Island Guide

Lonely Beach

Tourist information and travel guide for Lonely Beach, Koh Chang

Koh Chang’s party place. A great beach and all the nightlife you need. Was a backpacker haven but now moving more upmarket.

Lonely Beach, Koh Chang

2023 – 24 Update

✔ Excellent beach but can get crowded

✔ Cheap and cheerful but gradually going more upmarket

✔ If you don’t have a tattoo when you arrive, you will when you leave.  But please, no more geckos or anything tribal

For Western visitors, Lonely Beach has long been regarded as the best beach to stay on Koh Chang if you’re a true party loving, backpacker. For Thais, Lonely Beach has long been regarded as the best beach to visit on Koh Chang if you want to see western girls topless.

Lonely beach backpackers

In the mid 1990s, Koh Chang was beginning to get on the map for adventurous backpackers.  They congregated on a small, almost deserted coconut lined bay with a beautiful sandy beach.  There were also a couple of laid back places to stay.  The beach could only be reached by boat or by following a trail over the hill from Kai Bae, where the dirt road ended.

One budget bungalow outfit, at the far southern end of the beach – The Tree House, became well-known among the backpacker fraternity and the success of this ramshackle resort led to a whole host of imitators being set up nearby.

This also led to the beginning of the end for ‘Lonely’ beach.  Nowadays, old time travellers would shake their heads in disbelief at the sight of novelty inflatables for sale on the beach which was once a stoner’s paradise hideaway.

Lonely Beach is steadily moving away from it’s low budget image.  Increasingly, the old chipboard fan huts with a torn mozzie net, rock hard bed and single lightbulb are being torn down and replaced with air-conditioned bungalows with luxuries such as hot water, wifi and a bed that won’t damage your spine.  Today’s generation of flashpackers have more money in their bank account than ever before and are happy to spend it in order to have a safe place to leave their Macbook whilst they are out partying.  

Lonely beach seen from Siam Hut

It’s a far cry from when I was a lad and lived of $10 a day whilst travelling for a year in South East Asia.  (I was riding a bicycle and ended up sleeping in all sorts of places from disused National Park offices, to temples and the cells in a few police stations in Burma.  In mid-1997, I found myself in Bangkok with a $100 travellers cheque, 7kg of luggage and a bicycle. But that’s another story for another time.)

But the one thing Lonely beach isn’t nowadays is lonely. But there again if it was deserted who could you loudly tell your backpacking tales to? How could you enjoy a different party every day of the week? Where could you edit your Tiktoks whilst enjoying a cappuccino & banana pancake? And who would you get to reconfirm your bus ticket to Koh Pa-Ngan or help you report your stolen iPhone?

It’s also a little known fact that Lonely Beach actually has a Thai name ‘Hat Tha Nam’ . . . .but it’s unlikely that anyone staying there really cares or is interested, just so long as a resort on Hat Tha Nam can do a good wholewheat gluten free toast, fruit and organic granola smoothie bowl breakfast. Plus has free wi-fi and plenty of plug sockets.

The gentrification of Lonely Beach is now well underway with a swish 3* package tourist hotel – the Bhumiyama Resort occupying a prime location at the southern end of the beach. At the northern end, the quiet end, is Siam Beach Resort which has successfully transformed from a backpacker place to semi-luxury resort within the space of a few short years. It now boasts luxury good value hotel rooms and luxury pool villas for around 7,000 Baht / night, a far cry from the 500 Baht /night huts that stood in the same spot until a decade ago.

Map of Lonely beach

This is just the highlights to help familiarize yourself with the area.

Map courtesy of Wanderlog, a trip planner on iOS and Android

Lonely Beach Accommodation

The actual beach is only home to three resorts – the aforementioned Bhumiyama & Siam Beach for anyone wanting hotel comforts. And Nature Beach Resort, which has also undergone a renaissance in recent years.  The transformation is now complete and all the fan huts have now been replaced with very smart, new, but tightly packed, air-conditioned bungalows.  It even has a pool.  This is probably the best place to stay in the area as it ticks all the boxes – beachfront / value for money / restaurant / quiet but easy to walk to party area.

Finally,  Siam Hut, the hut resort where time stood still was demolished in April 2020 as the landlord didn’t renew their lease.  As of mid 2023 nothing has been built on the site. 

