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A tribute to the developers and entrepreneurs who
arrived just a little too late to grab any of the beachfront land but decided to
build a resort anyway in the hope that visitors to Koh Chang realise that life
isn't necessarily just a beach.
I noticed that in the last six months several roadside
resorts have sprung up around my little area of the island - and I don't really
know why. If you're planning on taking a well earned break on an
island then the logical and first choice, by a long way for the majority of people,
would be a resort located within spitting distance of the sea, or failing that one
with a sea view, or if everywhere was booked solid then one only a few minutes
walk from the beach.
An optimist, or Tourist Authority official, would
look at the rise in the number of roadside resorts being built as a sign that Koh Chang is booming and the supply of beachfront rooms is outstripping
demand.
Speaking as someone who is a mite more pessimistic, or realistic perhaps, the new
resorts - catering for everyone from backpackers to package tourists - must be
being built with the far off future in mind as at present I can't see a demand for them.
As mentioned elsewhere on this site, there are only two
times of year when accommodation is very hard to come by - New Year and Songkran
(Thai New Year) when Bangkokians fill every available room. Even in high season it's rare to see beachfront resorts packed out,
weekends can be busy - again due to an influx of Thai visitors -
but visit the majority of resorts on a weekday and you'd have no problems in
grabbing a sun lounger by the pool. (True, that if you are on a budget and just
have to stay on White Sand Beach or smack in the centre of Lonely Beach then it can be hard to find a cheap place during high
season - either pay more or head along the coast.)
So why stay at a roadside resort? Price
may well be one of the main factors, as is convenience and ease of parking for anyone travelling by car, another possible consideration could be the design of the
accommodation. But I'd put the main reason for staying in a roadside
resort down simply to the fact you're travelling with your partner.
How many time have you
said "Sod this for a game of soldiers" and scrapped all your well-made plans in
order to placate your significant other? They're the one who's hungry, has tired
feet, must have a shower now or simply refuses to ask the price at another
bungalow complex so you're stuck with having to stay in the next one you pass.
Single travellers will push on, regardless of whether they haven't eaten for two
hours, in order to get to a place that they actually want to stay in.
Groups will talk round or, more likely, simply ignore, anyone in their party who unilaterally decides that everyone should hop out of the pick-up and stay
roadside. However, couples will always compromise and that's why they're
roadside resort fodder.
Let's take a look at a
few of the island's roadside resorts - there's no reasoning behind the places
mentioned below other than these were the first that came to mind. How
many are already on your shortlist of places to stay? A better way to look at
the list might be to consider how many could you see yourself staying at if your
guy/gal got in a huff and placed all responsibility for finding a room within
the next 3 minutes squarely in your hands.
Riverside Resort, Klong Son.
Type: Modern, comfortable, fully air-conditioned hotel.
Location: On the left as you head through Klong Son on
the way to White Sand Beach. Views of other rooms and a glimpse of greenery.
Nearest beach: Klong Son Bay is a 20 minute walk away
but if you prefer sand to mudflats then you'll have to head over the mountain to
White Sand Beach - a 10 minute drive away.
Things to do after dark: "Not a great deal" would be an
overstatement as Klong Son sleeps at sunset . . . some days it just doesn't wake
up at all. The hotel has a seafood
restaurant and thankfully the rooms have satellite TV.
Price: It took a while
but the management finally realised that if you want to attract guests to stay
in Klong Son then you need to appeal to the punter's wallets - so you can now
get a very nice air-conditioned room for under 700 baht/night.
Cookie Resort, White Sand Beach
Type: Modern, comfortable, fully air-conditioned hotel.
Location: On the left as you head through White Sand Beach
- opposite Cookie Bungalows & restaurant. All rooms have balconies & sea views
- great for watching the sunset and pouring last night's beer on the roofs of
Thai guests' SUVs as they pull up.
Nearest beach: Cross the road, walk for 30 seconds and
you're smack in the centre of White Sand beach.
Things to do after dark: After pausing briefly on your
way out of the hotel to admire the over-elaborate ornamental fountains in the
carpark, you'll find that the bright lights of White Sand Beach all around, so finding a
half decent bar or restaurant doesn't require any
real effort.
Price: Not cheap, but if you're planning on
spending under 1,500 baht/night then you aren't in their target market and
therefore shouldn't really be on Koh Chang. Head to Koh Phi-phi instead.
Island Lodge, White Sand Beach
Type: Backpacker lodging for backpackers who either
aren't looking for sea views or can't be arsed trekking all the way to Lonely
Beach in order to find a 100 baht/night bed for the night.
Location: On the left as you head through White Sand Beach,
take the dirt road opposite Kacha Resort.
Nearest beach: White Sand Beach, a 10 minute walk down the
track cross over the road and you're there. (Actually, you'll be in the
middle of a hotel carpark, so keep walking another 50 metres.)
Things to do after dark: Dead end dirt tracks tend to be
quiet and this one is no exception. Fortunately, the walk to White Sand
Beach is
pretty short so there's no need to spend the evenings alone with 'The Smiths'
on your matchbox sized MP3 player when you could be enjoying toe tapping Thai pop in a bar of your
choosing.
