Holiday In Koh Chang

[corkman]

Hi all,

I am an expat resident in bkk, thinking of a holiday in Koh Chang next month for a week or so with my wife (thai) and child (almost 4yrs + nanny).

I read the usual info pages etc. but nothing like first hand experience and a recommendation......

So, could I ask, where is a "nice" area to stay. good compromise between a nice beach, good choice of hotels and restaurants, and maybe a couple of semi-lively night spots to enjoy with the mrs.

Looking for something 3-4 star, around 2k per night or so, with a good pool..... on the beach. Not necessarily looknig for a specific hotel recommendation (although it would be greatly received) just which beach is the best one to go for.

I plan on driving down, in a honda civic ..... I presume the roads are good on Koh Chang - similar to Samui maybe? Is the car ferry frequent / regular?

Budget wise, what are prices like on Koh Chang ..... say for a singha beer or a typical thai style stir fry..... in a reasonable but not necessarily posh place.

Lastly, what's the diving like in Koh Chang...... both generally, and at that time of year (1st week December).

Many thanks in advance.

CM

[Bedrockguesthouse]

Hi im Mark (aussie) the owner of Bedrock Guesthouse in Ban Phe opposite Koh Samet Island.

Ive been down to Koh Chang with my Honda Jazz. Bitumen roads are pretty good on Koh Chang although muddy due to construction trucks running around the island. Its quite mountainous so u have to be cautious e.g. drive slowly up the first mountain as you head towards white sand beach the first beach area. Keep in mind though a week or so again there was a big landslide that trashed a few houses resorts in this area and some deaths. You can get beers for around 80 baht -90 baht price a little higher due to transport costs from mainland to the island. My missus and i stayed at the kai bae arear which was nice. forget the name of the place but it had a nice pool. You will need to probably book in advance on the internet as yr entering high season. They have been experiencing a lotta of rain hence the large landslides. Food depends where you eat but stir fry probably around 80-110 baht or lower. there are plenty of car ferries and ports u can leave from. Your room costs maybe more something like 2500 to 4500 per nite but there must be some deals there for okay places for you and your family. Maybe rain may give u a little head ache

Sorry its not so detailed.

have a good trip. yr passing ban phe as u drive to trat/koh chang stop in for a bite to eat if u feel like it. we do great thai food and great burgers from our grill in our bar.

cheers mark

[Atmos]

If you've seen the news re KC - flooding, landslides etc. Maybe a resident can answer re water clarity/conditions at present- at a guess not so good. We abandoned plans in June when we got to Trat and all down the coast from Chanthaburi the water was filthy brown after rains. Pointless for snorkelling/diving and unpleasant to swim in.

We're waiting for a KC holiday, but I think 'waiting' is the thing to do right now.

[kbvicar]

The Northeast monsoon has arrived which clears up the seawater and reduces rainfall considerably. The mountain road is being repaired and easily usable with police directing flow at the remaining damaged spot. Many nice resorts are offering substantial discounts.

Visit this site for the latest, accurate information: www.iamkohchang.com

[corkman]

Thanks for the replies all.

I guess "waiting" is the thing to do for at least another week or so...... with the rain ad floods everywhere else.

cheers,

CM

[random]

Hi corkman, I have been to koh chang many times, also took my parents when they visited from Uk twice, first time we stayed and Siam Bay Resort, a nice room right on the beach, basically as you leave your room the sea it 10 meters away,also have a decent pool. I have also stayed and panviman which is a beautiful resort but much more expensive (that said I managed to buy 10 nights for 1750 baht per night at the travel fair, normal price is in the region of 6k per night).

I avoid the busier area (white Sand) as I have car anyway and drive when I want to go an eat. The ferries are frequent and inexpensive, driving is easy however still watch out for the impatient idiots on the wrong side of the road, you cant really get lost as there is one road round the island, turn right of the ferry as the left of the island is not really developed, although there is a great place on that side where you can have dinner on a very small boat through the mangroves at sunset.

[rixalex]

A couple of years ago i went to Koh Chang for a couple of weeks. I booked via the internet and the place, which i won't mention, was a disaster. After the first night i set about finding the best place to stay. I drove round the entire island and stopped in at every hotel / resort that looked half decent. This is the one that for me was the best for the price. We stayed there for the rest of the holiday and loved it. Highly recommend it.

http://www.bhumiyama.com/home.htm

[Siam Simon]

Whilst White Sand Beach is the busiest resort area, it's pretty quiet relative to some of the 'marquee' (for want of a better word!) destinations in other parts of the country. If you don't want to drive all the time when on the island, plenty of songtheaows are available for private hire: Prices from the 7eleven in White Sand were 50-100 to Chai Chet, 100-150 to Kae Bae, 200 to Lonely Beach, 250 to Bang Bao when we were there last November.

Have a look at iamkohchang.com for plenty of good info.