and all the beaches have a different vibe. Most visitors will have a clear favourite that suits their style of travelling and meets their expectations in terms of level of development and the type of accommodation , amenities, facilities etc that are on offer in the nearby area. Unless you are an unfeasibly healthy Scandinavian, or a stoned backpacker, you won’t be walking from beach to beach, therefore choosing where you stay is important. 
Read through my random thoughts and descriptions of the different areas and by the end of it all you will either be more confused than ever, as some of the info may not tally with the tour brochures and travel magazine’s ‘Undiscovered, Palm fringed, ‘Last Paradise on Earth’, Oriental Eden’ take on the island; or you will have a better idea of where to stay and what to really expect should you decide to visit.
Once you have done that the Koh Chang Maps section will show you where places to stay, eat and drink are and the chapter on Hotels and Resorts on Koh Chang details my thoughts on around 60 resorts, varying from backpacker huts to luxury hideaways, that you can book online.
Areas of the island in brief . . .where do you want to virtually go today?
Klong Son: You probably won’t stay here unless you book the Aiyapura Resort thinking it is on White Sand Beach. This is a local village with a rather nice bay that is property of a housing developer. Inland, the best elephant camp, fruit farms, good trekking and even a small waterfall can be found in the valley.
North White Sand Beach: The most developed and busiest beach on the island, a kilometre long strip of concrete with no real redeeming architectural features. Hotels, shops, restaurants and tailors shops as far as the eye can see – to some it’s paradise. However, the far northern end of the beach is still excellent, with some funky, old skool budget bungalows hugging the hillside.
South White Sand Beach: A bit quieter, but without the good beach. If your idea of holiday activities consists mainly of lounging in a deckchair on the beach, drinking cocktails and knocking back copious amounts of BBQ seafood nightly, then this is for you. Not the beach to opt for if you are looking for peace and quiet.
Pearl Beach: This is the strip of stoney shoreline between White Sand Beach and Klong Prao. No sand here but a couple of nicer boutique resorts and some good value long stay accommodation. Snorkelling is possible on the small reef just offshore but not a place to stay if you want to walk along a sandy beach everyday as you’ll need to rent a motorbike or rely on public transport to do this.
North Klong Prao Beach: Klong Prao is a long swathe of curving bay split in half by a river estuary which divides it in half. The norther section is busier with several 3 star resorts plus a couple of roadside shopping plazas. The probability of encountering aging Russian package tourists in their speedos at breakfast is high in this area.
South Klong Prao Beach: This area is home to most of the island’s better resorts. Development is still limited in most areas and so it is easy to walk along the beach and get away from people even in High Season. If you want a larger resort or empty beach plus shops/amenities a local village complete with a temple full of monks then it’s worth a look. Bring your matching white linen ensembles to blend in with the ‘dress for dinner’ crowd.
Kai Bae Beach: Not quite as busy or as tacky as White Sand beach but getting there, although it attracts a different type of visitor. If your name is Sven and you are travelling with your wife Annika and your four children aged between 4-12, then this is the beach for you. More for older backpackers or families who prefer either a boutique resort or beach bungalow rather than hotel environment. Although there are a couple of large resorts at the far north and far south of the beach.
Lonely Beach: If you’re on a limited budget and want to spend more on food and drink per day than your accommodation then head here. Basic huts clustered amongst reggae bars, tattoo parlours and cheap eateries. Most accommodation is away from the actual sandy beach and many huts are now moving more upmarket to cater for visitors who like a hot shower and aircon but also want to drink cheap vodka/redbull buckets and party a little. Got traveller’s tales to tell? You’ll find an audience willing to listen on Lonely Beach
Bailan: The sleepy, retarded younger brother of Lonely Beach, 2km to the north. Basic and flashpacker huts for those who want peace and quiet on a budget. If you like to walk barefoot and have been known to start conversations with the phrase “I discovered myself in Vietnam.” and do so without a hint of innuendo, you’ll like it here. There’s also one luxury option can be found, the Dusit Princess, but it’s a remote location if you are expecting a choice of restaurants / bars withing easy reach of your fancy digs.
Bangbao: Koh Chang’s very own ‘Ye Olde Fashioned Quaint Fishing Village’ – but not really. This is the main setting off point for most dive and snorkelling trips. Once home to fishermen, now inhabited by tour agents, souvenir sellers, dive schools, coffee shops, large seafood restaurants etc. Some good views, some souvenir shopping at prices lower than White Sand beach, but lots of garbage and little charm now. Around the bay are a handful of quieter places to stay – especially on the headland to the west.
East Coast: Head here to get away from pretty much everything and everyone. If Osama Bin Laden isn’t in a cave in Afghanistan he may well be living here as it’s one place the CIA would never think to look. It’s too quiet for many people but a handful of resorts cater to those who just want to escape and for whom the island experience isn’t enhanced by trips to a tailor’s , internet cafe, souvenir shop or beer bar during their stay.
Salakkok: There’s not a lot in this beautiful, but rarely visited, mangrove lined bay in the south east of the island – and that’s the attraction. Good canoeing is available though canals snaking through the mangroves, past real fishermen’s houses and into the shallow bay. You’ll need your own transport to get here but worth making the effort in order to see some of the ‘real’ Koh Chang.
Salakphet: Huge bay in the south east of the island. Home to yacht flotillas and a small marina. If you know your jib from your mainsail head here. One very quiet beach with only a couple of basic hut resorts on the eastern side of the bay. Fisherman’s villages and a few good places to eat on the west. Also a couple of waterfalls that are free to enter. Again, not touristy and worth visiting if you want to encounter some genuine local people.
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