Travel from Bangkok to Koh Chang
Click here to see my YouTube video on Koh Chang.
Koh Chang Island is in the Province of Trat, Thailand and is approximately 350 kms from Bangkok. There are several ways to get to the island of Koh Chang including: by bus; by plane – you can fly into Trat Airport near Koh Chang and then take a bus; by private taxi – which is what we did.
If you decide to take the bus from Bangkok, the bus will take you the city of Trat where you will transfer to another shuttle and then on to the ferry terminal. From Bangkok the bus takes about 4h 30m to Trat Bus Terminal then it is another 34kms from the Bus Terminal to the Ferry Terminal.
Flying from Bangkok to Trat is a great option as it is only a one-hour direct flight. The cost in March 2023 was around $160. From the airport you can get a bus or taxi to take you to Koh Chang.
Ferry to Koh Chang
The ferry from the mainland to Koh Chang is a 45-minute crossing and the price was included in our private taxi – if you are a walk on passenger the ferry is very inexpensive at less than $3. The ferry crossing is very relaxing – you’re in the Gulf of Thailand with its beautiful turquoise colored water -the scenery is very beautiful. As you approach Koh Chang you start to realize just how big the island actually is.
After the ferry docks, it’s a short drive from the pier to White Sand Beach. Driving up the hill from the ferry terminal to our hotel has some incredibly tight turns, but it was safe and fun.
Erwawan hotel
We stayed at The Erawan Hotel which has fantastic service, and very pleasant, friendly staff. Our room had the biggest king sized bed I’ve ever seen in my life! There was a fridge in our room, so it was nice to have a few things on hand to make a sandwich for lunch and have some cold drinks.
Our room also came equipped with a safe and a small desk – handy if you need to do any computer work. The air conditioning worked very well in the hot humid climate, and was quiet. Our room faced away from the road so we had a nice view of the green thick jungle behind the hotel – and you might see the monkeys in the jungle- there is a reminder in the elevator not to feed them.
There is a small, very popular bar beside the hotel that has a live band playing every night starting at 9pm. We did hear them the first night but they quit around midnight. The music was good and by the second night we were used to it.
Our room came with a buffet breakfast each morning which we really enjoyed. There were eggs a couple of different ways, the usual western breakfast items, and two or three tasty Thai dishes each morning. Yum! They also make an excellent Americano that is included in the buffet!
There is a lovely rooftop pool that is the perfect temperature to cool down in the hot blazing sun. It is great place for suntanning, with lots of pool loungers in case you want a change from the beach . An added rooftop bonus, is an incredible ocean view.
white sand beach
White Sand Beach is one of the primary attractions on Koh Chang Island. It has beautiful soft powdery white sand, turquoise colored water, and is the perfect temperature for swimming. It is one of the best beaches you’ll find in Thailand. There are many restaurants on the beach for you to enjoy a meals and have a cocktail or two. We enjoyed having dinner every night on the beach while watching the sunset. Koh Chang has the most incredible sunsets you can imagine. They are truly spectacular!
small shops - massage
Across from the hotel and down the street in both directions are many small tourist shops selling t-shirts, towels, beach supplies etc. There are several nice massage shops to choose from as well. Massages were approximately 300-400 bhat (about $9 usd). There is a 7-11 30 seconds away from the hotel and a couple of bigger grocery stores nearby.
dinner on the beach
The restaurant we had dinner at (the Sangtawan Resort), would set their table and chairs right on the beach. However, if it was high tide, they needed to wait until the tide went out. The moment the tide receded the tables, chairs, and lights were moved onto the beach by all hands-on deck. We always had a great dinner. The the service was on ‘Island Time’, but there was never a rush to go anywhere when you were already in paradise and were watching the most incredible sunsets you could imagine.
Street market
There is a small Street Market on the main road where you can get dinner to go for a very reasonable price. There was a steady flow of tourists and locals purchasing food and drinks, and we ate there many times.
summary
Is Koh Chang worth visiting? Absolutely! Koh Chang, with its beautiful white sandy beaches, spectacular sunsets, and laid-back relaxing island feel, will have you wanting to to come back every time you visit Thailand.