Ko Chang
Where to lay your head
Where to lay your head
Accommodation on Ko Chang runs the gamut from spartan shacks to huge luxury resorts. You’ll find a handful of solid budget options along with great value in the flashpacker to midrange bracket. Plenty of private villa and house rentals are also available. High-season rates at many properties spike by around 20% in late December and January, and drop by up to 50% in rainy season.
Ko Chang’s accommodation scene caters to everyone from bare-bones backpackers to holidaying families and luxury long stayers. Read on to see our top picks in three categories: budget, family and romance. What’s your scene? Before you settle on a specific place to stay, take a look at Ko Chang’s different beaches and villages to figure out which will suit you best. Start by reading... Read our full review of The best places to stay on Ko Chang, Thailand.
Ko Chang’s most heavily developed area, White Sand Beach boasts a stunning northern expanse with little to no direct road access—expect a 10- to 20-minute walk from the main drag if staying at Independent Bo, Maylamean, Rock Sand or White Sand Beach Resort. After a bustling central section the beach becomes pebbles backed by an ugly sprawl of buildings out on the main road. The low-key backpacker vibes to the north, and mainstream tourism scene in the south, make for quite a contrast.
Enjoying a prime slice of beachfront with direct access to the main drag through Central Haad Sai Khao, 15 Palms started as a restaurant in 1999 and later added a three-floor building with six intelligently designed midrange rooms. Fronted by tinted floor-to-ceiling windows, the modern and immaculate rooms come with soft beds and lightwood accents complimenting white walls with a brushed... Read our full review of 15 Palms Beach Resort .
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
With laid-back vibes and one of the more imaginative designs we’ve seen in a bungalow operation, Independent Bo keeps the backpacker flag flying high above northern Haad Sai Khao. Beach walkers pause and stare when first spotting the intricate paintings of dragons, monkeys and abstract faces—just a few of the subjects you’ll see on Independent Bo’s walls. The art looks to have been... Read our full review of Independent Bo.
Impossible to miss as you first enter Haad Sai Khao by road, the enormous KC Grande should fit the bill if you’re after an all-out luxury beach resort experience—and have the means to pay for it. KC Grande is the largest and one of the longest-running resorts on the island, with hundreds of rooms set in freestanding villas and room blocks sprawling over a huge chunk of terrain on both... Read our full review of KC Grande Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Those staying at Maylamean opt for a 20-minute walk to the main drag in exchange for a cheap and solid bungalow perched high above a phenomenal stretch of sand that stays quiet after dark. Also spelt Melamine, the small and long-running spot looks like a less flashy sibling of nearby Independent Bo, with a similar setup featuring tall stilted bungalows and cheaper rooms in a longhouse built... Read our full review of Maylamean Bungalows.
Rock Sand’s assertive stone-and-concrete frontage sits above the high-tide surf towards the northern end of Haad Sai Khao, with a restaurant built above boulders, good-value air-con rooms found further back along the hillside and a sensational beach stretching northwards. Rooms come in a few connected buildings that make the most of what space they have, especially when compared to the... Read our full review of Rock Sand Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Once a simple bungalow joint on central Haad Sai Khao, Apple still has well kitted-out wooden bungalows along with affordable air-con rooms in two-storey concrete buildings encircling a small swimming pool. This would be our pick among a cluster of similarly priced resorts on this tightly packed part of the beach, which gets its share of late-night noise from nearby Sabay Bar and others. If... Read our full review of Apple Beachfront Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
Opened in 1998, the British/Thai-run Island Lodge was among the first budget alternatives to pop up in the inland reaches of Haad Sai Khao village, and it remains a solid budget choice within a 10-minute walk of the beach. The bright yellow-and-green property consists of small concrete bungalows and larger rooms in a couple of buildings stretching up a grassy hillside—only the lowest-lying... Read our full review of Island Lodge.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
With smart rooms, a soothing atmosphere and direct access to the far southern tip of Haad Sai Khao, the easily overlooked Koh Chang Grand View Resort would be our choice out of several midrange resorts found in this vicinity. The area known as South White Sand Beach doesn’t actually have a sand beach; instead you’ll find a pebble-strewn shoreline stretching up to a hill where the main... Read our full review of Koh Chang Grand View Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
When strolling from one side of White Sand Beach Resort to the other, we can’t help but feel that the resort has greedily hogged almost the entire brilliant northern end of Haad Sai Khao ever since tourists first appeared here. This is arguably the best single location on the island: a wide stretch of powder-white sand with jungle-shrouded hills rising from behind. Most bungalows sit draped... Read our full review of White Sand Beach Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Consisting mainly of shingle-like stones and pebbles along with a small stripe of tan sand, “Pearl Beach” covers a less developed area between Haad Sai Khao and Khlong Prao. Though it could get dull for those who get around mainly on foot, Haad Khaimook works nicely as a base for exploring on wheels. A few restaurants and bars dot the main road, and it’s about two kilometres to the longer beaches.
