Lonely Beach and Bailan Bay

Rising popularity and rapid expansion means that Lonely Beach is lonely no more and traditional bamboo beach huts sit flush with expensive resorts. Like the rest of Ko Chang, Lonely Beach has gone ahead in leaps and bounds in the past few years, but it's still a chilled-out, laid-back little place with a village atmosphere -- by day at least.

By night is a different matter -- things get pretty raucous with parties tend to spring up randomly on any given day; so bear this in mind when choosing the location of your accommodation. Some people have started to call this place the Haad Rin of the East, (Haad Rin being the home of the Full Moon Party and related hedonism).

With the ever more frequent party scene developing fast, the emergence of some very funky parties as well as the newly opened Vitamin Club, it certainly looks to be following in Haad Rin's footsteps. Light sleepers beware!

A collection of shops along the main road are set in a scenic spot between the steep, jungle-decked hills and the mostly rocky coastline. The road veers upwards and away from the beach as you head south through the town, so it's a downhill walk to go for a swim. Just north of the ever-popular backpacker hangout Treehouse is where the real beach begins, already taken up with several expensive resorts.

From there southwards, the coastline is all rocks. It looks quite rugged and beautiful but isn't really suited for swimming. There are regular fire-shows on the beach where talented locals and a few game tourists tempt their luck by swinging alight balls on the ends of chains, called pois, around their heads.

One of the few truly peaceful hideaways on Ko Chang's west coast, Bailan Bay is perhaps taking over where Lonely Beach has left off. The rocky bay has less to offer in terms of beach activity, but the chilled out atmosphere and secluded bungalows make for a tranquil and private spot to relax.

There's a small strip of sandy beach at the northern end of the bay, but that's about all. Low-tide reveals a rocky landscape that extends hundreds of metres from the shore, giving the bay a unique character.

Bailan Bay is mainly for people who want to get away from all the hustle and bustle, and many people stay for a month or more. Things are about to get busier, though, with the massive Dusit resort newly opened at the southern end of the bay and plans for a shopping plaza.

Currently there's only one small grocery shop and a few independent Thai eateries along the main road. All accommodation options have their own restaurants. Bailan Bay is a short songthaew ride south of Lonely Beach, or about a 15 minute walk.