The pristine beauty of the island of Chang conceals the secrets of this part of the world, it attracts and makes tourists come back here again and again. It belongs to Thailand - a country located in Southeast Asia. The state occupies the southeastern part of the Indochina peninsula and the northern part of the Malacca peninsula.
Politically, the country is interesting in that it maintained independence even when all neighboring states were
colonies of France and Great Britain. The capital is the city of Bangkok.
Thailand's third largest island
Thailand owns hundreds of islands in both the Andaman Sea and the Sinai Strait. Among this set there are quite large ones. The area of Chang Island is 215 square kilometers, and it is the third largest after Phuket (an area of 543 sq. Km) and Samui (an area of 228.7 sq. Km).
It has recently become a place of pilgrimage for tourists. Only from the 70s of the last century the rich Thais discovered it - they began to sail here on their own on weekends. And foreigners were not seen here until 1987. Gradually, the inhabitants of nearby countries discovered Chang, and since 2010, it has become one of the favorite places for the ubiquitous Russian tourists. During this time, Russian speech began to sound everywhere.
Geographic characteristics
What are the geographical characteristics of the island of Chang? It belongs to the archipelago of the same name, which includes another 51 land areas. All of them are washed by water. With an area of 215 square kilometers, the main island of the archipelago stretches for 30 km in length and 18 km in width. In the relief of Chang dominate highlands. Kau Thom Phisat - the highest point of the island, located at 744 meters above the sea. The rainforest spreads over a large area of the island. Visit Chang is best in the "dry period", that is, from December to March. The distance to Bangkok - 310 km, to Pattaya - 270 km.
Pattaya Tourist Center
The famous Pattaya, located on the eastern mainland coast of the Siam Strait, at a distance of 165 km from Bangkok, has become a popular resort city for a long time. In her hotels, as well as in Russian travel agencies, packages are sold that offer relaxation on Chang.
An organized transfer of tourists to the island is made from Pattaya. A ferry service has now been established between the mainland and the island.
Reserve island
The attractiveness of the island of Chang in the first place is that it is an environmentally friendly resort. Since 1982, 85% of its territory belongs to the Mu-Ko-Chang National Reserve, or the National Marine Park, in which not only enterprises and production are prohibited, but also certain types of sea sports associated with the use of motor fuel. The total area of the reserve is 650 square meters. km, and 70% of its territory is occupied by the ocean. The beaches of the island of Koh Chang south and west (especially loved by tourists) coast are part of the reserve. It also includes waterfalls and coral reefs. Under the protection of the state are not only hard and soft corals, but also sponges, giant mollusks and outlandish fish. On the land of the reserve, in addition to macaques, there are Javanese mongooses and Indian civets (carnivorous mammals). More than 60 species of birds live on the island.
The famous beaches of the elephant island
From Thai, Chang is translated as "elephant." The island outlines resembles the head of this giant. Therefore, a large number of images and sculptures of this animal are not at all surprised. Often the island is called Koh Chang. "Ko" in translation means "island", that is, Ko Chang is translated as "island of the elephant." Every year its popularity is growing. Near all the beaches of the west coast there are many bungalows that accommodate vacationers.
The most popular and longest on the island is Hat Sai Khao, or "White Sand Beach". It is always crowded, and at low tide, when a new stretch of land is exposed, and the beach becomes wider, lovers of hiking along the ocean gather here, which often leaves on the shore many interesting gizmos that are especially appreciated by Russian tourists. To the north begins the beach of Kong Son, followed by Klong Prao, then the “deserted beach” of Kai Bae (it is believed that its northern part is the best for swimming on the entire west coast), Bai Lan and others. Each tourist can find a place for swimming and relaxing on the beach to their liking. Thanks to the map with names translated into Russian, you can pre-select the best option for the trip.
Places for the best diving in the world.
It is generally recognized that the best places on the planet for diving are the countries of Southeast Asia - Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand. Koh Chang Island is no exception. The underwater world is very rich, visibility up to 20 meters. Here you can find, in addition to the inhabitants listed above, moray eels and whale sharks. The best time for diving on the island is from October to April.
And in the areas of Hit Luk Bat and Khin Lap beaches, seamounts rise from the bottom.
Coral reefs are located at a depth of 5 to 30 meters. In the coastal waters of the island there are two wrecks, which, obviously, are also of certain interest for diving enthusiasts. One of them sank recently - in 1996. A 900-ton tanker stumbled upon a coral reef and rests at a depth of 35 meters. A Thai warship was sunk by the French in 1941. It lies off the southern coast at a depth of 15 meters. All dives are under the strict supervision of instructors. A dive site is a limited area, a point of a planned dive. Near Chang are small islands, which are also very popular with scuba diving enthusiasts - these are Ko Kut and Ko Wai, Ko Maak and Ko Kham.
