As I arrived there on my most recent trip, Koh Chang didn’t stand a chance. I had taken a convoluted route—from Koh Samui via Bangkok—and was exhausted by the time I got off the ferry at Ao Sapparot Pier.
Even if the car I rented (I don’t mess around with motorbikes) hadn’t smelled like cat piss, and even the weather hadn’t been mostly cloudy in the middle of what was supposed to be the dry season, the fundamentals of the island have never really suited me.
Still, I began my exploration in good faith, and with hopes I could find some of what eluded me in the past. I wanted to answer the most fundamental question—is Koh Chang worth visiting?—as uncynically as I could, and with as many facts as possible on my side.
I’ve Given Koh Chang Many Chances
When it comes to the question of whether I find Koh Chang worth visiting, please trust me: I haven’t reached my conclusions hastily. I’ve visited the island several times, during many different seasons of my life, and have done my best to see it for what it is. On my most recent trip, for example, I arrived with literally no expectations (or even much of an agenda), in spite of having been there before. I literally knew what to expect!
What’s worse, for me, was seeing how much everyone else seemed to be enjoying the island, even aspects of its that disappointed or even annoyed me. On all my visits to Koh Chang, but especially this last one, I found myself wondering what I was missing, or if perhaps it was my own personality or standards as a traveler that blocked me from feeling love for an island that appeared to be so easily lovable.
Why Koh Chang Continues to Disappoint Me
The beaches aren’t great
Look, I’m from the midwestern United States, a country that in spite of having one of the world’s longest coastlines really (with a few notable exceptions) got screwed in the beach department. Still, although certainly stretches of Koh Chang’s coastline (namely, Lonely Beach in the west) are…fine, none are even close to being the best in Thailand.
(Neither are the roads)
It would be hard for me to declare that Koh Chang is worth visiting based on the roads…or road, rather, since there is one main road that circles (but does not circumnavigate) the island. Now, I insisted on renting a car (don’t want to die in a motorbike accident, sorry), which might have influenced my opinion on this. But the roads are simply not good.
It isn’t really my crowd
While I appreciated some of the quirkiness here (I saw a girl dressed as Snow White on a motorbike), I feel like Koh Chang attracts a pretty rough crowd, from lower-end mostly European tourists, the number of stoners who seem to operate “businesses” here. I remember sitting down to try and enjoy a meal of pizza topped with famous Thai ingredients, and the guy taking orders effectively telling me that he was too blazed to make anything else that day.
(Or my pace)
If you take one thing from my Koh Chang itinerary, to be sure, let it be this: Koh Chang is a very chill island where very simple people ride motorbikes between very ordinary beaches to chill. I don’t say any of this in a pejorative or critical way—I am not a high-end traveler by any means!—but simply to point out reality.
Other places in Trat are better
Although I’m not a huge fan of Trat’s most famous island—Koh Kood—I do love both of the smaller islands in the archipelago, i.e. Koh Mak and Koh Wai. Both of these places (and even tiny Koh Kham and, perhaps surprisingly, offbeat Trat Town on the mainland) are much more worth your time than Koh Chang, in my opinion.
Trat’s Other Islands
The good news? Even if you end up being as ambivalent toward Koh Chang as I was, it’s not the only reason to come to Trat province. Here’s an outline of the others:
- Like Koh Chang, Koh Kood is somewhat disappointing, given its large size. However, if you can jettison the crazy expectations viral drone videos have set, you may enjoy it.
- Koh Wai, meanwhile, is tiny. While this means that you probably won’t want to spend longer than a night or two here, the castaway vibes mean that your time here will be otherworldly.
- For me, Koh Mak is Trat’s sweet spot. It’s smaller than Koh Kood or Koh Chang, but feels a bit more quiet (albeit not as quiet as Koh Wai). Plus, it’s more or less walkable.
Even better? You can also visit Trat Town on the mainland, adding another layer or variety and possibility to your trip, no matter how many days in Koh Chang you ultimately end up staying.
Other FAQ About Visiting Koh Chang
Which is better, Koh Samui or Koh Chang?
Neither Koh Samui nor Koh Chang are my favorite islands in Thailand. However, if I had to choose between them, I’m probably pick Samui, since you can fly there directly from Bangkok. Koh Chang requires more of a slog, which makes what awaits you when you get there all the more disappointing.
Which is better, Phuket or Koh Chang?
For me, Phuket offers a more interesting travel experience than Koh Chang, even if Koh Chang might be better in terms of the “island” experience if offers. For example, there’s nowhere comparable to Phuket Town on Koh Chang; while you can travel onward from Koh Chang to other islands, it’s not as easy to day trip as it is in Phuket (to Koh Racha, the Yao islands or even the Similan Islands).
What is there to do on Koh Chang?
Koh Chang is more for chilling than for doing. This is not to say that there aren’t activities, whether that means lounging on Lonely Beach, watching the sunset behind Bang Bao Pier or chilling at the Salak Kok fishing village on the island’s remote east coast. But in my experience, the people who love Koh Chang the most are those who use it to relax.
The Bottom Line
Is Koh Chang worth visiting? Well, I suppose if you plan to be in Trat province anyway, you can make the argument that it is. Certainly, it’s a much shorter trip from Trat Airport to Koh Chang than it is to any of the other islands; you can stay on Koh Chang for a night of two and then continue further from southern Bang Bao Pier to your next port of call (which will also be a shorter journey). I suppose what I have trouble seeing is the value of Koh Chang as a destination in its own right, rather than a stopping off point. Then again, I might not be its target audience. Need help selecting the right combination of Thai islands for you? Commission a custom Thailand itinerary today!
