Koh Chang is the largest of the 52-island Marine National Park, all of which are untouched by modernization with their natural resources kept intact. Thus, qualifying the park as a dream escape, a true hideaway, far from the bustling city-life. But in fact, Koh Chang is only 330 kilometers east of Bangkok or approximately 4 hours by road plus another 30 to 45 minutes by boat or ferry.

It is surprising even to the Thais that Koh Chang is actually the second largest island in the whole of Thailand, behind Phuket. Despite its size and close proximity to the capital, Koh Chang is least known, undeveloped, untouched, forgotten, and left idle for decades. No doubt, all these are a blessing in disguise.

Koh Chang Marine National Park is a secret retreat yet to be explored. Nearly 75% of the Marine Park is protected by law, under the jurisdiction of the Forestry Department of Thailand. This explains how it remains a virtual virgin wonderland shielded from devastating and vigorous developments. Hence, the lack of infrastructure and population.There are few thoughts of modernization.

The locals as well as their regular patrons are pleased the way it is. So, slow and gentle, tranquil and romantic, Koh Chang Marine National Park continues at its own pace, and still, a paradise for those who appreciate nature at its basics more than the sophisticated luxury of modernity.

The coastlines of the Koh Chang Marine National Park is a spectacular work of nature’s art and there are beautiful beaches, coves and bays around the islands. Koh Chang Marine National Park is indeed a wonderland of fertile virgin rainforests, untrekked jungles, high peaks, breathtaking waterfalls, beautiful beaches, spectacular coastlines, colourful coral reefs, clear blue sea of warm waters, idyllic islands, fascinating wildlife and an abundance of healthy marine life. All waiting to be discovered.

Realising the rich tourism resources and the economic potential of the Koh Chang Marine National Park, plans are being carefully mapped out to open up more doors and windows to welcome environmentally-conscious visitors who can appreciate this forgotten paradise of leisure islands. Koh Chang Marine National Park is set to be the new holiday destination within an old natural Marine National Park. Soon it will be a secret no more.

Be the first to discover the secret wonders of Koh Chang Marine National Park.

The Beach of Koh Chang
Koh Chang (Ko Chang) offers activities for beach lovers and mountain trekkers alike. Its pristine white sand beaches are perfect for swimming, sun-bathing, or snorkelling in clear blue waters. Watching the beautiful sunset after a day filled with satisfying activities remains one of the favourite pastimes. Land activities, from elephant trekking to hiking through the mountains and rainforest with several waterfalls, form a great complement to the beach activities.

The biggest of the chain of 52 islands in the Gulf of Thailand and falling under the administration of Trat province, Koh Chang (Ko Chang) hosts more than 400,000 visitors annually, a quarter of them from Sweden, Japan, South Korea, Australia, Germany, Britain and Hong Kong. Word has gotten out on Koh Chang's charms and the number of visitors has increased dramatically over the years. The west coast, blessed with better beaches and clearer sea water, has most of the accommodation. The major beaches on the west side of the island include Klong Son, Hat Sai Khao (White Sand), Klong Prao, Kai Bae, Bai Lan, Tha Nam (Lonely Beach) and Bang Bao. The east coast remains as it once did years ago, while the west coast has developed rapidly.


Klong Son Beach
On the northern end of the island, Klong Son Beach (Half Moon) is the first beach that greets you after disembarking at the ferry pier. It has a scenic cape with a stretch of sand and plenty of coconut trees. The first hotel you'll see as you enter the beach area is the Koh Chang Grand Orchid Resort & Spa. Its modern and comfortable rooms feature sophisticated and traditional architecture in a lush and natural setting. The luxurious Aiyapura Resort & Spa perches on a hillside overlooking the sea. This is the most popular resort in terms of privacy, posh pool, villas and spa. The two islets of Koh Chang Noi and Koh Ma Pring opposite the Aiyapura can be delightful sights. Fishermen use the bay as a port since the area protects against strong winds. If you are planning to settle down for good in Koh Chang or simply to own a villa of your dreams, visit Siam Royal View where the professional staff and draftsmen can help build your Thai style dream abode.