Island waterfalls
Excursions on the island of Koh Chang deserve special mention. In addition to beaches and dive sites, hiking is well developed here. Trails pass through the rainforests of the southern part of the island. There are routes in the central part. You can travel on foot and on elephants. Extremely popular are trips to the waterfalls, which are famous for the island. The most frequently visited is the three-level waterfall Tae Mayom, located on the East Coast. Along it, a pedestrian path leads to the very top. Located near the beaches of the west coast (Klong Prao and Kai Bae) Klong Pru waterfall is also popular. Traveling through the jungles of the southern part in the areas of Khao Laem and Khao Yai, you can often see a rhinoceros bird.
Entertainment and services offered to tourists
On the island you can go fishing, kayaking or canoeing. Due to the amazing beauty of the underwater world and clear water, snorkeling is very popular here - snorkelling, the purpose of which is to observe the inhabitants of the seabed in natural conditions. Walking to the neighboring islands is very popular.
There is an adventure park on Koh Chang called Three Peaks. Obstacles here are overcome with the help of a pole or on a bungee. ATV rides in the jungle are in great demand. In order to view the island from a bird's eye view, you can rent a light aircraft, or you can go round the whole island by boat. And, of course, there are a lot of SPA salons and places where you can visit the famous Thai massage.
Attractions "elephant islands"
Koh Chang is also attractive because it can comfortably relax with young children. Hotels and bungalows of White Sand Beach are the best suited for this. It should be noted that the infrastructure of the island is very well developed. As noted above, foreign tourists discovered the island only at the very end of the last century, and before that, neither the Thai authorities, nor the local residents, who were only about 5 thousand, needed to somehow ennoble Koh Chang. Yes, and 80% of its territory is still covered by the jungle. Therefore, the main attractions of the island are: untouched pristine nature, unusual air and the ocean.
However, the natives, although there are not very many of them, built temples, of which there are seven on the island, and they are located in large fishing villages, the largest of which is Bang Bao. The most respected is the Chinese temple of San Cha Por, in which, according to legend, the spirit of Koh Chang lives. Each temple in its own way is very interesting, and they are all within walking distance of hotels and beaches. There are several wonderful viewing platforms on the island from where you can see the surroundings. Local attractions include the island's nightlife.
Hotels for every taste
In recent years, Thailand has achieved unprecedented economic growth, which has made it possible to rank it among the second wave of “Asian tigers,” countries that are developing rapidly thanks to the right strategy. Tourism in the economic market plays an important role. Chang Island (Thailand) also began to develop rapidly. Hotels began to grow like mushrooms. Tourists are offered 174 accommodation options on the island. The exact number of hotels varies, maybe in some lists they include mini-hotels, apartments, villas, hostels, guest houses.
There are also new trends - resort hotels and bed and breakfast hotels. On the island you can find a hotel for every taste and budget. There are hotels with sky-high prices for accommodation and services, and there are more than democratic ones. This is what the island is famous for. And, importantly, you can find comprehensive information about each of the places of residence on the island online. There is a map with names in Russian. It shows that the West Bank is really in demand among tourists, along which hotels stretch almost continuously. Their largest cluster is located in the center, on the banks of Klong Prao.
Connection with the peninsula and the possibility of access
There are three ferry berths on the eastern shore: Ferry Ao Sapparot in the very north, Ferry Center Center is located below, and Tan Mayom in the middle of the eastern shore. Here (a little north) are the hospital and the police station. In the south there is a yacht club. We told you a lot of what Koh Chang is rich in. How to get to this paradise? You can do it yourself - by plane to Bangkok, then by some transport to the ferry. You can fly local airlines to the center of Trat Province, which borders Cambodia, which includes Koh Chang, or Pattaya. From there, the car to the ferry. Using his services, we get to the east coast. We go to the west by bus or taxi. But it is better to use the Pattaya-Koh Chang island transfer. This is not the most economical, but the most convenient way. As noted above, Pattaya hotels sell packages to the island for any number of days. Transfer transfers a tourist from a hotel in Pattaya to a hotel on the island, and you can immediately buy a ticket for the return trip.
Thousands of reviews and recommendations
Chang Island has the most positive reviews, and there are a lot of them, they number in the thousands. Snow-white shady beaches washed by emerald waters, high service, excellent infrastructure - all this leads visitors to Koh Chang delight.
There are, of course, bad reviews - it is impossible to please everyone. The transfer causes special accusations - drivers arrive late, bring them not quite where they should, and the travel time is much longer than declared. But the vast majority of tourists consider Chang a paradise. Very good reviews of the bungalows surrounding numerous beaches - they are both cozy and comfortable. In the opinions expressed there are a lot of sincere thanks to the service staff. I must say that independent tourism to the island of Chang is quite developed. Reviews of tourists in this case have many useful recommendations. There are a lot of reviews, and you can add a fairly clear idea of Koh Chang. I would like to note that complaints about shortcomings do not remain without reaction from employees of travel agencies.