Saffron on the Sea is a fitting name for this smoothly run boutique resort and restaurant offering artistic rooms in a quiet spot by a pebble-strewn coast. A Thai chef from Bangkok and his foodie friends run the business, which is best known for the restaurant serving Thai food prepared with patience, care and style. A similarly creative breeze blows into the seven rooms, each individually... Read our full review of Saffron on the Sea.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
Opened back in 2000, little Paradise Palms was among the first resorts to appear on Haad Khaimook and it remains a great choice thanks to the engaging family owners and comfortable bungalows beside the sea. The notably friendly and helpful owners provide an excellent homestay-type experience—their own house sits a quick walk across the seaside lawn from the five bungalows. With rates that... Read our full review of Paradise Palms Resort.
( Read more on Booking.com )
At the foot of jungle-clad mountains that go on for miles, TP Hut offers good-value budget bungalows spread around a flower-strewn hillside. It would be our choice out of the many cheapies found off the inland side of the main road from Haad Khaimook down through Chai Chet and Khlong Prao. We most recently rode this way searching for a bungalow spot called Buddy House, where we enjoyed... Read our full review of TP Hut.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
The far northern end of Khlong Prao Bay is home to the village of Chai Chet with its few shops, restaurants and bars clustered on the ugly main road and a handful of places to stay on or near a pretty beach with a view south spanning all of Chang’s largest bay. Convenient by road to Haad Sai Khao, the rest of Khlong Prao and even Kai Bae, the area is popular with families thanks to the shallow water. It’s also a favourite of Russian holidaymakers.
If you don’t mind sleepy surrounds and a five-minute walk to the beach, the surfer-style Pajamas is one of the coolest and comfiest hostels we’ve come across on any Thai island. Approachable staffers serve fresh coffee and breakfast to wooden tables in an airy cafe tapering into an open-sided common lounge featuring a billiards table, punching bag, widescreen TV, WiFi, sofas, ukuleles,... Read our full review of Pajamas Koh Chang Hostel.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
A great beachfront and experienced staff make Koh Chang Paradise Resort our pick out of the large, upscale beach resorts in the Khlong Prao area. Unlike many of Ko Chang’s newer upscale resorts, all of Paradise’s rooms come in the form of detached villas so no ugly concrete blocks or screams of toddlers echoing through connecting doors. The entire front of the resort exists atop fluffy... Read our full review of Koh Chang Paradise Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Straddling a shady beachhead, a rocky coast, an emerald estuary and a forested headland at the far northern corner of Khlong Prao Bay, Chai Chet’s namesake resort lacks style but remains a solid choice for families. Though prices had gone up a bit since our previous visit, we still feel that Chai Chet Resort offers good value for a proper beach resort in a pretty setting. ###15264 From... Read our full review of Chai Chet Resort .
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
The lengthy central to southern stretches of Ao Khlong Prao (Coconut Canal Bay) reach right up to a pair of estuaries carrying cool mountain water into the typically warmer sea. While the beach is narrow, or, in the far south, nonexistent at high tide, Khlong Prao hosts several scenic and relaxing places to stay. You’ll also be at the centre of the west coast with loads of restaurants and shops found at various points along the main drag. Most spots stay quiet after dark and you won’t find much nightlife around here.
