The East Coast of Koh Chang isn’t really on the tourist map. There are a few places to stay and these are usually very good value, but the lack of good sandy beaches, shops, restaurants, signs of life etc means that it’s only a place to stay if you really want to get away from it all.

As every aspiring writer knows, it’s relatively easy to describe the extremes of emotion. The English language is awash with adjectives to describe monumental or despicable events. What’s far harder is describing something which is simply ‘nice’, ‘fine’ or ‘OK’. Not deadly dull, not a rollercoaster ride of emotions, not a disappointment and yet something that’s hard to enthuse about. It’s like, you know ‘fine’, ‘nice’ or ‘OK’.

This is the dilemma facing me as I write about the 30km or so of tarmac from the ferry piers at the northeast of the island to Salakphet in the south. For anyone who’s never seen a palm tree then the road will undeniably hold some excitement. But, for jaded old me, the average scenery (a few red small red sand beaches, couple of hills and the odd hamlet) coupled with a flat road (mountain bends are always a cure for monotony) and the distinct lack of anything other than a durian plantation, a waterfall or two in the attractions department makes for a not particularly riveting journey.

After passing Koh Chang Ferry pier, the road hugs the coast, passing a naval pier where warships occasionally moor up and Mayuree Pink Resort, named after the owner’s mother who’s favourite colour is pink. Can’t miss it – bright pink resorts tend to stand out, even more so when they are in a crap location. One other feature you can’t fail to miss is the Great Wall of Koh Chang. This kilometre long whitewashed wall is clearly visible from the mainland and probably from space too. It was built by the Thai Navy in order to keep prying eyes off their stretch of shoreline.

Immediately after the end of the wall you’ll come to Centrepoint Pier, the second best of the two car ferries, and 400 metres further is an old ferry pier which is now home to Chang Gym, a surprisingly well equipped gym. Far more free weights and iron pumping machines here than any hotel gym. Weekly/monthly and annual memberships are available for anyone wanting to pump iron and discuss the latest developments in non-detectable growth hormone supplements with fellow bodybuilders.

Three small resorts – Amber Sands, The Souk and Chanakarn Resort lie pretty much adjacent to each other on what is the nicest of the rough red sand beaches on the East coast. If you need comfy AC bungalows, a family a pool go for Amber Sands which is run by a friendly South African couple. If you are mellow and want to ‘chill’ then it’s The Souk and if you are Thai you’ll want to pack the extended family into the pick-up truck then head to Chanakarn where you can all share a bungalow.

A couple of kilometres further south ‘Suan Sam Chan’ has excellent value rooms – only around 1,000 – 1,200 baht for a bungalow that would easily cost double if it were on the opposite side of the island. But as it is the resort is usually empty, maybe good for a private getaway but for most foreign visitors is just too out of the way.

Nearby the small village of Dan Mai is Koh Chang’s administrative centre. You’ll pass the island’s public hospital by the main road. This is the place to go, or be taken, if you don’t have medical insurance or don’t want to pay for luxuries such as uniformed reception staff serving up hot tea and multi-lingual sympathy. It’s dirt cheap but not really a place you’d want to spend more time at than absolutely necessary.

In the centre of the village you’ll also see the Police HQ, Fire department and local government offices. It’s worth bearing in mind that the fire department’s one fire truck is based here – a mere 30 to 45 minute scenic drive from 90% of the hotels & businesses on the island. And then factor in that the fire truck cant take a full load of water over the hill to the west coast . So add on another half hour to fill up with water once it makes it round on the west coast, and now you know why no-one bothers to call them if they have a fire. Might as well just let the place burn and claim the insurance or put it out yourself.

If you take the small road opposite the police station in Dan Mai village you can head down to the pier, you’ll pass through the small fishing village. Just after you pass the temple, the first house on the right, on the crossroads, is also home to a Batik Co-operative that make and sell t-shirts. They aren’t usually on display, just stored in plastic boxes. Ask to take a look as they have some nice designs and are around 250 Baht for a unique t-shirt. The pier here used to be the main one on the island until car ferries began running a few years ago. It is now unused. Take a walk along to the end of the pier and you’ll be rewarded great views looking along the coastline and back towards the village. You’ll also notice a small white chedi, most fishing villages have these to bring the fishermen good luck & ward off evil, catch depleting or ship sinking, spirits.

