Ways in which you can help keep my dog, and for
that matter my partner 'Mam', in the style to which they have become accustomed
are. .
. .
1) If you're looking for somewhere quiet then you
could stay at our little guesthouse near Klong Prao
Beach,
Baan Rim Nam. There's only three rooms, no
beer bars, karaoke or nightlife within earshot and one travel guide has
described the location as being "one of the most gorgeous spots on the
island" so the odds of having a
relaxing holiday are pretty good. The Lonely Planet & Rough Guide also seem
to like it.
2) Book your hotel / resort on
Koh Chang or in
Bangkok through this site. That doesn't
mean I handle the bookings, just that you click on a link to one of two
professionally run, well-known, hotel booking sites I have affiliate
programs with. (i.e. I get the commission, not some web marketing geek
sitting in an office half way round the world who's never set foot on Koh
Chang.)
3) Stay on Koh Mak at a friend's resorts,
Koh Mak
Villa provides affordable luxury in a beautiful hilltop setting,
nearby the new Goodtime Resort
offers accommodation in Thai style houses or choose to relax
at Rayang Island Resort, a 15 bungalow, 'back to basics' resort on the
private island of Koh Rayang, just off Koh Mak.
To book in advance or not to book in advance?
Koh Chang
In 2003 - 04, I'd have definitely said that it wasn't
worth booking in advance as except for the Christmas/New Year and Thai New
year periods, rooms could be found in virtually all bungalow resorts and
hotels with relative ease. (Although it's important to remember that
internet booking rates are almost always cheaper than hotel's walk-in
rates.)
However, Dec 04's tsunami plus the emergence of Koh
Chang as a 'new' island in Thailand meant that there was a definite
increase in the number of visitors in early 2005. The 2005-06 high season
ended rather abruptly -to the surprise of many business owners in
mid-February 2006, partly due to uncertainty over the political situation in
Thailand. Regardless, you can expect to have a hard time finding
a good value room in December/January or February - but outside these three
months you should be able to choose for a variety of hotels in your price
range. I'd expect KC to continue to get busier as tour agencies from various countries are now beginning to add
more Koh Chang hotels to their brochures and visitors are looking for
alternatives to over touristy islands such as Samui or Phuket.
Having seen the 2006-07 high season come and go and
follow pretty much the same pattern as the previous one i.e. a relatively
short high season outside which only the best located resorts have a
significant number of visitors. Booking in advance is definitely
recommended for December through till late January/ early February if you
want to secure your first choice hotel. Outside those times you should
be able to get rooms at most resorts, However there are those that have
a loyal clientele and also a better marketing machine working for them than
others and so these will often be booked up.
One big problem is the lack of better than average accommodation in the
1,000 - 1,500 baht/night price bracket that can be booked
in advance. There's our place, but there again I've made an effort
and put a site together which definitely helps get bookings as 99% of people
who stay at our place come through this website.
