Island Guide

Koh Chang Beach Guide – Updated for 2023

Information on which beach to stay at on Koh Chang island, Thailand

Where to Stay on Koh Chang?

Koh Chang isn’t a small island and all the beaches have a different vibe. So deciding which beach to stay on is the most important choice once you have desired to visit the island.

So before you decide to stay on a particular beach because you like the look of  a particular resort, read a bit about the area it is it.  Then decide if it will be the best beach for you on Koh Chang or if there might be a better alternative. 

You will be able to narrow your choice of beach areas down to a couple that suit your  style of travelling and meet your expectations in terms of level of development and the type of accommodation , amenities, facilities etc that are on offer in the nearby area.  

So, unless you are an unfeasibly healthy Scandinavian, or a stoned backpacker, you won’t be walking from beach to beach. Therefore choosing where you stay is important.

Read through my random thoughts and descriptions of the different areas and by the end of it all you will either be:

A) More confused than ever, as some of the info may not tally with the tour brochures and travel magazine’s ‘Undiscovered, Palm fringed, ‘Last Paradise on Earth’, Oriental Eden’ take on the island.

OR

B) You will have a better idea of which beach to stay on Koh Chang and what to really expect should you decide to visit.

If you want to skip the crap and find the best hotels in various price ranges, I put together a ‘Best of Koh Chang Accommodation‘ page.  Take a look and it should speed up your resort, villa or bungalow search.  There’s also some recommendations for Airbnb’s on Koh Chang here. 

Which is the Best Beach (for you)

These are the different beaches on the island with a brief description. Starting from Klong Son in the northwest of the island and heading south along the west coat.  With the east and south east of the island covered at the end.

Click the links for the full guide to each beach.  Including information of the area, where to stay, shop, eat and drink etc. 

Klong Son beach:

You probably won’t stay here unless either you book the Aiyapura Resort thinking it is on White Sand Beach or you are looking for a beach villa for rent.  As you’ll find lots of large houses available in the large, Siam Royal View housing development.  

Klong Son is a local village with a picturesque bay that is the property of a housing developer.   Inland, the best elephant camp, fruit farms, good trekking, a golf driving range, cock fighting arena and even a rather nice little waterfall await you in the valley.

Read more about Klong Son beach

White Sand beach, Koh Chang

North White Sand beach:

The most developed and busiest beach on the island, a kilometre long strip of concrete with no redeeming architectural features.   Hotels, restaurants, souvenirs shops, tattooists, beachwear shops, tour agents and tailors shops line the main road.   Every business serves the needs of tourists and so to many visitors, it is a true tropical Thai paradise.

However, the far northern end of White Sand beach is still excellent.  This is the stretch from KC Grande Resort, past some funky, old skool budget bungalows hugging the hillside.  Further still and you reach the  beautiful stretch of sand outside White Sand Beach Resort. Head up there for a cleaner beach and to avoid the lobster tanned masses.

Read more about the north of White Sand beach

South White Sand beach:

A bit quieter, but without the good beach. If your idea of holiday activities consist mainly of lounging in a deckchair, drinking cocktails and knocking back copious amounts of BBQ seafood, then this is for you.   But the south end of White Sand beach isn’t the beach to opt for if you are looking for peace and quiet.  

At Grand View Resort, the main road leads away from the beach and up a hill past the ‘Little Pattaya’ bar area.  You’ll find plenty of value for money budget accommodation on the roadside as you head away from the main beach area.

Read more about the south of White Sand beach

Pearl beach:

Pearl beach is the strip of stony shoreline between White Sand Beach and Klong Prao.   No sand here but a couple of nicer boutique resorts and some pretty good value accommodation.  A good option if you already know the island or are planning an extended stay. 

Snorkelling is possible on the small reef just offshore.  But not a place to stay if you want to walk a long a beach everyday, as you’ll need to rent a motorbike or rely on public transport to get to some sand between your toes.

Read more about Pearl beach

Klong Prao beach, Koh Chang

North Klong Prao beach:

Klong Prao beach is a long swathe of curving bay split in half by a river estuary which divides it in half.   The northern section is busier with several 3 star resorts plus a couple of roadside shopping plazas.  

However, the main downside is the high probability of encountering elderly male Russian package tourists in their speedos at breakfast.   More optimistically, the chances of encountering young female Russian tourists in g-strings at breakfast is also very high.

Read more about the north of Klong Prao beach

South Klong Prao beach:

This southern half of the 3Km long Klong Prao beach is home to a cluster of the island’s more upmarket resorts.   Development is still limited in most areas and so it is easy to walk along the beach and get away from people even in High Season.  

If you want a larger resort or relatively empty beach plus shops, a local village complete with a temple full of monks then it’s worth a look.   Bring your matching white linen ensembles to blend in with the ‘dress for dinner’ crowd if you plan to dine at your hotel.