WHITE SAND BEACH (Had Sai Khao)
White Sand Beach (Had Sai Khao), the most popular and most commercial, features a long strip of powdery sand and slopes gently into the sea. Casuarinas and palm trees line the beach while forested hills lurk in the background. During low tide, the beachfront becomes much wider and consequently attracts lots of beachgoers. The northern end is sandy and quiet, while the southern end has plenty of stones. Be cautious when swimming since the currents can be strong and there are no lifeguards on duty.

White Sand Beach is the hub of many activities, where people like to take a stroll while watching the sunset. Various sport activities, such as football, volleyball and Frisbee games, regularly take place along the beach.

The busiest area of Koh Chang, White Sand Beach brims with bungalows and resorts which offer various amenities, combining tranquility and comfort for tourists. A wide variety of accommodation on White Sand Beach ranges from the basic thatched-roof huts to the upmarket units with air-conditioning, hot water and TV. Conveniences are not far away, as the main road features numerous shops, bars, pubs and restaurants. One of the charming restaurants is in the Ban Thai Resort, where you can watch the sunset as you dine right on the beach. Tour operators, vehicle rentals, minimarts, a police kiosk, foreign exchange counters, ATMs and a shopping plaza are also close. However, the road is not near enough to the accommodations so the beach is still peaceful in places like Koh Chang Lagoon Resort, despite the many businesses. There is a meeting room that can accommodate 200 persons. The resort has family rooms for 4-9 persons. In the evening, you can enjoy your dinner on the beach with food served by the resort.

One of the most popular places is the Sabay Resort, a small and simple yet modern outlet right on the beach. However, the magnet is not the resort but rather its bar. Sabay Bar is air-conditioned and entertains guests nightly with live music. On special occasions, such as full moon nights and festivities, the live band plays outdoor to the delights of the crowds. The beachfront of the Sabay Resort is also well known for its nightly shows of jugglers playing with fire. Holiday-makers simply sip their cocktails, gaze around and enjoy the excitements.

The Alina Resort is positioned on a prime location on White Sand Beach, making commercial establishments easily accessible from the resort. If you want to combine your vacation with shopping on the island, the resort is definitely the choice to stay. Its rooms can accommodate 2 to 4 persons. The resort provides options for the guest to have rooms either on the beachside or on the road across. Another resort of the same management is Alina Grande Hotel. Although it is located on the roadside, the beach is across - only a walk away. The Baan San Sabay Resort, which offers clean and lovely bungalows, is recommended for those who love tranquility and privacy. The resort is some 5 minutes drive from White Sand Beach. Many of the commercial banks offer mobile currency exchanges, which are scattered around the island. The Plaloma Cliff Resort, which sits on a lush tropical setting, offers a romantic ambience as the property extends beyond the beach to include the nearby cliff. It recently opened more rooms which are in close proximity to the swimming pool, allowing guests to take a dip just right outside their doorsteps.

Located on the northern end of the beach is the White Sand Beach Resort wherein some rooms are less than 10 steps from the beach. Most of the rooms are attached with bathrooms and offer a good view of the sea. A long stretch of peaceful beach in front of this resort is 680 metres long. Descending from the hill as you reach the White Sand Beach is the KC Grande Resort, which has a new swimming pool and a nice seafood barbecue restaurant overlooking the beach. It has recently undergone renovations. All villas at the resort have private balconies to sit back, relax and savour the picturesque view of the sea. Though the huts line along the beach, guests do not feel disturbed by the outside world. Another hotel that has recently opened is the Chang Buri Resort & Spa, which features luxury poolside villas with private sunbathing areas and modern amenities such as a Jacuzzi with plasma TV and wireless internet in rooms. While it has swimming areas that surround the entire compound, the Chang Buri Resort & Spa has maintained its natural setting by keeping the original trees on its property. There are also rooms vast enough for families. The last resort on the boundary of White Sand Beach and Had Kai Mook is Remark Cottage. The cottages are built with natural materials wherein it blends harmoniously with the secluded environment. The resort is outstanding for its traditional Thai spa and massage by well-trained staff.


Had Kai Mook
Had Kai Mook is a pebbled beach where the Koh Chang Privilege Resort & Restaurant is located. The Koh Chang Privilege Resort offers beautiful cottages, each equipped with an air-conditioning system, TV, fridge and shower room with hot water. It is in a tropical garden setting and you can enjoy the sight of giant clams on the beach.


