Koh Chang – The best off-the-beaten-track destination in Thailand

Thailand, without a doubt, is home to some of the best beaches in the world. I visited the country for the first time in 2013, and it always makes me happy whenever I think about my short holiday there. After 3 years, I plan to go again on beach holiday.

Where? Koh Chang.

Koh Chang (Elephant Island), an island in the Gulf of Thailand situated near the border to Cambodia, is enriched with white sand beaches, stunning coral reefs which support huge variety of marine life, countless dive sites and undeveloped rainforest. While it is certainly not a major tourist destination like Koh Phi Phi and Bangkok, the island is perfect for travellers who are on the look out for new experiences away from the swarms of tourists.

Here are some of the reasons why I want to visit Koh Chang soon.

Go Green on Koh Chang 

Over the past decades since it gained global recognition, Thailand has seen its fair share of rapid tourism development. The influx of tourists and extensive building of facilities in the shoreline have resulted to alarming situation for the carrying capacity of Thai islands. Because of this, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) made Koh Chang as its pioneer project to promote Green Tourism. It aims to promote responsible and sustainable tourism that will surely inspire other Thai islands and cities.

The island is easily accessible
There are several ways to get to Koh Chang: by air, bus, rental car, or taxi. Taking the bus from Bangkok is the best and cheapest way to get Laem Ngop, Trat Province, where the Koh Chang ferry piers are located. Travel time is about 5 hours. From there, it is only a 30-minute ferry ride to get to the island. The island surely is a perfect getaway for tourists who want to avoid overcrowded beaches and islands, while it is easily accessible from Bangkok.

Authentic island life
Koh Chang, for me, is the perfect place to experience authentic island life. There are not many tourists in the island, and that is where its charm life, along with friendly and warm locals. It is not only a great beach destination but also great place to get insights into the life of Thai people.

Your hard earned money goes a long way in Koh Chang
Thailand is one of the cheapest travel destinations in the world, but in Thai islands, almost everything is expensive. However, this is not the case in Koh Chang. Range of prices for everything is reasonable. Also, the island has heaps of accommodation to suit every pocket, ranging from luxury villas to basic beach huts and bungalows. Basically, you can find anything to fit your budget in Koh Chang.

Credits to the owner

These are just some of the few reasons why I want to visit Koh Chang someday, and I hope I inspired you to take a second look at this island that has so much vibrancy and diversity.

Koh Chang indeed looks wonderful. Have you visited the Thai islands before? Which one’s your favourite? Got any questions? Comments? Insights? I’m all ears! Let’s chat down below.