Standing above the clear water of Coconut Canal, Baan Rim Nam is a great place to watch the boats slide by, take out a kayak or toss a ball with the resident golden retriever. This is homestay-style accommodation, done well. Approaching from land rather than water, visitors first pass through an old-style Thai gate before stepping down a long wooden walkway perched on stilts above mangrove... Read our full review of Baan Rim Nam.
( Read more on Booking.com )
Overlooking the estuary after which it’s named, Blue Lagoon feels like a forest village composed of floating footbridges, playgrounds, waterside decks, an open kitchen for cooking classes and bungalows built in many shapes and sizes beneath the tree cover. Throw in a two-minute walk to the beach and you’ve got a wonderful small resort boasting budget value to boot. Blue Lagoon’s... Read our full review of Blue Lagoon.
The curiously named Aana Resort features villas set high among treetops along with two swimming pools and boats always waiting to cruise guests down to the beach via a picturesque waterway. This is one of our top two or three picks in Ko Chang’s midrange to upscale bracket. White walls, high thatch roofs and bamboo accents lay the design foundations in the resort’s tropical-minimalist... Read our full review of Aana Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
If you seek a basic wooden bungalow on a beautiful beach that doesn’t host thumping parties all night, KP Huts are a good bet. Of all the resorts in Khlong Prao, KP is perhaps the one that stayed true to the older school of Thai island tourism. Yes, the place is old and some bungalows look like they might keel over, but none of that seems to matter when you’re sitting back on a wide... Read our full review of KP Huts.
Offering solid value on simple air-con rooms, the Chinese-Thai family behind Lin Bungalow has done a great job of preserving the natural look of a pretty beachfront at the mouth of Khlong Prao’s southern estuary. Made of concrete and equipped with fridges, TVs, WiFi, fans in addition to air-con and hot-water showers in attached wet bathrooms, most rooms come in attached buildings (two rooms... Read our full review of Lin Bungalow.
Named after its welcoming British owner, Moley’s Guest House has four comfortable and affordable rooms to go with a riverside terrace where you can chill out between bites of homemade English pies. The former fisher’s house stands on stilts on the north side of the Khlong Prao estuary, a short kayak ride from the beach. Be aware however that you’ll need wheels to reach the beach... Read our full review of Moley’s Guest House.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
Lively Kai Bae makes up for its narrow beach with a food and drink scene that’s arguably the best on Ko Chang. Though it’s unabashedly touristic, the village lacks (for the most part) the raunchy bars found along parts of the main road further north. As such Kai Bae is a favourite of families and older travellers, especially mainland Europeans, Scandinavians and Russians. You’ll find good accommodation in all price ranges here.
Gajapuri’s elegant dark-wood villas stand amid tropical foliage, moats, fountains and two swimming pools reaching up to a long and quiet patch of Haad Kai Bae’s northern beachhead. The stylish Thai-style resort had expanded since our last visit, adding a gorgeous seaside infinity pool to go with the original saltwater pool set further back. Despite the new pool, the coastline has been... Read our full review of Gajapuri Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
The personable Dutch owner of Garden Resort offers high-quality concrete bungalows in a peaceful spot on the inland side of the road through Kai Bae village, and it’s a fantastic value for families and couples that don’t mind a five-minute walk to the beach. Accessed by stone footpaths and stretching back for quite some distance on this long and slender property, the beige rooms come in... Read our full review of Garden Resort.
( Read more on Booking.com )
A top-ranking midranger especially for families, KB Resort offers a wide range of accommodation to go with a two-tiered swimming pool and arguably the best beachfront of any resort in Kai Bae. This long-running resort has put its original backpacker identity to rest by replacing the last of the fan bungalows with modern concrete and stained glass villas—similar to the existing villas... Read our full review of KB Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Formerly known as Porn Bungalow, this low-key backpacker spot may have added an apostrophe S to clarify that Porn is short for the owner’s name, Jiraporn, and not an indication of the activities that go on here. With that cleared up, welcome to one of our favourite bungalow spots on Ko Chang. Fronted by a seaside treehouse restaurant serving terrific Thai food, this family-run budget... Read our full review of Porn’s Bungalows .