If you’re planning on staying any further south than Bhumiyama Resort then remember that the beach runs out here and bungalows to the south will either be roadside, among coconut trees or be a stone’s throw from a stony shoreline devoid of sand. 

Down in the traditional tattoo & banana pancake enclave, you will find that the old Treehouse is now long gone.  The site of the bungalows is now ‘Seaflower Resort‘. Pink, concrete fan & AC bungalows in a garden setting. If the colour doesn’t put you off then it’s a nice spot to stay, although the sea front rooms are way nicer than those at the back which have been packed in like sardines. 

View along the beach at Siam Beach Resort

There are three popular places to hangout on the beach itself, Nature Rocks, the restaurant and bar from Nature Beach Resort is the largest.  But a short walk up the beach will bring you to ‘Mimo beach bar’ and ‘Life’s a beach’.  Two basic beach bars with menus of common Thai dishes and cheap beer and cocktails.  You can rent a paddle board or kayak here, laze on the sand or party the night away.

Another major change post covid is that this stretch of shoreline is now being developed. The land has been cleared and split into plots that can be rented.  The area is known at LB Complex.  Initially there were just a few small bars and restaurants but the area has taken off and there’s an ever growing number of small restaurants and bars in this area. 

The access road, leading from the main road towards the sea, has a few small bars on the right hand side and a couple of places with basic rooms, plus a few small restaurants on the other. Near the sea Beautiful Bar is popular, as is Thaitanic – a restaurant build in the shape of a fisherman’s boat.  For a beer or cocktail by the sea you’ve got Mimo Tree & Rude Boy.

Sunset Huts and Blue Sky Resort, follow on from Seaflower and have pretty bland concrete bungalows on offer.  Certainly no ‘Wow factor’ at either place, any emotion is more of a “Uh, Yeah, OK is cheap and it’ll do “.  At the far south of the shore, ‘Paradise Cottages’ also offer rather nice, quieter mid-range bungalows.  The pool area and seafront have been tidied up and it’s a very nice spot to chill out. But it is Warapura Resort by the sea, midway between Blue Sky & Paradise, that offers the most comfortable accommodation in the area. Bungalows aren’t aimed at gap year students but more at older travellers who still like to party but who appreciate a clean, comfortable place to sleep.

Warapura Resort’s individually furnished and decorated bungalows, with luxuries such as AC, LCD TV, wi-fi, hot water and priced from around 2,500 Baht/night up in High season. They also have a pool and laid back restaurant right by the water.  Nearby the new Slumber Party (previously KLKL Hostel) is aimed squarely at young tourists who like to party, and party, and then party some more. 

One upmarket option is Nest Sense, located at the far southern end of the rocky shoreline.  This is a boutique resort aimed at those who like a night out but have also got $100 / night to splash on a very nice bungalow with sea views.   Providing the lack of sandy beach isn’t a turn off, it’s one of the top boutique resorts on the island. 

Tattoo shops on Lonely beach

It’s the roadside areas to the south of the sandy beach, where all of the commercial growth has been – simply because this is the only area where land is available to rent. All manner of small bars, tattooists, small restaurants, dive schools etc abound.

Tattooing seems to be a prime business to be involved in, as Lonely beach has it’s own ‘tattoists row’ a small area with half a dozen or so tattoo artists side by side. Most do bamboo tattoos if you want a more traditional & less painful experience. Try ‘Green Tattoo’, run by a guy called Kieow he does some very good, unique bamboo tattoos.

Alongside all the small businesses are budget accommodation options of varying standards, from  Magic Garden and Lonely Beach Resort for ensuite bungalows and large roadside restaurants, to Oasis and Little Eden for well run, good value bungalows a short walk away from the madness on a hillside overlooking the beach.  Also by the roadside is the top rated, Aussie / Thai Beach Jungle, which has modern bungalows and bright, stylish dorm rooms for weary travellers. 

A word of warning though, if you choose to stay in the roadside area of Lonely Beach amidst all the bars and clubs, don’t plan on having too many early nights.  Ear plugs can keep noise at bay but if your entire room is vibrating due to the bass, you aren’t going to get much sleep

Many bars often have free buffets, you could feasibly eat for free pretty much every evening during high season. But you will be expected to keep your drinks topped up and not nurse a single Coke for three solid hours. For food you recognise, try Ploy Talay Inn which often has cheapo deals on evening buffets and is a good place to hang out roadside and people watch.  Nearby Lonely Beach Resort also has a good reputation for western food.  Cafe del Sunshine and Thale also serve good food from early morning until late night.

