Go to Beautiful Koh Chang, Thailand Before It's Too Late!

Koh Chang is slice of heaven that is disappearing fast. Do yourself a favor and see it before it is overrun.

But what or where is Koh Chang? Koh Chang is the second largest Thai island. It is located in the Gulf of Thailand, in the eastern region of the country, near Cambodia. Koh Chang in Thai means - Elephant (Chang) Island (Koh).

Koh Chang - pronounced "Gaa Chaang" - is part of the Kingdom of Thailand, so it has all the goodness that is Siam. Thailand is a must see itself. The legends are true; there is no need for me to sell Thailand because it sells itself. So what makes Koh Chang better than the rest of the Thai islands? Simply put, it is much less crowded, more authentically Thai, and cheaper. These advantages are true now but are quickly changing. Koh Chang is exploding as a tourist destination. I visited there in the fall of 2004 and it was growing rapidly then. From everything that I have gathered since, it is still on an exponential growth spurt.

Obviously, the beaches are awesome. White sand Beaches with crystal blue water. In Southeast Asia, there is the idea that beaches on the Gulf of Thailand are inferior to those on the Indian Ocean side. While beaches that are on gulfs are generally inferior to those that touch the open ocean, I would make an exception for Koh Chang. I would put Koh Chang against Phucket, Koh Pi Pi, etc.

The restaurants and bars are good there. Most of the food is obviously going to be Thai but Western dishes can be found on the island. I was even able to find an Indian restaurant. The island has a party atmosphere, but it also very laid back. The hotels throughout the island have a bungalow style, and they give you the feeling that you are in old Thailand.

While I was there, I visited a floating market. This market sits on a dock and the shops sit in boats or on flotillas. The prices were not too bad for an island. I am sure that is changing. The Europeans have no doubt found out about the place and are in the process of invading. Sorry to all you Europeans out there, but the strength of the Euro and the Pound follows you wherever you go and thus drives up prices (like what has happened to the islands on the Indian Ocean side).

If there was any "downer" to Koh Chang it would have to be the transportation. There are few taxis (scooter or truck) and a mountain separates one side of the island from the other. Getting around this island was a problem when I was there and I hope that problem has gotten better in recent years. Getting to and from the island is no problem though. There is a ferry on the mainland that makes regular trips to the island.

With all the positives that I have mentioned about Koh Chang, you also get the friendliness that all of Thailand is known for. I only exposed this bit of heaven because it is soon to be overrun anyway. Check it out before it disappears.