Located a short walk inland from the main road on the way to Kai Bae Waterfall, Sanook Sanang is a clean and simple Thai-run budget spot that’s a particularly good option for long stayers. Most rooms occupy concrete motel-style rows on either side of a well-kept garden with blue tables painted like butterflies. Standard fan and air-con editions are identical, the only difference being your... Read our full review of Sanook Sanang Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
Once a hard-to-reach paradise and now a magnet for young, partying backpackers, Lonely Beach is Ko Chang’s version of Haad Rin or Khao San Road. The beach itself is narrow, often crowded, and occupied by only a few large and mediocre (or worse) resorts. Most travellers stay at one of the better resorts along the rocky shore running south from the beach, or a host of budget options in and around the adjacent village. Expect quite a few surly staffers, loud music until late and no shortage of tattoos and dreadlocks.
Oasis towers atop a hill around 200 metres behind the village to afford sea and sunset views from a treehouse along with quality bungalows peppered into the forest. It’s easily our favourite option in Lonely Beach for less than 1,000 baht. Available with fan in small log cabins and air-con in larger concrete villa-type rooms, the bungalows are spaced far apart amid dense foliage, some with... Read our full review of Oasis.
With so many guesthouses offering basic fan-cooled private rooms for 300 baht or less in Lonely Beach village, a hostel needs to offer more than the minimum to make a dorm bed worth its weight in gold. One place that serves up extra-cushy dorms along with half-furnished tents, big air-con bungalows and a fun scene with a lot of potential for activities, is Beach Jungle. The hostel had been... Read our full review of Beach Jungle.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Around 15 shabby guesthouses and hostels, many set above restaurants and bars, offer dirt-cheap private rooms within clear earshot of the nightlife in Lonely Beach village. If we were still in our twenties, on a bender and feeling the need to stay in this area, Marco Guest House would be our choice. Set in a shack-like wooden house on the same lane as Stone Free and within earshot of the... Read our full review of Marco Guest House.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Popular with flashpackers thanks to the comfy rooms and wide decks built along the beachfront, Nature Beach would be our choice out of the four resorts that front the actual sand of Lonely Beach, rather than the rocky coast or pavement found further south in the village. The resort had undergone changes since our last visit, replacing the old log cabins with ultra-modern concrete villas.... Read our full review of Nature Beach Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Warapura’s cushy rooms with a surfer theme make it a good choice for young couples seeking luxury by the sea. Using blue trim and floor-to-ceiling windows between the white concrete walls to achieve a “cabana chic” look, Warapura’s rooms wouldn’t look out of place in Santorini. For the most part they’re bright, clean, comfortable and kitted out with flatscreen TVs, fridges, WiFi,... Read our full review of Warapura Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
If you want a bungalow by the sea for less than 1,000 baht, the shockingly pink Sea Flower Resort is probably the best that Lonely Beach can muster. We don’t despise the colour pink as a rule, but designers here chose a staggering hue that borders on the orange of a not-well egg yolk—and they plastered it everywhere. Thankfully they spared us by painting interior walls beige, even if we... Read our full review of Sea Flower Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
This bay with a pair of small beaches at either end stretches a couple of kilometres south of Lonely Beach and has a quieter, more mature flashpacker scene. Perpetuating the vibe are laid-back Thai residents along with several expat resort owners from France, Germany and South Africa, to name a few. Some travellers stay here for a quiet night’s sleep after partying in Lonely Beach; others are long stayers who like the low-key setting and accommodation that’s often more “homestay” or “bed and breakfast” than “resort”.
