Koh Chang - Thailand Islands

Koh Chang Island
Koh Chang Island, which is also popular as Koh Chang National Marine Park is a rapidly emerging tourist destination of Thailand. Comprising most part of the Koh Chang island and several neighboring isles, the Park is a paradise for those who desire to get their mind rid of the chaos of modern life, and rejuvenate themselves. It is not for nothing that the Park has been termed 'the last paradise islands in South-East Asia'.

Synopsis
Country Thailand
Location 315 km north-east of Capital Bangkok; 8 km from the coast of Trat province
Accessibility Through ferry
Accommodation Easily available
Dining Wide variety; Specially resorts and cottages
Best time to visit November to February

Tour Attractions
Koh Chang, the largest island in the Marine Park, is extremely popular among the Thais, and gradually, it is climbing the popularity ladder in the international arena too. Tour attractions, which Koh Chang is loved for, are mentioned below.

The Beaches
Koh Chang is synonymous with beautiful white sandy beaches. All Ko Chang beaches have one or two specialities of their own. Klong Son beach is known for its luxurious resorts, villas pools and spas. White Sand Beach, located on the northern end of west coast, is acclaimed for various sport activities like football and valleball.

Beach Location Specialities Facilities
Klong Son Beach Northern end of island Scenic cape with sandy stretch and abundance of coconut trees Luxurious resorts, villas, pools and spa
White Sand Beach (Had Sai Khao) Northern end of west coast Most popular and most commercial beach
Various sport activities, such as football, volleyball and frisbee games Beach brims with bungalows and resorts
Numerous bars, pubs, restaurants and shops
Klong Prao Beach Near Laim Chaichet beach Coconut-fringed beach; northern end has beautiful rocky landscape Plenty of cottages and resorts
Kai Bae Beach On West Coast Watching spectacular sunset Several resorts Kai Bae village has small shops, supermarkets, restaurants and cyber cafes
Tha Nam Beach South of Kai Bae Back-packers' haven
Than Mayom Beach On eastern side; Near Than Mayom Waterfall  Nice for catching sunrise

Waterfalls
Mountainous terrain of Koh Chang creates some impressive waterfalls.

Waterfall Location Speciality
Than Mayom Near Than Mayom pier Series of 3 falls
Klong Plu Close to Kai Bae Beach 3-level Fall Swimming and camping allowed
Klong Nonsi On northern end Small-sized waterfall with several cascades
Klong Nueng Near fishing village of Salakphet Water rushing down the ravine a rewarding sight
Kiripet Near Salakphet Seven-level Fall
Swimming in pond allowed

Exploring Marine Life
Marine life is particularly visible in the eastern side of the island. Another nice place to enjoy it is around the wrecks of the Thai warships 'Chonburi' and 'Songkhla' in Salakphet bay on the southern end of the island.

Activities-Sports
Activities and sports facilities available in Koh Chang are mentioned below:

Elephant Trekking: Roaming amidst rich vegetation and animals atop an elephant. Seems pleasant. Isn't it? Experience yourself.

Diving & Snorkelling: Best time for diving is between October/November and April. Best diving sites are on the southern and western tips of the island. Two wreck dive sites, where the wreckage of sunken ships lies in the depth of the sea, are also on the island.

Canoes and Kayaking: Paddling canoes is the best way to relish the beauty of the coastlines. Canoes can be availed along the beaches.
Boating: Leisure boating trips can be arranged on the beaches. One can use the boats for sightseeing or journeying to various sites for scuba diving, snorkelling and fishing.

Spa: Koh Chang is one of the best places in Thailand for spa massages. Wealth of spas exists on the island to pamper one after a day of beach activities.

trip tour beach (Tourist Attractions)

Khao Phing Kan
It is the famous symbol of Ao Phang-nga National Park. It looks like two mountains plit into two parts leaning against each other. The leaning part is surpisingly smooth as if it is divided by a razor blade. such amazing geature is developed from the elevation of the Earth]s crust. There is also a small beach up front.

Khao Tapu
  It is the sympol of Ao Phang-nga. It is a small island noticeably setting in the sea. It is formed by the seawater erosion exhibiting the taper  if the lower part.

Tham Lot
   The seawater erosion is the main process to generate Tham Lot. The feature is like a large cave with 20 metres wide and 70 metres long. There are some attractive stalactites in the cave. It takes about 30 minutes by boat from Ko Panyi.

Ko Lawa Yai
   It is situated to the south of the national park. It takes about 2 hours by a long-tail boat from the headquarters. There exist some nice beaches along the east of the island. The appealing snorkelling sites can be found around the island.  The west sea contains some Sea Weed's sources. Sometimes the dolphin and Dugong can be observed in the bay. In addition, there is nature trail of one kilometre long.

Nature Trail at Hat Mai Ngam.

Nature Trail at Hat Mai Ngam.

     The nature trail is about 2 kilometers long. It takes more than one hour to survey. The trip starts from the headquarters. The first destination is Hat Tawan Tok Din which is the sunset viewpoint. Getting into the jungle, the trail is rather narrow. There are many information stations on the way as follows:

  The first station, Ao chong Khat, is a channel between Ko surin Nuea and Ko Surin Tai. It comprises some corals scattering around. The tourists can drive around here. The comprises  some corals scattering around. The tourists can drive  around here. The beautiful fishes usually found here are Clown Anemone fish, Parrotfish, and Lionfish. At low tide, the tourists can walk to the opposite beach. The second station is Ton Krang (Ficus altissima) or Sai Thong. Its trunk ranges from medium to big size and the leaf is a wide oval shape. Its rot can penetrate through the rock cracks and easily kinds of animals, for example, Lesser Mouse Deer, Common flying fox, and birds. It is also served as a shelter for some insect’s larvae.

    If the tourists walk silently, they may notice some birds along the way. The third station is Submerged Coastline. The information given is that the coastline of Mu Ko Surin is occurred from the sunk Earth’s crust. It then comprises the steep cliff and lacks of plains along  the coast. If the original topography is mountainous, the summits will turn to be some islands when it is sunk. From this station, the tourists can see Ko Pachumba of Ko Mangkon which is named after the plenty of Painted Spiny Lobsters found there. The fourth station is Beach Forest. It features an elevated coastline with large sandy area. The plants are impacted from the saltiness and wind of the sea. The common plants are Hu Kwang (Terminalia catappa), Chik Thale (Barringtonia asiatica), Rak Thale . Phak Bung Thale can also be used to relieve burning pains from the Jellyfish.