Maps
The map above will give you a quick introduction to the main areas of then island. You’ll also find more detailed maps for specific beaches in this section. (For photos and more detailed information on beaches and other areas of interest around the island, see the ‘Island Guide‘ ).
I’ve used Google Maps so that you can easily find important things like your hotel and see if it really is only a minute’s walk from ‘a palm fringed tropical beach‘ or whether it’s a 10 minute drive to the nearest noodle shop.
The main thing to remember about Koh Chang is that it isn’t some pissy little Koh Phi Phi-esque island. So forget all notions of staying on White Sand beach and strolling down to Lonely Beach for a morning coffee. before ambling over to Bangbao for a slap up seafood lunch at ‘Ye Olde Traditional Fish Emporium‘ and then pottering back to your hotel late afternoon. That isnt going to happen. It’s not just the distances involved, it’s also the fact that the road down the west coast has abundant, seriously steep, winding hillside roads that no sensible person would want to trudge up in 35C degree heat.
Don’t bother trying to print these maps out as there is a plethora of free maps available once you reach the island. Best of the bunch are those in the quarterly free advertorial guide published by Whitesands Publications. Below is a quick overview of the island. On other pages in this section you’ll find more detailed Google maps with hotels, restaurants etc marked on them.
Getting around requires being dependent on the white pick-up truck shared taxis (’songtaews’) or renting a motorbike or car. In the high season songtaews are plentiful, in the low season you’ll find yourself enduring an awful lot of roadside waits if you rely solely on them. Alternatively you could just chill in your windowless bamboo hut and travel vicariously thought the exploits of others thereby conserving your valuable eurodollars and enabling you to extend your Asian adventure even longer. This method is only recommended for backpackers and those on the run from Interpol. (You’d be surprised how many there are of us . . . sorry, ‘them’ . . . there are out here.)
Map of Klong Prao Beach (North)
Map of Klong Prao Beach (South)