Go beyond The Mangrove’s unassuming frontage to find spacious stilted wood-and-bamboo bungalows peppered over a forested hill as it tumbles down to meet the sea. Here you’ll be close to nature, in style. Built mainly of wood, thatch and bamboo, the fan-cooled bungalows contain very little concrete, and no trees were harmed during construction. The design of each room utilises a vaulted... Read our full review of The Mangrove.
Out of several small flashpacker-range resorts found off the main road through Bailan, we’d go with Kamrai for the value on rooms that offer a lot more than some of the pricier neighbours. Set on a quiet piece of land that slopes gently downhill to a small swimming pool, rooms come in a few one-bedroom concrete bungalows along with a couple of smaller “studios” in part of the owner’s... Read our full review of Kamrai Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Formerly known as Gu Bay Resort, Elephant Bay has successfully shed the property’s old lacklustre reputation by creating an artistic, laid-back vibe that extends into few types of flashpacker rooms. We were pleasantly surprised to find new life at this old resort sporting a well-positioned swimming pool along the rocky coast in central Bailan. A common lounge with a bar, restaurant,... Read our full review of Elephant Bay Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Jungle Garden’s dozen bungalows with fan and air-con are a good fit for backpackers looking to save cash in low-key Bailan village. Identical apart from your choice of cooling apparatus, the attractive wood and woven-bamboo bungalows with thatch roofs are comfier than most. They each come with a soft queen bed raised off hardwood floors, wall-mounted fan, free WiFi and large bathrooms with... Read our full review of Jungle Garden.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
The family behind Koh Chang Bailan Beach Resort has roots in the area, explaining how their comfortable midrange digs face the longest seafront of any place on the bay. While the design is on the generic side, this is the only classic midrange beach resort in Bailan apart from Mercure Hideaway, making it unusual when compared to the area’s mostly small resorts. We’re not fans of the... Read our full review of Koh Chang Bailan Beach Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Ko Chang’s southwestern-most bay has a few guesthouses and homestays set along pier to go with a fistful of resorts on the forested peninsula that forms the bay’s western rim. Both of these areas are popular with divers—all dive boats depart from Bang Bao Pier—and anyone seeking the quiet life. A few small beaches stretch west of the pier, and Khlong Kloi’s better beach is only a one- to three-kilometre ride away on the east side of the bay.
Spanning part of the peninsula that forms Bang Bao’s western rim, Nirvana’s artistically designed villas place you amid the treetops or within steps of the bay. Personable service, two swimming pools, great food and a dramatic coastal walkway also help to make it one of our top midrange picks on Ko Chang for couples and families. A memorable entrance entails passing through a village... Read our full review of Nirvana Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
The charming Paradise Homestay has budget rooms set on stilts above the bay to remind guests of Bang Bao’s roots as a fishing village. Owned by a welcoming family of Bang Bao natives, the old house is found about halfway up the pier and accessed by a narrow walkway with no railings. An open floor plan includes a central common area and a roofed deck where you can tuck into a green curry or... Read our full review of Bang Bao Paradise Homestay.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
Set in a converted fisher house, Buddha View brings style to Bang Bao Pier by way of comfy rooms and a restaurant above the sea. Rooms are set behind the large restaurant on either side of a hallway; some have windows facing other houses and the water below, while others look back into the hall. Available with ensuite or shared hot-water bathrooms, all rooms come with comfy queen beds, thick... Read our full review of Buddha View Guesthouse.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
Now run by the Scuba Dawgs crew, Cliff Cottage has cheap Mongolian-style yurts and air-con bungalows spread over a sunset-view hill, plus motel-style rooms overlooking a small beach on the Bang Bao Bay side of the peninsula. Though none of the accommodation left us thrilled, we like the low-key vibes and scenic setting. Cliff Cottage offers rooms on both sides of the jungle-clad peninsula... Read our full review of Cliff Cottage.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Haad Khlong Kloi and its satellite beaches, Haad Sai Noi and Grand Lagoona Beach, span much of the eastern rim of Bang Bao Bay near the end of the road in far southwest Ko Chang. The beaches are gorgeous and quite a few families stay at well-equipped midrange resorts like Chivapuri and Bang Bao Beach Resort. But most of Khlong Kloi has a reggae-hipster scene rising from a clutch of cheap little bungalow joints—one love and all of that.
