The archipelago of Koh Chang lies in the Gulf of Thailand, near the Cambodian border, a little over 300 km from Bangkok.
The main island is one of the largest in the country, of a size that makes using a car for transportation quite appropriate. There are numerous resorts where you can spend your holiday, many of them on the shoreline.
The beaches have crystal clear waters and are generally less crowded than other more famous beaches.
How to get
Standard buses and air-conditioned buses from Bangkok to Trat depart from Eastern Bangkok Bus Terminal (Ekamai) on Sukhumvit Road and also leave from Northern and Northeastern Bus Terminal (Mochit 2) every day.
Travel takes 5 hours.
The ferries connecting the mainland with the island depart from several jetties near the town of Trat. During the peak season, there are sometimes queues to cross to the island as well as on the return trip to the coast.
It is a mountainous island that reaches 743 metres at its highest peak and has 9 towns along the coastline, although it is sometimes difficult to know where one ends and the other begins. The urbanest area is located on the western side of the island.
Given its size and distance from Bangkok, travelling by car is a good idea and gives you the freedom to travel around the perimeter of the island along the road that runs right along the coast – it is generally in a good state of repair.
Koh Chang’s economy depends primarily on tourism, although there are still some communities, fishing villages, who uphold a more traditional lifestyle. Like the neighbouring Koh Samet it is a popular destination amongst national tourists.
Since 1982 this archipelago is part of the Mu Koh Chang National Park.
Koh Chang caters for all kinds of holidaymakers. Families will find that most of the beaches have all the necessary services, whilst visitors looking for night-time entertainment venues will find some in almost all of the localities.
If what you really want is to get away from the busiest areas, then the eastern part of the island with less tourists is for you.
The island’s geographical relief makes it is suitable for mountain biking and hiking, as well as water sports, such as fishing, diving, snorkelling and kayaking.
The rainy season runs from June to October and the driest month is January.