Laem Chaichet
Laem Chaichet, which sits between White Sand and Klong Prao beaches, serves as an ideal spot for onshore fishing and sunset watching. The area is a small cape with a rocky curve that rounds into a secluded bay, thus very peaceful. Only a handful of bungalows exist on this stretch of land, making the beach less crowded than other beaches. The fishing pier near Laem (cape) Chaichet also serves as a perfect viewpoint for the entire Klong Prao Bay. Villagers can be seen collecting tiny shrimps, which are the crucial ingredient for the famous Koh Chang (Ko Chang) shrimp paste.


KLONG PRAO BEACH (Had Khlong Prao)
Klong Prao Beach starts where the gently-curved Laem Chaichet ends. Coconut trees line the beach and the northern end has a beautiful rocky landscape. Resort development has grown rapidly, although the beach itself does not get too crowded. The newest accommodation in this area is the Kerdmanee Resort. Its bungalows are spacious with air-conditioning system, cable TV and fridge. Its hillside location provides the best bay view of Klong Prao Beach and Laem Chaichet. It is around 400-500 metres from Klong Prao Beach. Enjoy the cool breeze of the ocean and panoramic views of sunset at the Barali Beach Resort & Spa. Be attracted by the blue marine waters and the beautiful backdrop of deep green mountains. This luxury resort is in perfect harmony with nature, wherein the rooms are built as contemporary Asian-style villas. A place where VIP guests will surely find themselves at home with the resort's facilities and activities. The Coconut Beach Resort has a variety of units including simple wooden huts raised from the sandy beach by stilts at the seafront, and air-conditioned bungalows with a refrigerator and a TV in each unit. The Thai-style VIP rooms by the new beachside swimming pool have been open. The upmarket Koh Chang Resort & Spa provides packages for three days and two nights including meals and round-trip transfer from Bangkok. The bungalows have air-con, hot water, and satellite TV. It is only a few steps from the beach. The Ramayana Koh Chang Resort & Spa has 64 luxurious rooms, suites and family suites--each with private patio with extra large/spacious individual lazy chair as well as a Pha-U-Ma's garden view. All rooms are spacious with contemporary Asian collections and traditional Thai decorations. The decorations incorporate natural materials complimented by traditional motifs. The resort provides transfer service to its private beach.

The Panviman Koh Chang Resort is a pleasant hideaway offering unique Asian architecture featuring three-tiered roof of reddish brown tiles. In addition to the swimming pool, there are Jacuzzi and sauna. The 50-villa resort has been successful in attracting European travellers who usually spend one to three weeks there. Rooms are lined with wooden floors and four-poster beds. Another spa is now located in the V.J. Hotel & Health Spa. Guests can enjoy the contemporary comforts offered by the hotel, including a swimming pool and restaurant on the spectacular Klong Prao Beach.

Within an area of 51 rais (17 acres) on a beachfront of 260 metres long, the Koh Chang Paradise Resort & Spa comprises 69 sea view and garden view bungalows. It is located along the white sandy beach where you can relax in an easy-going atmosphere--an ideal place to stay if you are looking for a holiday destination with a romantic escape. The Magic Resort on Klong Prao Beach has bungalows for up to four persons but larger ones can accommodate up to five. The pride of the Magic Resort is its beachfront restaurant built over the bay. Right next to it is the Chok Dee Resort, the place where your holiday is made simple with the resort's friendly and warm service. The rooms are either equipped with fan or air-conditioning, with units that can accommodate large groups of up to 20 persons. The restaurant serves the freshest seafood everyday with a reasonable price.


KAI BAE BEACH
Kai Bae Beach, the last major beach on the west coast, is another great location to watch the spectacular sunset. It has a sandy beach with many palm trees providing plenty of shade. Several islands are so close that you are tempted to wade through the water to reach them. At low tide, you can actually walk chest-deep to Koh Man Nai from the beach at the Sea View Resort & Spa Koh Chang. Also located on the beach is the Siam Bay Resort which has bungalows accommodating 2-5 persons and a swimming pool. During dry season, you have to walk about 100 metres to reach the water.