Read more about the south south of Klong Prao beach

Kai Bae beach, Koh Chang

Kai Bae beach:

Not quite as busy or as tacky as White Sand beach but with more life than Klong Prao village.  If your name is Sven and you are travelling with your wife Annika and your four children aged between 3-17, then Kai Bae is the beach for you.  

More for independent travellers or families who prefer either a boutique resort or beach bungalow rather than hotel environment.   Although there are a couple of large resorts at the far north and far southern ends of the beach. Plus a couple of the island’s best resorts ( The Chill & Gajapuri Resort) in the centre of the village. Lots of options for eating and drinking in kai Bae, but overall the beach itself isn’t as good as those further north.

Read more about Kai Bae beach

Lonely beach:

If you’re on a limited budget and want to spend more on food and drink per day than your accommodation then head to Lonely beach.   Basic AC bungalows and even some fan huts clustered amongst reggae bars, tattoo parlours and cheap eateries.   However, most accommodation is away from the actual sandy beach.  

Many  bungalow resorts are now moving more upmarket to cater to the ‘flashpacker’ crowd who like a hot shower, wi-fi and windows in their bungalow, as well as drink cheap vodka/redbull buckets and party a little.   Got traveller’s tales to tell about that time you were ripped off by a tour agent for a tubing trip in Laos?  Fancy yourself as a digital nomad?  You’ll find an audience with a sympathetic ear on Lonely Beach.

Read more about Lonely beach

Bailan bay:

Bailan is the sleepy, backward brother of Lonely Beach, 2km to the north.   Basic huts and some more comfortable bungalows for those who want peace and quiet on a budget.   If you like to walk barefoot, have a Spotify playlist with songs from bands from every UN member state and have been known to pause pretentiously before answering a simple question such as “Where do you come from?” you’ll like it here.

There’s also one luxury option to be found, the Mercure Hideaway, which has a lovely, but artificial, beach as the bay here is mainly red sand and stones.  So not ideal for swimming in. In the past I have written that drinking & dining options in Bailan are limited.  That is definitely changing rapidly now.  It’s even possible to have a good night out without having to head to Lonely Beach.

Read more about Bailan bay

Bangbao:

Koh Chang’s very own ‘Ye Olde Fashioned Quaint Fishing Village’ – in the minds of people who have never been to Koh Chang but just read a tour agent’s brochure.   Bangbao is the main setting off point for  most dive and snorkelling trips.   Once home to fishermen, now inhabited by tour agents, souvenir sellers, dive schools, coffee shops and large seafood restaurants.  

Some great views, some souvenir shopping at prices lower than White Sand beach,  but with little authentic charm now.   Around the bay are a handful of quieter places to stay – notably on the headland to the west.

Read more about Bangbao fishing village

Klong Kloi beach, Koh Chang

Klong Kloi beach:

This rapidly developing beach area on the south coast of Koh Chang has, to my mind, more of a southern Thai island feel to it. I don’t know why but the atmosphere on Klong Kloi beach is totally different to the other beaches on Koh Chang.  

There are deckchairs on the sand, but this isn’t a White Sand beach vibe. It’s a relatively short stretch of beach, but with more laid back beach bars than Lonely Beach. It’s chilled, like Bailan, but can get very busy with daytrippers.

Read more about Klong Kloi beach

East Coast beaches:

Head here to get away from pretty much everything and everyone. It’s too quiet for many people but a handful of resorts cater to those who just want to escape.  This may be for you if your island experience isn’t enhanced by trips to a tailor, internet cafe, souvenir shop or beer bar during your stay.  

On the roadside, which runs down the east coast parallel to the sea, more cosy restaurants and coffee shops are springing up.  Plus a growing number of expats now choose to live here in peace and quiet.

Read more about the East Coast of Koh Chang

Salakkok:

There’s not a lot in this  beautiful, undeveloped mangrove lined bay in the south east of the island – and that’s the attraction.   Good kayaking is available though canals snaking through the mangroves, past ramshackle fishermen’s houses and into the shallow bay.  

You’ll need your own transport to get to Salakkok but it’s well worth making the effort in order to see some of the ‘real’ Koh Chang.

Read more about sleepy Salakkok

Long Beach, Salakphet, Koh Chang

Long Beach & Salakphet Bay:

Salakphet Bay is the huge horseshoe shaped bay in the south east of the island.   Home to yachts and a small marina.   If you know your jib from your mainsail head here.   There’s one very quiet beach, Long beach, with only a couple of places to stay, on the far south eastern side of the bay.   You’ll find fisherman’s villages, a temple with a great view plus a few good places to eat on the western shores.  

There are also a couple of waterfalls that are free to enter, one of which is the tallest on the island and rarely visited and the starting pint for a great jungle trek.   It’s not a touristy area.  But it really should be on your itinerary if you want to see more of Koh Chang than just the souvenir shops and beaches.

Read more about Salakphet and Long beach

Enjoy exploring Koh Chang and if this is your first time visiting Thailand, you might also find this list of 25 Travel Tips that I put together helpful 

Koh Chang Island Guide For Independent Travellers