Awa Koh Chang — A Modern Design Resort with a Long Pool Running to the Sea on Kai Bae Beach
If your mental image of a Koh Chang resort is old wooden bungalows by the sand, Awa Koh Chang tears that up · A 4-star boutique resort built around crisp modern lines — white, grey and timber — with a long pool that runs straight from the lobby down toward the sea, in the heart of Kai Bae Beach · Opened in 2014 as a sister property to The Dewa · Around 120 modern rooms with soft beds and generous space · The draws here are the design, the pool, and a central location you can walk from · From approx. ฿1,800/night, scoring 8.9 from around 460 reviews
Awa Koh Chang sits at the northern end of Kai Bae Beach, the popular stretch in the middle of Koh Chang · The first thing guests mention is the design — clean modern lines, sharp edges, a white-grey-timber palette, nothing like the wooden bungalows you find all over the island · The highlight is a long pool that runs straight from the building down toward the sea, which is the single most-photographed feature in reviews.
The roughly 120 rooms come in several tiers — Superior Hillside (40 sqm) sits in a garden annex across the road, Deluxe and Deluxe Premium (54 sqm) sit inside the resort on the pool/sea side, and it goes up to the Beachfront Suite (108 sqm) · Most rooms are spacious and modern with a balcony · What guests consistently praise is how comfortable the beds are and how clean the rooms feel · Worth knowing: the Hillside rooms are across the road, so it's a short crossing to the pool and sea — if you want to be poolside, book Deluxe or above.
"Modern, clean room, super-comfortable bed, a beautiful long pool, and you walk straight out of the resort onto Kai Bae's mid-beach restaurants — great value for a 4-star."
The star here is the long outdoor pool running toward the sea, ringed with sun loungers and a bar · The vibe is social and lively rather than dead-quiet — good if you like being poolside with people around · There's a spa for massages and treatments, a beachfront restaurant and bar, and a buffet breakfast that reviewers rate as solid · One note from reviews: in high season the pool and common areas can get fairly busy.
The honest caveat is that the beach directly in front isn't the best part of Kai Bae · At the northern tip, low tide exposes rocks and muddy sand, so swimming is less comfortable than the middle and southern sections · Many guests use the pool as their base and stroll to a better stretch of beach to swim · If you're a dedicated beach-lounger who wants to swim right outside your room, this spot may not fit — but if you're here for the pool, the design and a great location, it barely matters.
Location is a real strength — you're in the heart of Kai Bae Beach, about a 5-minute walk to its cluster of restaurants, convenience stores and bars · It's roughly 10–15 minutes by car to White Sand Beach and about 10 minutes to Klong Prao · Getting here from Bangkok means driving to the Trat-side piers, taking the ferry across to Koh Chang, then a songthaew or taxi to Kai Bae · A score of 8.9 from around 460 Trip.com reviews is strong and steady for a 4-star on Koh Chang.
The straight verdict: Awa Koh Chang is one of the best-value picks among modern design resorts on Kai Bae Beach · Spacious rooms, soft beds, a handsome pool, a central walkable location and friendly pricing · The trade-offs to accept are the so-so beach at low tide right in front, the Hillside rooms being across the road, and a busy pool when the resort is full · If those three sit fine with you, the value here is hard to match in a 4-star on this island.
A tip from following the reviews here for a while: if you want to be by the pool and sea, book Deluxe or above — don't just grab the cheapest Hillside rate without realising you'll be crossing the road · Time your sea swims with the tide; it's easier at high water · For high season (November–February), book ahead and lock a free-cancellation rate first, then compare across platforms · The rainy season is quieter and cheaper on Koh Chang, but some days bring strong surf — check the forecast before you go.
Summary from Booking & Agoda
- ✓ Handsome modern design and a long, photogenic pool
- ✓ Spacious, clean rooms with very comfortable beds — mentioned in many reviews
- ✓ Central Kai Bae location, walkable to restaurants and shops
- ✓ Professional reception team with good English
- ! Beach in front has rocks and muddy sand at low tide, awkward for swimming
- ! Hillside rooms are across the road from the pool/sea
- ! Pool and common areas get fairly busy in high season
- ✓ Great value for a 4-star on Koh Chang
- ✓ Big pool with a lively, social vibe — good for poolside lounging
- ✓ Modern rooms with balconies; some look onto the pool/sea
- ✓ Spa and beachfront bar; breakfast is decent
- ! No gym/fitness room
- ! Social atmosphere rather than a quiet, secluded resort
- ! High-season rates climb quickly — book ahead
- 💡If you're a dedicated beach-lounger who wants to swim right outside your room — the beach in front has rocks and muddy sand at low tide → use the pool as your base and walk to a better stretch of Kai Bae, or pick a place mid/south on the beach
- 💡If you book the cheapest rate — the lowest-priced room is usually Superior Hillside across the road, so you'll cross over to reach the pool/sea → book Deluxe or above if you want to be poolside
- 💡If you want a quiet, secluded resort — the vibe here is social and the pool gets busy in high season → if peace is the priority, consider a resort set deeper back or at the quiet end of a beach