You don’t get the range of good cheap Thai eateries that you get in areas of the island that have local communities,  The Kitchen was the best place in the area but sadly closed during the covid pandemic.

If you can’t stomach dodgy foreign food after a night out, and hanker for the taste of home, then there’s  a large kebab & burger stand just off the main road on the way to Sunflower & Seaflower resorts.

As the area gradually moves upmarket and businesses change hands the aim of catering to people looking for the cheapest booze and food is disappearing and the emphasis is more on providing a better value, better quality rooms, drinks and meals for visitors who aren’t trying to scrimp and save every last Baht. 

Seaflower Resort, Lonely beach

Other local landmarks for backpackers are Ting Tong Bar and Himmel which regularly have ear splitting music playing late into the night for your ‘enjoyment’.  An all night party at one or both of these is mandatory for any visitor to Lonely beach.  If you want a place to kick back, drink cheap vodka/redbull  shots and listen to the latest dance tunes, plus the ubiquitous ‘Bob Marley’s Greatest Hits’ CD, and watch a  fire show, then these places are for you.

For music that’s actually played by musicians, and not a guy with a computer,  ‘Nhings’ ( formerly Stone Free ) and their Sticky Rice Blues band is a guaranteed good night out.  They also have a full restaurant menu and a new guesthouse which, whilst cheap, is also a cut above a lot of the nearby huts.  It’s a throwback to the old backpacking days.

Finally, if you’re female and want a holiday romance with a Thai bar-boy then there are all manner of dreadlocked, fire juggling, rastaboys loitering in this area who will do their utmost to convince you that you are the most beautiful, perfect, fair skinned, large breasted creation since Eve. ( And the most gullible too.)

Main road at Lonely beach

Just Say No . . .or at least be careful

Wow how times change. Yep, that header is a throwback to the old days, pre July 2022, when being caught with a joint could entail getting locked up and / or expensive negotiations with the authorities in order to be able to continue with your holiday.

Situations such as someone being sold a joint by bar staff and then 5 minutes later the police appear and head straight for them, used to occur.  When they did, the bewildered backpacker was in a whole shit load of trouble that the Lonely Planet Thailand Tips app on their Iphone didn’t even begin to prepare them for.  

However, those days are now gone and the sale of marijuana is legal.  Weed shops (technically ‘dispensaries’, as purchase is only allowed for medical use) are everywhere now.  How long this freedom will last is anyone’s guess, as it’s not a policy that’s got much support from the Thai public.  Enjoy it while you can.

 

Hotels on Lonely beach

These resorts and bungalows are mostly a few minutes walk from the actual beach.  They are all bookable on booking.com.   The price shown is a typical high season nightly rate.  It may well vary and expect it to be higher at holiday weekends and during peak season. 

Nature Beach Resort – Was a backpacker place but now redeveloped into an excellent mid-range bungalow beach resort with popular bar & restaurant – 1,600 Baht

Bhumiyama Resort – The most upmarket resort on the beach.  Great pool and comfortable 3* hotel rooms – 3,800 Baht

Infinity Sweet House – Small, flashpacker hotel rooms in the bar area – 800 Baht

Sunflower Resort – Fan and Aircon bungalows in longstanding Lonely beach favourite – 550 Baht

Sea Flower Resort – On the site of the original Treehouse.  Good value AC bungalows by the sea – 1,200 Baht. 

Blue Sky Resort – Older AC bungalows by the sea plus fan huts inland – 1,250 Baht

Exotic Bungalows – Handful of AC bungalows and a small pool by the main road – 1,200 Baht

Beach Jungle – Covers all the bases from budget dorm beds to flashpacker family bungalows. – 400 to 4,000 Baht

Lonely Beach Resort – Large backpacker hut resort with pool in the busy bar area – 1,200 Baht

Nest Sense – Best small resort in the area.  By the sea just south of the bar area, cosy boutique resort – 3,000 Baht

Warapura Resort – Comfortable, well appointed rooms by the sea plus pool and chill out deck  – 1,500 Baht

More details and Reviews of hotels and resorts in the Lonely Beach area

Next: South to Bailan Bay

Koh Chang Island Guide For Independent Travellers