Price: Buddha once said "All life is
suffering." After a stay at Island Lodge you may feel entitled to agree with
him, but what standard of accommodation do you expect for the price of a Big Mac
meal?
Baan Chabaa, Hat Kai Mook (Pearl Beach)
Type: Small bungalow resort. Half a dozen very nicely
styled, but a tad pricey, well-built fan rooms with great panoramic sea &
mountain views from the restaurant.
Location: On the left, about 1 km out of White Sand Beach. On
the hill just after the ATV rental place.
Nearest beach: If you discount Pearl Beach a there's no
and to speak of, then you'd have to trek into White Sand Beach - a long walk or
a five minute drive.
Things to do after dark: Other than staring at the stars
from the restaurant balcony you could also read a book, play 'I spy' or simply
get pissed.
Price: 800 baht is pricey for a fan room, no
matter how nicely designed they are or even no matter how far over budget the
construction costs were. Looks like the owner might learn the hard way that the
old 'build it and they will come' adage isn't always true if the prices are on
the optimistic side.
Keereeta, Hat Kai Mook (Pearl Beach)
Type: Small boutique hotel, funky, individually styled
rooms. Modern, comfortable, fully air-conditioned hotel.
Location: Roadside, on the right as you pass by Skybay
pub in Hat Kai Mook. A seaview - if you go up to the roof. Otherwise no view,
other than the hotel architecture, to speak of.
Nearest beach: The stones of Pearl Beach are 5 minutes walk
away but getting to White Sand Beach requires either a long walk or short drive.
Things to do after dark: There's a seafood restaurant next door but your time would be better spent admiring this
small resort with your significant other - the rooms and decor really are
top notch. alternatively, head over the road to the Sky Bay pub to see
locals letting their hair down
Price:
Was offering rooms for 1,800 baht/night
during the 2003-4 high season but in the 2500 baht/night range now. Worth it.
Ramayna Resort, Klong Prao
Type: Large roadside bungalow resort for middle class
Thai families. While it isn't an eyesore certainly isn't pushing the
boundaries of resort design forward in any exciting or innovative ways.
However, the rooms are well done out.
Location: On the right a km or so past Klong Prao
Resort, & around the midpoint of Klong Prao beach.
Nearest beach: Klong Prao beach is around 500 metres as
the crow flies. However, the river estuary is in the way so getting to the
beach would walking about a km down the road, then another km along a dirt
track. They advertise the fact they have a private beach - unfortunately
it's nowhere near the hotel, their van service will take you here. Make
sure you don't leave your sunscreen in your room.
Things to do after dark: There are a couple of seafood
restaurants on the banks of the estuary, both offering, apparently, good seafood
plus half hour guided canoe trips to see the fireflies in the nearby mangroves.
If that ain't exciting enough for you then you've always got the resort bar to
fall back on.
Price: The same as one of the good beach front
resorts such as Tropicana or Barali. Why not stay there? Look out for ads
for cheap package deals from Bangkok.
Un-named sky-blue bungalows, Klong Prao
Type: Unbelievably awful, cheap bungalows
scattered amongst a few trees and piles of mud. On the plus side, great uninterrupted views of the road, a
mere 10 metres away from your front door.
Location: On the left, just past the Ramayana Resort &
just before the turn off to Klong Plu waterfall.
Nearest beach: Klong Prao - you'll need your own
transport but I cant imagine anyone who can afford a car staying here due to the
high embarrassment factor should someone you know drive past & see your
car parked outside what amounts to a sky blue garden shed.
Things to do after dark: Your options are pretty much as
described above, only that the bungalows don't have their own bar or restaurant.
For cheap eats there is an OK Thai restaurant a few metres away - they own these
eyesores.
Price: The sign outside says "Here Stay. Low Price". Given the choice
between sleeping rough on the roadside but prior to that enjoying some 'khao
pad' and a couple of beers and sleeping on the road or spending my baht on a night's accommodation here,
I'd choose the former.
Tiger Hut, Lonely Beach
Type: Co-joined huts, constructed with the finest
chipboard available to man & cramped round a small garden.
Location: On the left as you head out of Lonely Beach -
just after a small no-name bar and just before another small no-name bar.
Nearest beach: The walk north along the road to the
sandy part of Lonely Beach takes about 10 -15 minutes however the stony
shoreline can be reached with by a 10 minute round trip walk. (I'm
resuming that as soon as you reach the shoreline you'll turn back as there's no
reason to linger.)
Things to do after dark: Well sleep wouldn't be one of
them as you're right in the heart of the Lonely Beach bar area. No problem
finding food, beer, music, a pool table or a horny barboy/girl at any time of the day
or night.
Price: As these bungalows are ensuite they cost a hundred baht more
than much nicer huts with no bathroom near the shore. The choice is yours,
save a few baht and shower in the open air or pay a bit more to be
surrounded by unpainted, damp, grey concrete whilst powdering your nose.
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