Also in this area of the east coast are two waterfalls. The small, free to enter, Klong Nonsi waterfall, just before you reach Dan Mai, and the larger, 200 baht to see it, National Park run, Than Mayom waterfall a few minutes drive to the south of the village. You can rely on National Park rangers to be brief and to the point when it comes to signs in English, so seeing a self-explanatory ‘Waterfall Closed, No water’ sign on the boarded ticket booth shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone visiting Koh Chang late in the tourist season. On the bright side you can still walk a couple of kilometres to see a small cliff face and imagine what it would be like if the drop pool had 3 meters of cool mountain water in it rather than 6 inches of sludge, a couple of dead fish and a few styrofoam lunch-boxes. However, if there is water in the falls then hiking up to the higher levels where you’ll find good pools for swimming is worth making the effort for.

Just past Than Mayom, as you head south you’ll see a pier out into the sea, you can drive along here on your bike or in a car. It’s a great spot for fishing and also for taking in more coastline views. This is one of the original piers that serviced the occasional passenger boat when Than Mayom was the be all and end all of Koh Chang’s tourist attractions. A couple of disused bungalow resorts nearby provide a clue as just how popular this area was with Thai visitors prior to the construction of the west coast road.

Anyone interested in buying land for a house on Koh Chang should consider the East coast. It’s not stunning scenery, but it is very quiet, has amenities and it’s still possible to buy small plots of beachfront land here. Also there is more of a sense of community to the place than you find on the West coast where tourism and the influx of workers from elsewhere in Thailand and Cambodia, mean that there isn’t the same emphasis on keeping the roadside clean & tidy and free of piles of garbage.

As the road continues south you pass more palm trees, more rubber trees and a few shrimp ponds. There is also an area where some kind of seafront promenade has been created. The area by the main road has been cleared, and dozens of metal benches set up making an ideal spot to stop and stare at the sea. Why you would want to do this, I don;t know. Bu if you do, then park here and enjoy the views of sea, and sky, and more sea.

If you aren’t a card carrying member of the iron stomach brigade and therefore willing to sample anything that then you’ll probably be finding it hard to spot any local eateries that look enticing. Relief is at hand when you get to the T-junction signposted to Salakphet and a couple of free to enter waterfalls. On the left of the road just prior to the junction is a clean, cheap Thai food restaurant. Whip out your Thai phrase book and order away or alternatively order from the pigeon-English menu.

If you take a look into several of the small shops in this area you will find Durian and Jackfruit products for sale. Durian and Jackfruit chips are surprisingly edible as is Durian & Jackfruit ‘guan’ – which is what you get if you boil up durian or jackfruit until it has a very thick, toffee-like consistency. The smell goes and you are left with something resembling sweet, fruity, putty. I hate Durian but can happily eat Durian guan until I vomit.

There are two luxury resorts in the area, The Spa Koh Chang opened in late 2006 and is the island’s only true health resort. You’ll pass the entrance as you near the turning for Salakkok. This is the place to go if you want a holiday consisting of twice daily colonic irrigation sessions and herbal drinks for a week. Not surprisingly, this is an effective method to lose weight,there again, so is cutting off a limb and I’m not sure which is worse.

However, it’s a beautifully designed small resort and also gets quite a few guests who are just looking for a romantic place to stay for a few days. So beer, wine and real food are available in the restaurant. The restaurant does a selection of Thai & Veggie food. The restaurant trades on the fact that it’s sister restaurant on Koh Samui was once voted one of the World’s Top 50 Veggie restaurants – which means nothing in actuality. So, avoid the Thai food, as it’s pretty bad – and stick to the veggie stuff and the healthy shakes and juice concoctions you’ll have a very nice, light lunch which makes a change from Thai food, seafood or most Western stodge. The Cayenne Cooler, a concoction of chili, honey and lemon juice is excellent refreshing drink and the fruit ‘Softy’ for desert is also excellent. It’s basically pureed fresh fruit served with cinnamon honey.

The other luxury option is Kooncharaburi Resort, a resort that exists mainly for package tourists who don’t book their own holidays and don’t really care where they end up so long as all meals are provided and day trips that visit the highlights of the destination are available. It’s a very nice resort, to be sure. But several kilometres from the nearest restaurant, shop or place of interest. As such, it has very few visitors even in High Season

You have made it down the east coast, more interesting sights await in Salakkok and Salakphet Bays.

Details and Reviews of hotels and resorts in the  East Coast area