White Sand Beach (South), Koh Chang: 2011-12 Update

At the southern end of White Sand Beach, the actual sandy beach peters out just after  Kacha Resort. From here on the remainder is a mix of mud, small stones and bits of dead coral. Worth bearing on mind if you decide to book a pool villa at Changburi Resort. Beautiful rooms to be sure, but the steps down from to the beach lead less than invitingly onto this area of rough, stoney beach. If you stay here you’ll be sunbathing by the pool rather than on the sand and swimming in the pool, not sea. But it is ideal for anyone with loads of disposable income and an adversity to mingling with people with a lower net worth than themselves.

If you budget doesn’t run to a pool villa or even a two star, then Alina Grande, Alina Resort and Ban Thai Resort all have acceptable mid-price rooms near the sea. Some recently renovated beachfront bungalows are also available at Grand View Resort.  This used to be a bit slummy and run down, but I was surprised at how nice it looked last time I visited.  It isn’t the best known of resorts, but worth checking out if your first choice is full or too pricey. At the entrance to Grand View is a very good coffeeshop – nice place to escape the heat and cool off in some aircon whilst watching the sweaty world pass by outside. Opposite Grand View is a newly constructed shopping plaza, with various shops and restaurants along the roadside and in rarely visited units set back from the road. Head here for a new pair of glasses, mock-Mexican meal, have a massage, buy a painting or suit,  or to book a dive course.  A better reason to visit would be for a meal at La Dolce Vita, a good, no frills, Italian restaurant. At the rear is an outdoor bar with stage where live music can often be heard in High Season.  The spotlight that lights up the night sky over white Sand beach emanates from Jungle Queen bar here.

In case you’re beginning to panic that I haven’t made any mention of the nearest 7-eleven, fear not. A 100 metre walk from Grand View will bring you to the 7-eleven near Changburi Resort, and another 100 metres walk south brings you yet another 7-eleven. This area of roadside is also home to the ‘Little Pattaya’ beer bar enclave. Anyone looking for a bit of adult R&R need only head to this cluster of bars which all follow the tried and tested beer bar formula of a square bar with stool seating on all sides and comely maidens serving up bottled beer and games of Jenga and ‘Connect 4′ until they get whisked away by lobster tanned tourists for a night of unbridled, wallet-emptying passion.  No flesh on show though, as that would be immoral.

So, if you’re feeling charitable and want to help improve the lives of ladies hailing from the rice farming communities of Isaan, they will all willingly accept cash donations in return for their valuable time. In fact, why not do your bit and stimulate the local economy further by barfining “Sister Me” too? As charitable donations go, this is far more fun than buying a ‘Big Issue’ and more satisfying than sticking a folded banknote in a ‘WorldVision’ envelope at Christmas time. But probably not tax deductible.

Behind these bars is also an apartment block with poky studio rooms to rent cheaply, why anyone would stay here is a mystery to me.  But I guess there is a certain lazy, hardcore whoremonging demographic to whom it holds a unique appeal.

Reluctantly drag yourself away from the smut and sleaze of the bars ( Having first taken a couple of dozen photos of cute girls waving at you in order to illustrate the unholy godlessness for friends, family, co-workers, Facebook acquaintances etc) and head further south, up the hill and you’ll find Koh Chang’s best, and only, Irish pub, ‘Paddy’s Palms’. It’s Irish in so much as the exterior is green and it has leather sofas and black and white photos of the old country inside.  But if you are dieing for a pint of draught Guinness or Kilkenny then it’s worth popping in. The food is the usual average pub stodge but the fish and chips are good and a bit of batter on your snapper makes a nice change from  chili and lemongrass once in a while. A little closer to the beer bars, but on the opposite side of the road are a couple of better quality places to eat – ‘Invito Al Cibo’ , where the chefs were trained at the original Invito restaurant, now closed, which was, for many years , the best of it’s kind on the island and  ‘Restaurant by Jensen’, a small Danish restaurant by a  Danish chef called, you guessed it, Jensen.  Another good Italian restaurant,

Large resorts in this area include Plaloma Resort, Top Resort, Koh Chang Hut and Bupha Resort, all on the clifftop overlooking the sea. Plus the new Keereeele Resort (Yes, six ‘e’s) and Paddy’s Palms’ Resort, behind the pub of the same name, both of which have rooms on the inland side of the main road. And both of which are better value for money than most beachfront hotels of the same standard.

Moving further up the hill the roadside is dotted with small bungalow resorts most of which will do good deals on long term rentals. There are also a few more small beer bars, the names seem to change regularly , as this area doesn’t attract too many visitors in the evening.

However, there are a couple of places worth of a visit.  In Top Resort you’ll find a deli with a small selection of imported goodies.  For cheaper bread though, head up the hill to the small bakery where you can get cheap bread rolls, which for around 10 baht a piece are good to use for sandwiches. A lot of the White Sand Beach restaurants buy their bread here. Just buy bit of salad from a local shop & some ham/cheese from the 7-eleven and you’ve got a packed lunch or snack or to eat on the beach.

Moving further on, there isn’t much of interest, a couple of cash and carry’s where you can get your beer cheaply followed by the Bangkok International Clinic. This isn’t a cheap place to get medical treatment. It’s set up solely to cater to visitors with medical insurance. ( They dont care what they charge you and you dont care as the insurance is paying. A win-win situation. ) So prices are far higher than you’d pay at a private hospital run by the same company – Bangkok Hospital Group – on the mainland in Trat.  But they do provide as good a medical service as you would get at home, with English speaking doctors, translators and all the shiny bits of hi-tech equipment you’d want a private clinic to have.

You’ll also pass by  a large monkey statue, this marks the entrance to what was a Monkey School.  This closed years ago but if you decide to head up to take a look you’ll see that the area behind the ticket office and main entrance is now a shanty town for workers.

100 metres past the International Clinic is Koh Chang Choppers where you can rent a pimped out Honda Steed for around 600 – 800 baht/day. The concept is similar to the aforementioned beer bars.  The bikes, like the girls, appear to have seen far better days and have probably been well ridden in Pattaya, and despite  – or maybe because of – their dubious history and the fact you know they might not be safe, you just can’t help giving in to the urge to try one to see how well it handles compared to your ride back home.

Google Map of the White Sand Beach area

Details and Reviews of hotels and resorts in the  White Sands Beach area

Next: Around the corner to Pearl Beach