A great choice for families and couples seeking some comforts, Bang Bao Beach Resort’s clean bungalows overlook an almost magical stretch of beachfront wrapped up in umbrella and banyan trees. The sand runs right up to a half-oval of solid bungalows with furnished porches facing the sea. A few different styles include solid wood cabins, thatch-topped concrete cabanas and fretted Thai-style... Read our full review of Bang Bao Beach Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Spanning much of Khlong Kloi’s southern half of sand, Chivapuri is an elegant midranger attracting families, couples and anyone who happens to be after a plush room in a very serene setting. Most accommodation comes in two-floor concrete villas set beneath trees just back from the beach, with one room on each floor and traditional Thai-style pointed roofs up top. Unless you’ll need to... Read our full review of Chivapuri Beach Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
Indie Beach hosts a happening reggae scene along with slick bungalows overlooking pretty Sai Noi Beach, a short walk north from the longer and busier Haad Khlong Kloi. After passing the artistic signage and wandering down a tree-lined stairway to the beach, we found about a dozen Thais and foreigners chilling at an open-sided cafe while showing off their beards, tattoos and dreadlocks. They... Read our full review of Indie Beach Bungalows.
( Read more on Agoda.com )
Klong Kloi Cottage’s beach bum vibe extends into affordable fan and air-con bungalows and a good restaurant at the centre of the namesake beach. Standing just back from the beach, the small but well-kept wood-and-thatch bungalows come with firm hardwood floors supporting beds draped in mosquito nets along with several screened windows, hot-water wet bathrooms and hammocks strung up on the... Read our full review of Klong Kloi Cottage .
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Accessed by walkways that reach alongside an estuary and into the mangroves, Tree House Cottages is probably the most atmospheric of the many small, cheap and very laid-back bungalow spots found in Khlong Kloi village. Designers tipped their hats to the original Treehouse Bungalows, which drew hippie types to Lonely Beach way back when it was still kind of lonely. The same chilled-out scene... Read our full review of Tree House Cottages.
All that most travellers ever see of Khlong Son are the gas stations and bus stops while passing through on the way down to Haad Sai Khao and beyond. Depart the main road to find a sheltered bay with a long crescent of sand and water backed by an upscale holiday community hosting one terrific small resort. You’ll also find a few cheaper spots, like Feel at Chill and Khlong Son Guesthouse, closer to the dusty main road.
Just north of Khlong Son village stretches Siam Royal View, a Swiss-managed complex with a string of tasteful two-storey houses overlooking a quiet beach. Here you’ll find plush rooms and attentive service at one of the only places to stay for non-homeowners: Little Sunshine. Staying in a modern housing development may not sound appealing, but this truly is a lovely spot and the sheltered... Read our full review of Little Sunshine Boutique Beach Resort & Spa.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
This section covers the northern to central portion of Ko Chang’s east coast from the tiny village of Dan Kao down to the slightly larger Dan Mai a few kilometres further south. In between you’ll find a handful of small resorts, including one that’s an excellent choice for finding tranquility along a reddish-sand shore. Expect an eight-kilometre trip, including a steep stretch, from here to the more developed west coast.
Set along a slender but scenic beach that actually does have amber-hued sand to go with views of the Thai mainland and Cambodian mountains, Amber Sands is a small and romantic midrange resort for those who like it quiet. The small resort is one of a handful of properties that have been successful on Ko Chang’s sparsely developed east coast. There’s little else in the immediate area and... Read our full review of Amber Sands Beach Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Down in Ko Chang’s distant southeastern corner, Salak Phet’s combination of seclusion, natural beauty and fishing lifestyle make it a favourite of travellers who prefer to sidestep the tourism traffic. Excellent bases for kayaking, the small guesthouses and resorts overlook an estuary or the bay, with some found right in the village of Baan Salak Phet and others set along the western shore. Expect no shortage of tranquility along with limited dining options and an hour’s ride to the west coast. Few public songthaews come down here, so be prepared to pay for a private transfer if you don’t have a vehicle.