Once a sleepy area, Kai Bae has become developed with the emergence of upscale resorts. The Koh Chang Cliff Beach Resort, a 33-room resort offering a spectacular view of the Gulf of Thailand, is located in a lush tropical garden. There is also a secluded beach, which guarantees total privacy. The 33 Avenue plaza opposite the resort is dotted with restaurants and shops. It's under the same management as the Koh Chang Cliff Beach Resort. The Chang Park Resort & Spa has a well-landscaped garden with a pool by the seaside. The swimming pool is quite big beside the sandy beach. They offer hotel rooms, bungalows and houses for families which can accommodate 8-16 persons. The resort, whose owner also operates the Centre Point Ferry, regularly offers return ferry transfer for vehicles to its guests.

At Kai Bae Village, there are a few small shops, supermarkets, restaurants and internet cafes. Dive shops in front of the Kai Bae Hut provide rental services for boats, canoes, sea kayaks and diving gears to explore the sea and islands. Dive trips are also available during dry season.


Lonely Beach
Lonely Beach is a small stretch south of Kai Bae. Only 1 km long, Tha Nam Beach is popularly nicknamed in many tourist brochures as the Lonely Beach. Formerly a back-packer's haven, the beach used to be deserted. More visitors later descended on this small beach that features fine white sand on the northern end and stones on the southern end. The northern end is one of the best places to swim along the west coast, and is separated from Kai Bae by a forested hill.

If you are yearning for a perfect beach vacation, take time to visit the Siam Beach Resort. All of its deluxe rooms face the sea. The resort operator limits the number of room to avoid overcrowding. Compact as it is, the resort has a swimming pool and its beach bar becomes lively with entertainment by the beach at night. The beach in front of the resort is one of the most private and peaceful in the island. Bang Bao Beach


Bang Bao Beach
Bang Bao Beach on the southwestern tip is in a fishing community where residents still live in houses built on stilts and are connected by wooden bridges. It is a well-protected bay with a small and quiet beach. There are a growing number of tourist shops, scuba dive outlets and seafood restaurants, offering a good selection of seafood. New bungalows have sprouted amidst the grove of coconut trees. The Remark Pu-zi is a simple, natural, yet cozy, home for nature lovers. There are only 20 huts each with fan, bathroom and TV. The attraction is actually the setting itself. About 1 km south of the beach is a viewpoint with fine views of the bay and the village.

The latest addition is the Koh Chang Grand Lagoona, where rooms are attractively designed in boat shape. It is no exaggeration to say that the resort is one of the most distinctive on the island. Privacy inside the property is guaranteed. The resort has become widely known after former Miss Universe 2002, Justine Pasek, stayed here during her visit to the island. The resort is also a popular choice for senior Thai officials. Despite total privacy, guests at the resort are not bored thanks to a number of recreations and facilitates, including a private lagoon and water sports activities.

The bungalows at Bang Bao Sea Hut are built on wooden stilts above sea water. Located on the southern tip of the island, it is a perfect springboard for snorkelling and diving at nearby islands.

Getting to Bang Bao is challenging as the southward road from Tha Nam is steep and winding.

Salakphet Beach
Salakphet Beach on the southeastern tip is, similar to Bang Bao, in a fishing village. Distance wise, Salakphet is close to Bang Bao but the stretch of 3-km ring road linking the west and east coasts has yet to be completed. Salakphet and nearby Ban Rong Than are two biggest communities on Koh Chang. Both are ideal shelters for fishing boats and there are many piers for fishing boats as well as boats to nearby islands and Laem Ngob in Trat. Salakphet is a genuine fishing village worth visiting. The Salakphet Seafood and Resort has fresh seafood and its accommodation is clean. Rong Than village on the west of the bay is the main residential area for the community. A monastery known as Atulaporn Banpot and the Salakphet Temple are religious rendezvous for locals.

At the south end of the bay is a small beach with a memorial commemorating the sea battle of 1941 between the Thai and French navies. Two kilometres northeast is the 12-storey Kiriphet waterfall, with a great view of the bay. The area is open round the clock but the best time to visit is from 8:oo a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Known as the Naval Battle Ground in Trat's Laem Ngob area, there is a memorial to the event as well in the south of Koh Chang. A marker on the waters near Salakphet indicates the location where the French and Thai navies fought.
 

Than Mayom Beach
Than Mayom Beach, situated on the eastern side of the island, is a good spot to catch the sunrise. The beach is scattered with rocks and the seafront is muddy. The view is particularly good at the end of the pier which stretches into the sea. The headquarters of Koh Chang Marine National Park is located in nearby area close to Than Mayom Waterfall.