Beautiful but busy
Published/Last edited or updated: 25th September, 2016
Haad Chaweng boasts marvellous powder-white sand accompanied by a tacky scene in the heavily developed tourist town that backs the beach. Covering a long stretch of the east coast, the area hosts seething nightlife along with stacks of restaurants and accommodation, including some of Samui’s largest resorts. Love it or hate it, Chaweng is the centre of the action.
While there’s enough space to ensure that you won’t have to battle for a sunbathing spot, Chaweng has its share of jetskis and speedboats rumbling off shore. North Chaweng is directly under the flight path of noisy airliners as well. You’ll encounter quite a few beach vendors who trudge around trying to sell rafts, sarongs, trinkets and tasty snacks. They tend to not be too pushy, and a friendly "No thanks!" should suffice for them to leave you alone – just bear in mind that you may need to let every one of them know that!
Chaweng Beach transforms after dark, as sun loungers are pushed aside to make way for candlelit tables, fresh seafood is displayed and fairy lights and lanterns set the stage for an enjoyable evening. The upscale resorts create romantic ambiances, while the beach in front of Ark Bar’s swimming pool morphs into a dance floor.
The beginning of Chaweng Beach goes largely unnoticed at a quiet stretch of sand backed by private villas built over a steep hill to the north, just south of Choeng Mon. From here the beach swings east to a sandy point, before cutting back southwest to a narrow stretch where the sand disappears at high tide. This relatively quiet area is where the Chaweng Beach ... Travelfish members only (Full text is around 800 words.)
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David Luekens
David Luekens first came to Thailand in 2005 when Thai friends from his former home of Burlington, Vermont led him on a life-changing trip. Based in Thailand since 2011, he spends much of his time eating in Bangkok street markets and island hopping the Andaman Sea.
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