🔄 Updated 21 Jun 2026
Koh Chang stretches long from north to south, with a single main road hugging the west coast where the beaches line up one after another. The east side is quieter, home to Than Mayom waterfall and the ferry piers. That makes getting around easy — almost every beach and sight sits along the same road — but there's a road warning we'll cover at the end of this article.
Koh Chang Beaches — North to South, Pick the Right One
The west-coast beaches run from north to south: the further north, the busier and more built-up with shops; the further south, the quieter it gets. Here they are in order, with what stands out and who each one suits.
White Sand Beach (Hat Sai Khao)
The island's most popular beach, up north, with fine white sand, clear water, and the widest choice of restaurants, beach bars and places to stay. In the evening bars play music and it's a good sunset spot. Best for first-timers who want everything close and convenient — the trade-off is more crowds and higher room rates than the other beaches.
Klong Prao Beach
The longest beach on the island, in the middle, with soft sloping sand and few rocks — easy for long walks and a more relaxed feel than White Sand. There are beachfront resorts at several price points. Good for families and couples who want a wide, quiet beach but still within reach of food. At the far end, a canal mouth is fun to paddle a kayak around.
Kai Bae Beach
The next beach south from Klong Prao, with small islets just offshore that make a pretty view at low tide — you can walk out to them. The mood sits nicely between lively and quiet, with a fair few beach bars and restaurants, and it's a sunset spot many people love. The water here is shallow in places with rocks underfoot, so water shoes make it easier on the feet.
Lonely Beach (Hat Sai Yao)
The island's party and backpacker beach, down south — chilled by day, lively by night with beach bars and music. Lots of budget places to stay. Best for younger travelers and solo travelers who want to meet people. Worth knowing: parts of the beach get rip currents at low tide, so check the warning signs before heading into deep water.
Bang Bao / Southern Tip
The very end of the west-coast road is Bang Bao. It's not a long sandy beach like the ones up north, but a bay with a fishing village and the pier for snorkeling boats. Best for a slow-life vibe, photos of the wooden walkway and lighthouse, and as the launch point for island trips — more than for lying out and sunbathing.
Match the beach to what you want
First visit, want it all and easy → White Sand Beach · Family, want a wide quiet beach → Klong Prao · want sunsets with island views → Kai Bae · party crowd / tight budget → Lonely Beach · want slow life and a snorkel boat from the door → Bang Bao
Want more out of Koh Chang? Book tours & activities
Booking online ahead on Klook or GetYourGuide is usually cheaper than the gate and skips the queue. Pick only the experiences you actually want — prices and availability are shown live on each site.
Koh Chang Waterfalls — Cool Off in the Jungle
The center of Koh Chang is mountains and rainforest, with several waterfalls running down. Two are easy to reach and swimmable: Klong Plu on the west side and Than Mayom on the east. Both sit inside Mu Ko Chang National Park, so there's a park entry fee.
Klong Plu Waterfall
The island's best-known waterfall, flowing year-round. The lower tier drops around 40 m into a big pool you can swim in. It's about a 600 m walk from the parking area on a fairly easy path. Park entry is around 200 THB for foreigners, 100 THB for kids (Thais pay less). A good afternoon stop to cool off.
Than Mayom Waterfall
A quieter, less-crowded waterfall on the east side with several tiers. King Rama V once visited here and inscribed his royal initials on the rock. You can hike up to the higher tiers, so it suits people who like a walk and want to dodge the crowds. It's on the opposite side from the beaches, so leave time to drive across the island.
What to know about the waterfalls
Koh Chang's waterfalls run strong and full in the rainy season (May–Oct) — beautiful but slippery, so watch for mossy rocks and don't go in if the water is murky and fast. In the dry season the water is clear and easy to swim in, though some tiers run low. Water shoes or grippy footwear help a lot.
Bang Bao Fishing Village — Slow Life at the Island's Tip
Bang Bao is a fishing village more than a century old at the very end of the west-coast road. The draw is the stilt houses raised out over the water, linked by a long wooden walkway. At the end of the walkway stands a white lighthouse, a favorite photo spot, and both sides of the walkway are lined with seafood restaurants, souvenir shops, cafés and dive shops.
- Walk the wooden pier to the lighthouse — photograph the bay and the fishing boats; the light is lovely in the late afternoon
- Eat fresh seafood — several restaurants along the walkway have prawns, shellfish, crab and fish in season, priced by weight; ask the price before you order to be safe
- Snorkel-trip pier — most boats out to the nearby islands leave from Bang Bao pier
- Koh Chang souvenirs — shrimp paste, fish sauce, dried fish and other local seafood products from the community
Snorkeling the Nearby Islands — Koh Rang, Koh Wai, Koh Yak
For sea lovers, the highlight of Koh Chang is a boat trip out to snorkel the small islands nearby, where the water is clearer and the coral healthier than right around Koh Chang itself. The famous one is Koh Rang, inside the national park, with beautiful coral, followed by Koh Yak, Koh Mapring and Koh Wai with its pretty white-sand beach. Boats mostly leave from Bang Bao pier.
Wooden Boat 4-Island Trip (full day)
The cheapest and most popular option. A big wooden boat leaves around 8 a.m. and returns late afternoon, stopping to snorkel at several spots including Koh Rang, with lunch cooked on board. Good for travelers on a budget who aren't in a rush — but you spend more time on the boat than on a speedboat.
Speedboat 5-Island Trip
A fast boat that reaches the snorkel spots quickly, so you get more time in the water, with fewer people per boat. Good if you don't want a long boat ride and want to dive several spots in one day. The trade-off: the small boats have no toilet or shower, and it costs more than the wooden boat.
Koh Rang (main snorkel spot)
An uninhabited island inside the national park with the healthiest coral and fish in the area — every trip stops here. There's a park fee collected at Bang Bao pier: around 200 THB for foreign adults, 100 THB for kids (Thais pay less).
Koh Wai
A small island with a white-sand beach and clear water, outside the park boundary so there's no fee for this part. Some trips stop here for a beach walk and shallow snorkeling near shore. The mood is quiet and calm, and some people choose to stay overnight here to escape the crowds.
Straight talk on the snorkel boat trips
For boat trips out to the nearby islands, always check the weather before booking. During the monsoon (roughly May–Oct) the swell is strong, many operators cancel, or the sea is too murky to snorkel enjoyably. The best season is Nov–Apr, when the sea is calm and clear. If you get seasick easily, pick the bigger boat and take medication before boarding.
Getting Around the Island + Things to Watch For
To reach Koh Chang you take a ferry from Laem Ngop pier in Trat across to the island's piers. On the island, most people rent a motorbike or a car and drive themselves. Red songthaews (shared pickup taxis) run along the beaches as the main public transport, but the fares are negotiable and the schedules unpredictable.
- The roads are steep with sharp hairpin bends, especially from Kai Bae down to Bang Bao. If you're not used to a motorbike on steep roads, don't push it — take a songthaew or rent a car, which is safer.
- The roads get slippery in the rainy season — leaves and water on the surface make the wheels slip easily, so drive slowly and keep your distance.
- Fill up before heading south — there are few petrol stations on the island and barely any in the south, so check your fuel before a long trip.
- Some places close in low season — during the rainy season smaller resorts and some shops shut for long stretches, so check with your accommodation before booking your trip.
Koh Chang in 2 Unhurried Days
West-coast beaches + waterfall
Island snorkeling + Bang Bao
Plan a full Koh Chang trip — beaches, food, and where to stay
See the Koh Chang travel guide →