Koh Chang

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Introduction

Tree Swing, Koh Chang

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Koh Chang is an island in the Gulf of Thailand and is the second largest island in the country. It is located southeast of the capital Bangkok, not far from Cambodia. The name means Elephant Island, which refers to the shape of the island. Koh Chang is gaining importance as a popular tourist destinations, as the island has splendid scenery, boasting rainforests, waterfalls, beaches and good hiking trails.

Geography

Koh Chang is a mountainous island with the highest peak at almost 750 meters above sea level: Khao Salak Phet. The island is over 200 square kilometers big and is part of the Mu Ko Chang Marine National Park which covers a total of around 650 square kilometers. Apart from the great diving and snorkelling, the island itsel is covered with rainforests, although the relatively recent boom in tourism means that this rainforest is under pressure right now. Much has to be done to prevent things from getting worse.

Cities

There are no real cities on the island, but mostly small villages. These include Salakpetch, Salakkork, Jekbare, Baan, Danmai, Klong Son, Klong Praw and Klong Nonsri.

Sights and Activities

• Hiking in the rainforests with the chance to see wildlife, including monkeys, civet and mongooses. The routes Klong Son to Kai Bae and Kai Bae to Bang Bao are very impressive.
• Namtok Khlong Phlu is considered to be the most beautiful waterfall on Ko Chang with water cascading down 3 tiers.
• Beaches like Hat Kai Bae and Hat Khlong Phrao
• Villages like Bang Bao Fishery Village with houses on stilts
• Diving and snorkelling
• Canoeing
• Elephant trekking: Ban Kwan Chang Elephant Camp at Klong Son.
• Visiting the surroundings 51 smallers islands.

koh chang bridge

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Events and Festivals

Weather

Like most of South East Asia, Koh Chang has a pleasantly tropical climate with generally warm to hot weather and humid conditions. Average temperatures are around 30 degrees Celsius year round, with nights generally still above 20 degrees Celsius. The best time is the slightly cooler and dry season from November to February. From March to May, temperatures start to rise and although it is mostly dry, temperatures can rise to over 35 degrees, which together with the high humidity can feel unbearable. From June to October is the rainy season, with again lowering temperatures but huge amounts of rainfall being possible. Still, you can enjoy a visit and have nice days as well.

Getting There

By Plane

Koh Chang itself has no airport, the nearest one is the airport in Trat, which has flights to and from Bangkok.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

Buses between Bangkok and Trat take around 5 hours and usually leave once every hour or so.

By Boat

There are 3 ways of getting to Koh Chang by boat.
The first one is via the Laem Ngob pier to the Dan Kao pier on Koh Chang. Boats leave roughly every hour from 8 am. - to 5 pm. The trip takes 40 minutes and the fare is 30 THB per person.
The scond one is via the Ao Thammachat Pier to Ao Sapparos on Koh Chang. There are 9 boats a day between 7 am and 7 pm, costing 30 THB per person and taking around 30 minutes.
The third one is located at Center Point Pier, which has ferries hourly between 6.30 am and 6.30 pm to Dan Kao Pier.
All of the piers are located in or near Trat. Taking a car is about 150 THB.

Getting Around

By Plane

By Train

By Car

By Bus

Songthaew is a public passenger pick-up vehicle and they run around the island's main roads. You can either hop on and off or hire the vehicle privately.
Motorcyles are for rent and widely available.

By Boat

Long-tail boats can be hired to take you to nearby islands or to go snorkelling.

Eat

Drink

Sleep