With its chain of white sandy coves and beaches, pristine rain forests and abundance of wildlife and marine life, coral reefs, high mountain peaks, several scenic waterfalls, a rich variety of cuisine and great nightlife, Ko Chang is one of Thailand's most sought-after holiday destinations.

Accommodation on the island ranges from simple beach huts and bungalows to luxury villas, suites and apartments. If you drive, you can hire motorbikes, jeeps and cars to take you to any of the beaches along the coastal roads and, in the evening, there are plenty of restaurants, live music bars and nightclubs to choose from to spice up your holiday.

Recently, with the surge of the island's development and popularity, it has been elevated to Thailand's new tourist haven. It has an airport near Trat, just 15 minutes from the ferry terminal. Bangkok Airways run four daily services from Bangkok. Also the island offers fast internet access via many of the island's internet cafés.

Geography

Most accommodation is located on the western side of the island, where the sandy beaches are. Koh Chang is has some very steep mountains and so much of the island is unexplored and covered in thick jungle. On the eastern side of the island there are no sandy beaches but it remains unexplored by many tourists with very few resorts and hotels. This remains the favourite side of the island for locals who need some peace.

Getting to Koh Chang

By plane

Bangkok Airways flies four times a day in high season from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport (the "new" BKK) to Trat and the flight takes about 45 minutes.

Direct door-to-door minibus transfers are available from Trat airport to Koh Chang at a reasonable price which include the ferry charge. Very advisable if you have had along flight or you have been traveling for along time. You will not be able to find any taxi's outside of the airport so this maybe your only option unless you have a friend coming to pick you up.

By bus

From Bangkok the easiest, most direct, and most economical way to get to the Koh Chang ferry piers, is to take a 1st class bus from the Eastern (Ekamai) Bus Terminal direct to the Centrepoint or Ao Thammachat pier. The fare is around 250 baht and takes just over five hours. Departures from Ekamai are at 07:45 & 09:45, and return at 14:00 and 16:00. VIP buses are also available from Khao San road and can booked through one of the many travel agents there.

Ferry to Koh Chang

The Centrepoint pier is located about 3.5 km north-west of Laem Ngop a return is just 100 baht and vechiles go free but the ferries only go every hour and are very slow.

The Thammachat Bay (Ao Thammachat) ferry, around 15 km west of Laem Ngop is the fastest ferry to Koh Chang and operates every 40 minutes.

Getting around

In the daytime, you can catch a Songthaew (taxi) on its route around the main road. There are taxis available at the pier, however they will try and charge you to rent the whole Taxi for 600 baht if there are not enough people to fill it. The alternative is to wait a long time until they decide it is full enough. There are many taxi's driving around the island in the day time and the fares are normally fixed between 50baht upwards. They are easy to flag down. If you have booked already with Scuba Zone, just drop us a line when you are on the way and we will pick you up from the ferry when you arrive and we pick you up everyday you come diving or snorkeling.

Small motorcycles can be hired for 150-250B. There are many motorcycles for rent but choose the vendor wisely. Koh Chang is renowned for it's dangerous hilly roads so if you don't ride a motorcycle in your own country Koh Chang is not the place to learn!! Many tourists end up in hospital with the famous Koh Chang tattoo (road rash or even more serious injuries). Helmets are law although many locals and a lack of police make for casual disregard of this law. This can and does result in many tragic accidents. You have been warned. The main road almost circles the island and there are plans to complete the circuit in the near future.

Cars are also available for rental . Again there are lots of cars and pick ups available but make sure they have insurance and carry the documents everywhere you go. If you do have an accident with a local its 99% sure you will pay the bill to both parties whether you are in the right or the wrong. 4x4's are recommended especially in rainy season when the roads can be like ice rinks.

Shopping and Money

7-Eleven convenience stores can be found alongside the main western coastline road almost every 10 paces it would seem. There are different night markets that seem to spring up in different venues on the island though out the year. These are very good for all varieties of different food cooked and un-cooked, and there are plenty of clothes stalls as well.

Unlike 5 years ago there is now all of the main banks that open 08:00 til 15:00 and you also find some open till 19:00. There are money exchanges that are run by the banks for a fair exchange rate but remember your passport even if you are changing bank notes. ATM's are everywhere on Koh Chang so you will never be with out a pocket full of notes!

Dining

Similar to the rest of Thailand, including the prices. There are hundreds of restaurants and bars on Koh Chang open both daytime and evening. Here are some we recommend to go and eat and drink in all over the island.

Whitesands

The Rock is placed down the furthest place you can walk to on Whitesand beach and it's name lets you know what to expect. High up looking out over the sea and beach of Whitesand The Rock bar is a great place to drink Singha as the sun sets for another day. Its a bit of a walk but well worth it if you are looking for a chilled out bar. They also offer cheap basic rooms which are as close to the beach as you can get without getting sand in your shoes.

15 Palms is a modern western bar and restaurant serving a wide range of western and Thai dishes. They have a choice of western beers and alcoholic beverages which make a change from the Thai lagers and they are priced the same as home. Sit in the bean bags on the beach whilst sipping on your Magners watching the fun on the wonderful white sand.

Sangtawan is a Thai restaurant and bar also on the beach with a good range of Thai dishes. Seafood and traditional dishes are available all day and night at cheap prices. Always fresh and liked by Thai people alike.

MONKEYS is another modern western bar and restaurant place in the heart of Whitesand. A refreshing change from the small girly bars that the heart of Whitesands is known for it serves Heineken and Tiger on draft and has a massive selection of drinks for anybodies palate. The food is a mix of western bar snacks and main dishes that are very tasty and very well priced. They also have Thai dishes to make this a place to hang out and watch the world go by. You will find the Scuba Zone team here after a hard days work. The management are very friendly and the service is excellent.

Paddy's is the only Irish bar on the island. Western food is very good and of course the western food is also very tasty. If you fancy an Irish black and white then you are out of luck as it's now become too expensive to drink! You are lucky however if you fancy cider as they have a nice range.

Sannee's is a great western/thai food restaurant that opens nice and early for breakfast then remains open until about 22:00. The owners make you feel more than welcome and if you need any advice on where to go on Koh Chang then just ask Jay. He has lived on Koh Chang for many years so he is with it when it comes to places on Koh Chang. You will find the restaurant and bar on your way to ChiChet on the left hand side just after the old ATV space.

The Elephant and Castle is just above Sannee's but you will now find them on the left hand side as you go up the hill. John has now moved the bungalows and bar to a new setting on the hill over looking the sea. With a river and waterfall now as features!! The prices remain un-disclosed at the moment however if you are looking for a good price room close to Whitesands beach then this is just for you. Breakfast to Sunday roasts are cooked all of the time and the fridge of beer is done on a trust basis. You can feel at home everyday you stay at The Elephant and Castle.

As with anywhere in Thailand there are always plenty of Thai food stalls and motorbikes that zip about Whitesands beach area with a vast selection of cheap food. These are always fresh and you will never get an upset stomach as many people may think. Remember if there are lots of Thai people eating somewhere then you know its great food at a very cheap price.

As for Whitesands Koh Chang that is just a small list of my favourite places to eat and drink. Whitesands is always changing and many new restaurants and bars appear and disappear. Within the next couple of seasons this will be true more than ever!!!

Chi Chet and Klong Prao will be next on my hitlist when I have time to give you the lowdown on a few more of my favourite places to eat, drink and relax........