Chang Park Resort and Spa on Thailand's Koh Chang Island

In October 2004, I went to meet my future wife in Thailand. We had been chatting and phoning each other for 5 months. I was going to spend 2 weeks in Thailand with Ning . She was a school teacher at that time and was on one of her breaks so she did not have to work. Ning made reservations for us during my second week in Thailand to go to Koh Chang Island and stay at Chang Park Resort and Spa.

We got up around 4 AM in the morning and took a taxi to the place in Bangkok were we where to get our ride down to Chang Park Resort and Spa. It is about 200 miles South of Bangkok and takes about 5 hours to get there.

Ning bought a 2 night and 3 day package for use with us staying in one of their small bungalows. It was a little bigger than and average hotel room. It had 2 bed mattress right on the floor with a mosquito net above them. But we did not have any mosquito problem so it was not used. The rest of the room and bath was clean and in good working order.

The resort it self was very clean and well kept. The food was excellent and they served Thai and American. Our meals were included and you had plenty of time when you had to go and eat. The food portions were very large and you always left feeling satisfied.

With our package we went out for a half day snorkeling. We went out from the main Island of Koh Chang to one of the many smaller unpopulated Islands close by. The water was very clear and we could see all kinds of different fish coming around. We bought some bread and took it out with us and we got to feed a lot of fish. You really had to watch your fingers or the fish would get them too!

We also got to go out at night and fish for squid. That was very interesting. There were 8 of us plus the crew. We got out on our boat and the crew setup florescent lights to shine on the water beside the boat. That would bring in the squid. We used a line right off of a reel and dropped over the lure. All the lure was a pencil sized weight about 3 inches long with and eye on one end to tie to and a row of 12 hooks with no barbs on the other end. You had to move your lure up and down to attract the squid and feel for when one was going for it. Once we felt a tug you would pull it straight up and pull your catch in the boat. I caught 5 squid on our trip out. It was a lot of fun.

Included in our pack was a 2 hour Thai massage for each of us. Thai massage is much more rigorous than other forms of massage. It uses joint mobilization, muscle compression and acupressure. The therapist uses his or her feet, hands, knees and legs to move and stretch you in like yoga poses. Needless to say I found it to be very different from anything else I have ever had done to me before as far as massage goes. I only did one hour of it. But I will say it was very relaxing after it was done.

The rest of our time spent at the resort was used to go swimming and just relaxing around. We did go out of the resort to go see one the water falls on Koh Chang. Even today the most people that go to Koh Chang are Thais. This is one of the few places not known about by all the tourist that go to Thailand. Koh Chang Island is also one of the last places in Thailand that you can see undisturbed jungle. If you would like to see more on Thailand, you can go to http://www.my-thaiwife.com