within walking distance, and one and a half kilometers from the center of Bang Bano village, where there is a tourist market, cafes and seafood restaurants, 7-eleven. This beach has left us with two impressions: on the one hand, it is very pleasant and cozy, and on the other hand, the wilderness is deaf.

• Salak Kok Bay

  

  Salak Kok Bay is located on the east coast of the island (Salak Kok bay beach on the map), and on some maps and in guidebooks it is marked as a "wonderful" beach. But this is all far from reality, and although there is a shore here, in fact you are unlikely to swim here. And there is no tourist area as such, there is nowhere to settle. Sala Kok is interesting only because there is a number of fish shops here, where tourists like to come for dinner.

• Long Beach Beach (Long Beach)

  

  Long Beach is a place for real "Robinsons" to relax, located in the middle of nowhere on the east coast (Long Beach beaches on the map), then there is only a wild beach with the conditional name Marine Memorial, which is described below. This beach belongs to the Tree house hotel "Long Beach", there is a cafe here, but if we talk about the area and the surrounding area, then it is an absolute wilderness in terms of infrastructure. There is nothing at all, and the nearest settlement and at least some kind of civilization in the form of a store is only in the village of Salak Phet, 15 kilometers from here. So if you are suddenly brought to this hotel for a rest by misfortune, then there is nothing to do here at all without rented transport.

  The beach here, despite such a grandiloquent name of Long Beach, is by no means "long", and indeed so-so. During the tides it is very narrow, there is practically no place to stay on the shore, and a lot of garbage is washed up by the waves. It seems to be possible to swim, but we have no desire to get into this mud. They say that when the hotel was working (now it is temporarily closed), it was better here, the garbage was cleaned, but now we show it as it is. Take a look at 📹 our video is about Long Beach on Koh Chang, and you will understand everything for yourself.

  

  

• Marine Memorial Beach

  

  To be honest, this very far beach doesn't even have a name, but next to it is one of the conventional local attractions, the Marine Memorial monument, so it will designate this beach that way. Located in the extreme south of the eastern shore of Koh Chang, it is practically the southernmost point of the island (Marine Memorial beach on the map). A normal asphalt road leads here, however, the last few kilometers passes through steep ascents and descents, serpentines. Move carefully and slowly here, otherwise you can fly into oncoming traffic at the top of the climb, because the road is very narrow. You will have to get here by rented transport, there is no other way. In general, if you have nothing to do, you are drawn to adventure, and a motorcycle is sideways under the , then why not take a ride here. Of course, you can also hire a minibus-taxi, but this beach is not worth such a long and expensive trip.

  Let's just say that the beach is not suitable for everyone, but only for those who really want to retire, and at the same time are ready to sacrifice beauty and cleanliness. After all, the popular beaches in tourist areas beyond the west coast are much cleaner and better. And the privacy here is also a relative thing: we spent about an hour here, and during that time a dozen cars and motorbikes came here just to see what was on the shore, and some stayed to rest.

  The Marine Memorial beach itself is located in a small bay, its width is 70 meters. The water here is very warm, there is a shade. But there is a lot of natural garbage and what tourists leave-piglets. We also met biting "sand flies" here, and there were monkeys nearby in the forest. If you haven't met monkeys on the beaches, then know that they can attack and steal things, so it's better not to leave anything unattended while you swim, and hide valuables in the trunk of a motorcycle / car and fasten backpacks to trees.

  See 📹 our video about Marine Memorial beach is here...

  

• Wai Chek Beach

  

  Wai Chek is an "ultra–wild" place, a paradise for lovers of nudist recreation and camping. This is generally the most inaccessible beach in Koh Chang among those that can be reached by land (Wai Chek on the map). By the way, judging by the map and the barrier on the road, the beach is located on the territory of the Ko Chang National Park, the entrance to which is paid, but there is no toll collection point.

  You need to go here along the east coast to the village of Salak Phet on asphalt, and in it turn into the dead forest road, after which you will have to drive about 4 kilometers more (Wai Chek rotation on the map). There is no road here from Ban Bao village. The road through the forest is very bad, it is better not to go into the rain, as the soil is very clayey, you will slide like on ice. Moreover, just before the beach you will have to wade through the river, but sometimes it is too full-flowing, and then you will have to leave the transport and walk to the beach. It's definitely not worth getting into an ordinary car here, only an SUV. It's easier with motorbikes, you can even drive on a regular Honda Click type machine, but it's better to take 135 or 150 rather than 125. Another option to get here is to take a rented kayak from Klong Kloi Beach, which is about 30 minutes one way. Kayaks are rented there for 500 baht/day.

  And now about the beach itself. It is beautiful here, natural, located in the bay. Vacationers are extremely rare here, but sometimes locals come and arrange picnics and even put up tents. And sometimes groups of tourists are brought on excursion boats to walk along the beach and take selfies, but they quickly sail away further. The entrance to the water here is not shallow, there are corals and sharp stones at the bottom. Unfortunately, after storms, there is a lot of garbage on the shore, which then lies for months until the sea takes it back.

Koh Chang hotels: how and where to book

There are a lot of options for tourist accommodation on Koh Chang, you can easily find budget options from 400 baht/day (12.25 USD) for two people without air conditioning, and up to several thousand baht for a luxury room or bungalow in a hotel with its own territory. In general, there is a feature of hotels: there are no high-rise hotels at all, mostly these are 2-3 floors or even individual bungalows located on the territory. Private housing is also available for rent, you can rent a whole house or villa for the whole family or a large company.

During the high tourist season, which takes place on the island from November to February, we recommend booking hotels several weeks or months in advance. At this time, hotels are raising prices, demand is increasing. But this applies only to expensive comfortable hotels in popular tourist areas and with high ratings. If you are not very picky about the quality of hotels and rooms, and are ready to stay in any budget guest house, if only there was a place to spend the night, then you can easily book it before the trip even in a day or two, or even come and find it on the spot.

If you have mastered the huge review above, then you have probably already decided for yourself where you will rest on Koh Chang. It remains only to find out where you can book a hotel or accommodation on the island now. Until sanctions were imposed against Russian banks, this issue was easily resolved on the websites of Booking, Agoda and other international sites. Now they are not available for most Russian travelers, but there are still excellent alternatives where you can book and pay for a hotel or accommodation with a ruble card:

• 🛌 Search hotels in Koh Chang on Trip.com
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Koh Chang on Yandex.travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels on Ostrovok.ru