However, the obscurity of this island is waning as more and more people are getting to know about this island's tourism potential and are making a beeline this relatively quieter and unspoilt Thai island resort.
With more and more domestic and foreign tourists visiting to Koh Chang for their holiday vacation, developers and hotel owners are rushing in to tap this market potential. For example, the Amari Emerald Cove Resort, the first 5-star resort hotel in Koh Chang opened its doors just a few years ago and since then, there are many such projects springing on the main island.
The White Sand Beach area is a family oriented area and quite a number of assorted beach resorts and hotels can be found here along with some luxurious beach resorts such as Chang Buri Resort and Spa and Koh Chang Kacha Resort and Spa. There are also simple beach hut shacks such as the Rock Sand Bungalow and the evergreen Bamboo Bungalow for the budget conscious tourists.
Located on the western side of the island resort is the Hat Tha Nam or Lonely Beach which is also very popular with low budget travelers and the backpacking tourists whereas Kai Bae beach is more popular with scuba divers.
The Thai government has announced that Koh Chang will developed into the next premium beach resort tourist destination and vowed that they will not commit the same mistakes they made in Pattaya, Phuket and Koh Samui where resort development was not meticulously regulated and are infrastructural nightmares.
In Koh Chang however, the Thai authorities have imposed strict building regulations and directives for beach front developments such as limiting all man-made structures to a maximum height of three storeys. To control indiscriminate developments, the government declared 85% of island as a national park and thus any developments are disallowed in these areas.
Unlike Phuket and Koh Samui with their cacophony of tourism related shops, noisy entertainment outlets and sleazy clubs, Koh Chang is just the opposite and is tranquil, quiet and delightful. Tourists have almost nothing to do besides enjoying water sports like snorkeling, scuba diving, fishing or just simply soaking up the sun by the beaches.
There are 52 islands which make up Koh Chang National Marine Park and thus potential for the scuba diving industry is excellent. Already, there are more than 20 dive operators in the resort island offering scuba diving excursions, conducting certification lessons and renting diving related equipment.
The best time to go scuba diving in Koh Chang is in the beginning of the year when its pristine water is calm and underwater visibility is at its best. Non divers can also take catamarans to go island hopping cruises.
For tourists and beach lovers who prefer laid back beaches and unspoilt nature, do visit Koh Chang now before it is morphed into another commercialized beach destination in Thailand. Will Koh Chang island resort become the next Phuket or Koh Samui? Only time can provide the answer.
This exotic tourist attraction in Thailand is accessible by ferry from Trat on Eastern Thailand and the peak season to frolic in Koh Chang's beautiful beaches is from December to April.
Elephants are found in abundance on the Island of Koh Chang in the South East region of Thailand. Elephants on an island? Funny I know. People often wonder how the elephants got there and why they aren't out in the jungle somewhere roaming around and having fun. The truth is that the elephants living on Koh Chang are actually enjoying the jungle and being taken care of.
There are a lot of different places you can go to ride on elephants on Koh Chang. Most often travellers are taken to an Elephant Training Camp to see, ride on and even go swimming with them. Elephants are living on Koh Chang because quite a few of the elephants were involved in public service and deserve to be retired. Elephants are used to clean the streets of Thailand in alot of places and it's not rare to hear that they are being underfed, mistreated and overall unwanted. However, the strength of the animal renders them invaluable in building and hauling so they are kept for working puropses.
Every tour office will offer excursions with just a trip out to the elephants or a trip that includes some time on the big grey animals. It's not really all that over priced when you think about the costs involved in the day to day upkeep and the cost of the trainer assigned to each elephant. To ride an elephant for a one hour trek through the jungle and go swimming with the elephant for about 40 minutes costs about 1000 Baht ($33USD)per person so take your swimsuit and literally dive in the water with the elephants.
The trek and swimming can be done in other places than on Koh Chang but It's a personal favourite at Ban Chang Mai Training Camp. The staff are really friendly and are happy just to talk to you about the elephants and express real joy when you actually show an interest not just on riding one but in helping to feed them with banana leaves and purchasing the bananas that are available at the little hut off to the side. The young men are interested in showing off their elephants and having them do tricks for you. It's great to see a huge elephant dancing around and posing for pictures. It's also touching when an elephant gives you a kiss with the end of its trunk. Sorry guys but I think it's a trick for the ladies.
The souvenir shop offers the chance to buy postcards and pictures of the elephants at their best. Additionally, local art and jewellery are availablefor purchase so don't be shy about taking a little extra cash.
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