Koh Chang

[truck]

Hello,

I am planning a trip to Koh Chang this weekend and have a few questions. Should I bring my car over for transport? (I'd rather use songtiaws if they run regularly) It is an old Nissan Sunny running on propane. Are there any LPG stations on the island? The car is tough but it sounds like the roads are bad, especially with all the rain. Is the ferry ride very choppy? My friends tell me that if it rains anymore this week, the ferry ride would be dangerous and the trip would be a bad idea. I have enjoyed reading posts about the island; it sounds like a truly amazing place.

Thanks

[DaoDao]

Hello,

I am planning a trip to Koh Chang this weekend and have a few questions. Should I bring my car over for transport? (I'd rather use songtiaws if they run regularly) It is an old Nissan Sunny running on propane. Are there any LPG stations on the island? The car is tough but it sounds like the roads are bad, especially with all the rain. Is the ferry ride very choppy? My friends tell me that if it rains anymore this week, the ferry ride would be dangerous and the trip would be a bad idea. I have enjoyed reading posts about the island; it sounds like a truly amazing place.

Thanks

Dont bring it, plenty of cabs, bikes to get you around, its a tough road when you're not used to it!

[Soutpeel]

Hello,

I am planning a trip to Koh Chang this weekend and have a few questions. Should I bring my car over for transport? (I'd rather use songtiaws if they run regularly) It is an old Nissan Sunny running on propane. Are there any LPG stations on the island? The car is tough but it sounds like the roads are bad, especially with all the rain. Is the ferry ride very choppy? My friends tell me that if it rains anymore this week, the ferry ride would be dangerous and the trip would be a bad idea. I have enjoyed reading posts about the island; it sounds like a truly amazing place.

Thanks

The road(s) on Koh Chang are fine, there are some steep hills to get up, so hope your clutch in the car is ok, not sure about LPG stations, but would hazard a guess and say there is. The ferry ride is fine, you are literally on it about 20 minutes.

There are plenty of Tuk Tuks about and you can rent a motor bike if you are inclined, but wouldnt recommend it because of the hills you have to climb, if you plan to stay only on white sands beach you would be ok with a bike to get around on

Been to Koh Chang many times driving at different times of the year and never had a problem with the roads or ferry..

The problem these days with Koh Chang is all the development going on, hotels and construction work, bl**dy noisy the last time I was there. It was a great place to go to, but think its being c*cked with all the development. The very first time I went, about 7 years ago, there wasnt even an ATM on the place, you had to carry your cash fro the trip with you..

[truck]

Thanks for the tips. I think I'd like leave my car on the Trat side. I saw a small lot where the ferries leave. Would it be ok to leave it there for a few days. Sounds like one less source of polution would be a good thing. Can you recomend any places to stay which are eco-friendly? I've read a bit about the island but would love any advise or recomendations. Thanks again.

[Soutpeel]

Thanks for the tips. I think I'd like leave my car on the Trat side. I saw a small lot where the ferries leave. Would it be ok to leave it there for a few days. Sounds like one less source of polution would be a good thing. Can you recomend any places to stay which are eco-friendly? I've read a bit about the island but would love any advise or recomendations. Thanks again.

Unsure about leaving a car on the Trat side as never done it, so guess you would have to ask when you get there.

On which places the stay, it all depends on how much you want to spend as you can get places across the board.

I usually stay at the Sea View resort just outside White sands beach, havent been there in a while, but was always quiet, private beach and a bar on the beach. Last time I was there they were talking about doing a remodel on the place, so have stayed away

[kedawi]

Hello,

I am planning a trip to Koh Chang this weekend and have a few questions. Should I bring my car over for transport? (I'd rather use songtiaws if they run regularly) It is an old Nissan Sunny running on propane. Are there any LPG stations on the island? The car is tough but it sounds like the roads are bad, especially with all the rain. Is the ferry ride very choppy? My friends tell me that if it rains anymore this week, the ferry ride would be dangerous and the trip would be a bad idea. I have enjoyed reading posts about the island; it sounds like a truly amazing place.

Thanks

The very idea of being on KC without a vehicle makes me shudder.... unless you stay in your hotel 24/7, everything you want to do there requires some form of motor transport to get there...and repeatedly having to arrange transpport and wait for it........oh my !!!

The roads are steep and windy and have been VERY wet lately. THe ferry crossonngs are only cancelled in bad seas...not rain.......and you'll use is the same ferry whether you have a car or not. (Avoid th Centre point ferry - take the Thamachat one).

Don't go all the way to Trat, turn off at the Laem Gnob traffic lights just after the military checkpoint on the main road.

As for LPG - I don't know, but if you can fill up on the mainland, I would doubt very much you'd need more than a tankful in a week-end.

PS -0 there are no tuks-tuks on KC - only Song Taews with a great monopoly, which is especially apparent when you want to get back to your hotel late at night..........and motorbike and car hire

Edited September 26, 2008 by kedawi

[LuckyFive8888]

i prefer a to bring along my car to KC as i travel with my family and we have many stuffs to carry; i have 2 small sons. the ferry is very big so no problem with the transport of trucks and cars. the roads are perfectly fine even the bikes can climb the steeps so any car will do as well. LPG? don't you have an option to switch to petrol whenever LPG is not available?

i'm going there this november.

[truck]

Thanks once again for the helpful tips! Sea View is the place I was looking at so...great. I'll ask about construction. Do you have a second choice? Sounds like I should take the car and you are quite right about not needing an entire tank of gas on the island for a weekend. As to the petrol switch, that works fine but not the fuel pump, so I'm stuck with propane. That is "better" for the air anyway. Mostly this weekend trip is research for a later trip. My parents are visiting in late October and want to spend "a few quiet days on a beautiful beach". They also want to meet some elephants. They are neither frail nor spry. Any other advise would be much appreciated.

[Soutpeel]

Thanks once again for the helpful tips! Sea View is the place I was looking at so...great. I'll ask about construction. Do you have a second choice? Sounds like I should take the car and you are quite right about not needing an entire tank of gas on the island for a weekend. As to the petrol switch, that works fine but not the fuel pump, so I'm stuck with propane. That is "better" for the air anyway. Mostly this weekend trip is research for a later trip. My parents are visiting in late October and want to spend "a few quiet days on a beautiful beach". They also want to meet some elephants. They are neither frail nor spry. Any other advise would be much appreciated.

If you decide to stay at Sea View you will need the car definite, unless you plan to spend the whole time in the resort, and make sure your clutch in the your car is ok, as its a very steep hill off the main road down into the resort, you want to get one of the rooms on the hillside, (bungalows) not stay in the main hotel rooms, bit more expensive but worth it...

Dont want to give you a second choice as have stayed in a few other places over the years (when I couldnt get into Sea View) and they were crap, certainly stay away from Chang Park, (I think its called) stayed there one night (the day it opened) and all the ceiling boards/beds were wet in the room first given to us from the rain...

Plenty of elephant tours etc on the main road so will be ok on this, for LPG fill up in Trat before you get on the ferry, the tank will last you the whole weekend...