Baan Chan Lay’s pointed-roof concrete bungalows had been upgraded with fresh ice-blue paint and some new appliances since our previous visit, when the property was called Salak Petch Guesthouse. Most rooms come two to a building on either side of a garden reaching to a common patio beside the river. Standards are small but clean with creature comforts like fridge, TV, air-con, WiFi and hot... Read our full review of Baan Chan Lay.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Set in one of the many old fisher houses built directly over the bay, Baan Yemaya is a beautiful homestay, cafe and creative space set to a vista of the bay from a seaside garden terrace. Step inside to find a relaxing, artistic vibe built on ukuleles, wood-carved masks, vintage wares, fairy lights, rocking chairs and cushions draped in thick orange mosquito netting by a sea-view window. From... Read our full review of Baan Yemaya.
An air of sophistication pervades The Mangrove Hideaway, a cushy upscale guesthouse fronting the river on the lane into Salak Phet village. Covering a large two-storey house, the design relies on varnished teakwood floors along with touches of bamboo, rattan and olive-green silk. Throw in the many potted plants, scented candles, Buddha images, fountains—and the mangrove-lined river out... Read our full review of The Mangrove Hideaway.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Best known for its restaurant attracting crowds of Thai tourists on weekends, Salak Phet Seafood doubles as a resort with an array of comfortable wood-and-concrete rooms built above the bay. If you’re booking online, the cheapest rooms will probably be “deluxe doubles” (we’d call them standards) set in motel-style wooden buildings with an outlook to a wall or, for an extra 500 baht,... Read our full review of Salak Phet Seafood & Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
A small but scenic bay located four kilometres north of the much larger Salak Phet Bay on the east coast, Ao Salak Khok hosts an interesting healthy-lifestyle resort hidden amid mangroves on the northern shore. Otherwise you’ll find only fishing shacks and wildlife, best spotted by kayak.
Catering to health-conscious travellers, The Spa Koh Chang Resort offers cushy rooms along with a detox centre, daily yoga and meditation classes, a restaurant focusing on raw foods, and a raft of activities that encourage guests to make the most of the beautiful Salak Khok and Salak Phet area. Filled with flowering bushes and trees, the resort tumbles down to a tranquil river rimmed by... Read our full review of The Spa Koh Chang Resort.
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
Covering the upper eastern shore of Salak Phet Bay, this tiny village has a shore of grass, mangroves and reddish-yellow sand hosting a few restaurants and a little bungalow place for soaking up the beauty of it. At the end of the coastal lane is a small and oft-forgotten beach occupied only by Karang Bayview, an old resort that had closed since our last visit. Do go check it out.
Fittingly located near the end of the coastal lane in a scenic and quiet setting, Journey’s End has a few simple bungalows and tents alongside a bar fronting a slip of ocher sand and mangroves. Also, you’ve got to love that name. Attracting travellers who really want to leave the world behind, the place was originally founded by a couple of Spanish hipsters under the name Little Gipsy,... Read our full review of Journey’s End .
( Read more on Agoda.com or Booking.com )
A 15-kilometre ride from Salak Phet village and nearly 40 kilometres from Haad Sai Khao, Ko Chang’s most remote beach is much easier to reach than it used to be thanks to a lane freshly sealed in 2016. This road has apparently opened up development possibilities, evidenced by a new concrete building going up at the end of the lane when we last passed through. We would not be surprised to see half a dozen resorts out here by 2021.
The remote and very basic Long Beach Bungalows sit on a property first established as the second incarnation of Treehouse, a now-defunct flowerchild hangout that helped put Ko Chang on the backpacker map decades ago. The backstory involves backpackers who were annoyed with the changing scene on Lonely Beach, where Treehouse had a long and successful run until the sealed road introduced techno... Read our full review of Long Beach Bungalows.
Sent every Monday, our newsletter is full of travel advice, news & special deals. Read past issues.